Sanctuary Society

“Holy is the Lord our God.”
--Psalm 99

The Mission of the Sanctuary Society is to maintain the beauty of God’s house, St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, and to make our church an inviting and welcoming place for God’s people to visit and worship Him.  Ladies of the parish can participate either as an active or spiritual member.  We invite you to join our Sanctuary Society.

Sanctuary Society activities:

• Sacristan duties: checking and replenishing the supply of hosts and wine in the sacristy, checking and replenishing the oil in the candles in the sanctuary, and sorting the purificators and small linens for laundry each day.
• Laundering of purificators and small linens each week, laundering of altar linens and servers’ albs as needed.
• Maintaining the candles at the main altar, ambo, and shrines; ordering candles and candle oil as needed (including candles for everyone attending the Holy Saturday Mass); taking care of the donations pertaining to the candles at the shrines.
• Straightening the missals/song books in the pews and removing the clutter from the pews; putting fresh Holy Water in the bowls twice each week.
• Providing decorations and flowers for ordinary time, and for Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, and for special events and feast days.
• Cleaning of the entire church: the Sanctuary, the pews, and the shrines each November.

Spiritual activities:

• Attendance of members at the 9:00 am Mass on the First Sunday of each month.
• Members pray the Rosary together for deceased members 30 minutes before the member’s funeral.  A “telephone chain” is in place for notification of members about funerals.

Special events:

• Provision of loaves of bread to be blessed and distributed to parishioners after Mass on Thanksgiving Day.
• Members visit the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home each year in June.
• Members volunteer to work at the Sanctuary Society booth at the annual Parish Picnic in June.

Meetings and Social Events:

• Board meetings twice a year in March and September
• Christmas breakfast in December
• Spring Luncheon in May

OFFICERS

Subcommittee: Ladies' Craft Workshop

The Sanctuary Society sponsors a workshop that meets in the rectory every Thursday at 10:00 am.  These ladies work on many craft projects for our parish picnic.