Individuals who help others who have suffered a loss of a loved one. Each facilitator is required to undergo training in grief and loss in order to lead a group and create an environment where people can gather and express their own grief, learn more about the process of grieving and, through prayer and ritual, mourn the loss of a loved one. The group led by the facilitator is close-ended and meets for a series of seven sessions.
The parish conducts blood drives each spring and fall under the auspices of Long Island Blood Services with the assistance of the St. Agnes Council of the Knights of Columbus. Information about the blood drives will appear in the bulletin. Anyone 17 years or older, in good health and weighing at least 100 pounds may donate blood. (16 year olds need parental consent and if you are over 75 you will need to bring a note from your physician.) Everyone must have picture ID with signature (i.e. driver’s license).
Consider donating your blood to save lives. If you are unable to donate, consider donating your time to help during the drives registering donors after Masses, making phone calls or helping with hospitality during the drive.
The Fathers’ Club of St. Agnes Cathedral School was established in 1992 to provide fathers, grandfathers, and other interested members of the community the opportunity to support the education of their children. The Fathers’ Club is a dynamic organization that raises funds for the maintenance and improvement of the school facilities. Monthly meetings familiarize the members with the programs and needs of the school and afford the members the opportunity to socialize. The President of the Fathers’ Club is an ex-officio member of the St. Agnes Cathedral School Board.
Please see the Fathers’ Club website for more information.
The Giving Tree began in 1994 as a St. Agnes Youth Group activity and two years later expanded to the entire parish. Since then several thousand ornaments have been distributed every year by hundreds of adults and children from St. Agnes. Our generous parishioners donate thousands of gifts after which the Giving Tree committee swings into action—sorting, organizing and preparing the gifts for distribution.
The gifts are donated to various outreach and charitable organizations which use the gifts to make the Christmas season brighter for those less fortunate among us.
The St. Agnes Cathedral School Home-School Association helps parents and teachers acquire an appreciation for the ideals of Catholic education and promotes a clearer understanding of their mutual educational responsibilities. Membership consists of parents or guardians of students attending St. Agnes Cathedral School, its Co-Principals and faculty, clergy and other interested adults of the parish. The Home-School Association plans activities and programs that are directly related to the educational development of the students. The members are also a source of service to the school community. The Co-Chairs of the Home-School Association are ex-officio members of the St. Agnes Cathedral School Board.
The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal and benevolent organization of Catholic men witnessing to the faith by their camaraderie and their works of charity. St. Agnes Council 2548 sponsors several youth organizations and activities such as the parish-based Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops and annual essay competitions and the basketball free-throw contest. The council assists the parish in all areas of stewardship with its members’ time, talent and treasure, which they offer both individually and collectively. Its charitable works include financial assistance to seminarians and to other worthy organizations and causes. Among the many activities that the Council sponsors, promotes and supports is the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade. Throughout the year, members and their families have the opportunity to enjoy and participate in many religious and social activities. The St. Agnes Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the Youth Ministry Room of the Parish Ministry Building.
The loss of a loved one often requires grief stricken families to make decisions about unfamiliar details at a time when they are least able to do so. The Ministry of Consolation consists of St. Agnes volunteers who assist family members as they plan the funeral liturgy for their loved ones. These companions offer consolation and help the families select appropriate scripture readings and music and guide them through the Liturgy of the Mass of Christian Burial. They accompany the family to the church and are available to assist them during the Funeral Mass.
The Ministry of Hospitality welcomes parishioners and visitors who gather at St. Agnes and helps to make them feel that they are an integral part of our Eucharistic Celebration. Ushers and greeters set an example of hospitality for the rest of the assembly. Even beyond giving an example, the very act of welcoming someone often enables that person to be more hospitable to others as well. The gift of welcome that greeters and ushers give is passed on, like the ripples created by a stone tossed in a pond. The ushers and greeters are the initiators of a climate of hospitality that should spread throughout the assembly. The activities of the Ministry of Hospitality help to make real our parish mission statement where we “affirm the sanctity of each person.” In addition, their active and visible participation in the liturgy encourages other to do the same.
Greeters welcome people s they arrive and hand them a liturgy program to encourage active participation. At the end of Mass, they distribute the parish bulletin, so people are informed about parish activities. They may also assist the ushers in taking up the collection.
The Greeters have instituted monthly “Hospitality Sundays,” where people can gather after Mass in the Parish Center to enjoy coffee and cake while getting to know their fellow parishioners.
Ushers also welcome parishioners to the liturgy. In addition, they assist worshippers to find seats, organize the Offertory procession and take up the collections. Each month they take a count of those in attendance to assist in determining the correct number of hosts to be consecrated for each Mass. They are also available to provide assistance and attend to emergencies if they arise.
The Mothers’ Club of St. Agnes Cathedral School, founded in 1938, has functioned continually for 70 years. The primary objective of the Mothers’ Club is to provide quality education for the students by raising funds for enrichment programs. The Club’s activities are both social and educational in nature. The Mothers’ Club cooperates with other organizations connected with the Cathedral Parish to assist in furthering their goals and ideals.
Based on love of neighbor and the love of God, St. Agnes Parish Outreach provides assistance to our brothers and sisters in need throughout the year. For over 34 years it has been helping people from all parts of the Rockville Centre community. Our mandate comes from St. Matthew’s account of the final judgment, when we will be judged on our love of neighbor as well as our love of God. Among the services Outreach provides are: Food, clothing and furniture assistance, Information and referral, Advocacy, Assistance to families in securing home health aides, companions and house cleaners, Networking with the St. Vincent de Paul society, the Mayor’s office and the Economic Opportunity Council, Delivering Meals on Wheels to the frail elderly of our community, Holiday baskets for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter for the needy, Sponsoring a Christmas toy drive, You can participate in many ways: by donating food, clothing, furniture, gift cards, cash or your time, and, especially, your prayers.
The Committee prepares for the annual parish party held every fall in the Parish Center. The parish party provides an opportunity for the parish to enjoy an evening of conversation, music, dancing, dining and enjoyment and to honor someone who has made significant contributions to the parish. Each spring the Rector asks a different couple to chair the event and form a committee to organize the event and produce the journal which is a major fund raiser for the parish. Besides making the party a reality, the committee has proven to be a vehicle wherein friendships are developed and nurtured.
Pastors know that Christ did not mean for them to shoulder the entire mission of the Church themselves. A pastor needs to consult with the laity who in turn have the right to express their views and concerns to the pastor. An important structure to foster this collaboration is the parish pastoral Council. The Council is generally comprised of eleven members of the parish and the Rector. The Council could be envisioned as a “think tank” for the pastoral staff. It reviews the Parish mission statement and seeks better ways for the parish to envision its goals. The Council meets once a month.
Click here more information about our Parish Council.
The mission of the Respect Life Group is to “promote the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death through prayer, education, advocacy and peaceful presence.” The group meets monthly September through June. It participates in the annual events—“March for Life” in Washington D.C., “Stand-Up for Life” in Huntington and the “National Night of Prayer.” The group also prays the rosary in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Hempstead; hosts educational speakers on current life issues; promotes boycotts of companies that support Planned Parenthood and abortion; urges legislative action in support of human life and fundraises for organizations that support life-affirming alternatives to abortion.
The school board is an elected body consisting of adult members of St. Agnes Cathedral Parish and parents and guardians of children attending St. Agnes Cathedral School. It was established to develop and formulate educational policies for St. Agnes Cathedral School and recommend them to the rector and school administration.
The board consists of twelve members. Each member is elected for a term of three years and is eligible for one subsequent term. The rector, co-principals, and presidents of the parent organizations are ex-officio members.
Advocates and educates on behalf of the poor and elderly. The Society works closely with the Parish Outreach Office and meets twice monthly. A central part of the Society’s work is to meet with families in need, assess their situation and work to fill these needs. The Society attempts to help with their day to day needs-food, clothing, shelter and direction.
The Senior Club welcomes all people in the Rockville Centre community and surrounding areas who are 50 years of age or older. Members participate in both spiritual and social activities. The club sponsors outside speakers, outings and trips, luncheons, socials and a “lending library.” It also supports the Parish Outreach Center with food and clothing. The club’s meetings provide the opportunity to socialize with coffee and cake as well as learn. The club meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Center. New members are always welcome.
Stewardship acknowledges that God is the source of all our gifts and talents, and we are the caretakers of these gifts. Effective stewardship education and formation rely on leadership by example. Stewardship encourages us to make a difference and to become involved. It challenges individuals and families to re-examine their relationship with God, each other, the workplace, the community and the parish. It increases awareness and appreciation of the presence of the Lord in our lives. Where stewardship has been implemented, both givers’ and receivers’ lives have been changed. True conversion has taken place in the hearts and minds of many who embrace Stewardship as a way of life.
The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. “Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent and treasure” (Pope Benedict XVI). The Stewardship Committee facilitates and supports the growth of the Parish by responding with our Time, Talent and Treasure in response to God’s many gifts.
In the Bible, Jesus tells a story about a sower and his seed. The sower went to sow the seed. Some seed fell on the path and was trampled. Some seed fell on rocky ground and didn’t grow. Some seed fell among thorns and were choked. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and it produced fruit one hundredfold.
Jesus tells his friends what the story means. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but are distracted and do not believe.
Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word of God with joy, but they believe only for a time and fall away in a time of trial. The seed that fell among the thorns is about the people who have heard the word of God, but as they go along are choked by the anxieties and riches of life. They fail to produce mature fruit.
But, the seed that fell on rich soil is about those who have heard the word of God and embrace it with a generous and good heart and bear fruit through perseverance. (adapted from Luke 8:4-15).
As Christians, we are all on a journey with God. At different points in the journey, we hear and accept the word of God in various ways.
Sometimes, what God has given us is not fully realized, nurtured or developed. Things like fear, doubt, anxiety, false values, and injustice can be like thorns that choke what God does in us. We can become less than that which God calls us to be – less alive, passionate, and joy-filled.
But as people who believe in God and follow Jesus, we have hope – and we persevere, God’s Holy Spirit is with us!
Christian stewards are called to be the rich soil described in Jesus’ parable, so that what God has planted in us may grow and bear fruit. When we respond to what God does in and for us with a good, generous and prayful heart, we will bear much fruit!
Each of us receives gifts from God that provide all we need to live life to the full and to bear good fruit on the journey. These are the gifts that each of us receives from God.
As Christian stewards, our task is to discover, celebrate, develop and use our gifts responsibly, and share them in love and in justice with others. Stewardship is about God’s gifts and how we respond to those gifts in our lives.
Created in the image and likeness of God, we too, are like the sower in Jesus’ parable when we witness to God’s word in us and share what we have with others.
By sharing God’s gifts, we have an opportunity to help others along the journey. We become what God calls us to be, and we work as faith-filled Christian stewards to help promote and realize God’s kingdom.
Service to our church and community consists of offering our time in activities such as serving the poor, volunteering at school, lecturing and taking communion to the home bound. The gift of time spent in prayer is just as important.
God blesses us each with unique talents that can serve our church and community. By offering back those God-given talents to the church and one another, we are able to bless Him in return.
Though this is often the most difficult gift to offer back, experience shows that giving of your financial resources often produces the most fruit in the lives of those who make the sacrifice.
