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Cathedral
Incarnation
of the
The Diocese of Nashville
A.D. 1914
SERVICE & MINISTRY
Our Cathedral parish community is home to several ministry and service groups. For those who have made The Cathedral their home parish; we all find various ways to help bring a welcoming experience to the Nashville community. Here are some groups found at The Cathedral:
Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus Council 544 is proud to be a member of the Cathedral parish community, and much of our current effort in service and fundraising revolves around supporting the Cathedral, its parishioners and its sponsored charities. Please visit our council website to find out more about our current programs and upcoming events.
The Knights of Columbus is founded on four key principles – Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. These principles inform the activities that we undertake as an order, just as they influence and shape the lives we lead as Catholic gentlemen. We all have different talents, different interests, and different callings in the Church; but as Knights, it is through our foundational principles that we are bound together in that one common purpose which is the work of the Church on earth - the Church Militant.
The Knights meet on the second Wednesday of every month, at 7pm with opening Rosary at 6:45pm. The council meeting is held in room 305 of St. Albert Hall. For more information, please contact Greg Ledford.
Room in the Inn
The Room in the Inn program, a winter shelter program for the homeless, begins in November. The Cathedral hosts 30 to 40 homeless men every Tuesday evening from November through March. We give them a warm place to sleep, a hot dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch. We also provide showers, clean underwear and socks, toiletries, and movies for them to watch.
For us to do this, we need your help. We need individuals, families or groups to provide and prepare dinners, sack lunches, and breakfasts. We also need Innkeepers to stay the night with our guests. We need help transporting our guests from and to the Campus for Human Development and help with laundry and hospitality.
Another way to contribute is by donating men’s boxers, t-shirts and socks. We need mostly large and x-large boxers and t-shirts; however, we do need some small and 2x-large as well. We are also in need of tooth brushes and tooth paste, body lotion, liquid bath soap, shampoo, disposable razors, and shaving cream.
Have questions? Want to help? Contact Sarah McLeod.
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is a lay Catholic organization founded in Dublin, Ireland on September 7, 1921, and was organized at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in February of 1952. The object of the Legion is the glory of God through the holiness of its members by prayers and apostolic works.
There are two types of membership:
ACTIVE: These members are required to attend a weekly meeting and undertake assigned apostolic works.
AUXILIARY: These members support the active members through their prayers- daily rosary and prayers in the Legion’s pamphlet called a “Tessera”.
Meetings are held every Tuesday evening in Room 204 of St. Albert Hall at 5:30 pm. For more information about this wonderful ministry please contact the president, Susan Brigance.
Altar Servers
The duties of an altar server include lighting the candles before Mass, carrying the cross and candles in procession; and assisting the priest and deacon at the Mass and other public services of the Church. The position of a server is open to any youth, from fifth grade through high school. Also, your family must be registered at the Cathedral. Candidates will receive specific training before serving at Mass.
If you or your child is interested in serving as an altar server, please email Pam Holzmer.
Altar Society
The Altar Society provides volunteers a perfect opportunity for quiet reflection and meditation in the Cathedral while performing a valuable service. Altar Society members clean the altar, change altar linens, polish sacred vessels, clean the baptismal font and change candles as needed. Extra care and servicing is done during the major holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Floral arrangement work is minimal.
The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament is the canonical name given to the Altar Society of the Cathedral of the Incarnation. The altar society is the oldest parish organization and was established shortly after the Pro-Cathedral was erected.
If interested in participating, please contact Susan Brigance.
Mary & Martha Ministry
The Mary and Martha (M&M) Women’s Ministry welcomes all women of the Cathedral parish to join us!
Monthly meetings are held on the second Sunday of each month from 9:45-10:45 a.m. These meetings are held in the church office. We do break for the summer months of mid-May through mid-August.
To explain ~ the Gospel of Luke (Ch.10) shows us two ways to serve the Lord. When our Lord comes to visit their home, Martha hurries to ensure the preparations, while her sister Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to His word. Following the examples of these holy women, we strive to do both - "work like Martha" and "pray like Mary." Thus, our activities are two-fold: focused on serving our parish family as well as strengthening our fellowship in Christ.
Annual events that the M&M ladies coordinate and host are as listed below:
February: A full or half day retreat
March: Mardi Gras Party
October: All Saints Day “Be a Saint” Party
December: Advent Wreath Workshop
December: Ladies Advent by Candlelight Evening
Additionally, we serve alongside other Cathedral ministries such as the Rectory Open House, and one of the Room at the Inn nights held here at the Cathedral. Throughout the year, we also will organize social events for the members of M&M so that we can gather for enrichment as well as have fun together.
Please join us in this rewarding and edifying ministry! For more information, please contact the parish office.
Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic ministers are lay people who volunteer and are trained by the Church to assist the priest in distributing Holy Communion at Mass. They also help in bringing the Eucharist to the sick at area hospitals and nursing homes, and make home visits to those unable to participate in community worship. Each minister receives instructions dealing with the role of lay ministers, with an emphasis on the Eucharist. Eucharistic ministers assist in the nourishing of God’s children with the Body and Blood of Christ.
Eucharistic ministers at weekend Masses are needed for the Saturday 5:00 pm, Sunday 8:30 am, 11:00 am, and 5:00 pm. Masses.
Eucharistic minister at weekday Masses is a great opportunity to serve the Cathedral community. The participants experience a joy that comes through serving the Lord and others. The ministry requires one Eucharistic minister for the 7:00 am. Mass on the weekdays. Two Eucharistic ministers are needed for the weekday 12:10 pm Mass.
Eucharistic ministers for hospitals and nursing homes assist the priests of our parish by carrying Holy Communion to Catholic patients at St. Thomas and Vanderbilt Hospitals. They also visit Catholic residents at the Nashville Health Care and Richland Health Care facilities. Sometimes, this visit provides a hospital patient the only contact with the church while they are ill, and the most frequent contact with the Church for the nursing home residents.
Because of the great responsibility of carrying the Blessed Sacrament outside the Church, care must be taken to recruit only those individuals who understand the importance of and appreciate the sacredness of their undertaking. This shows in their manner, their attitude toward those with whom they come into contact, their dress and their devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
This service is a gift both to the patient, to whom we hold out the hand of the Church, and to ourselves, completing the circle of love. It is helpful, though not necessary, for you to enjoy meeting people and encountering different sorts of situations. Indeed, nearly every time you go through a door, a surprise awaits you. It is a gratifying, humbling, heartwarming, occasionally frightening, always deeply spiritual experience.
If you are interested in being a Visiting Eucharistic Minister, please contact the parish office.
Lectors
Lectors share the Word of God with the Cathedral community by reading the Church’s selections from the Bible at Mass. They serve God by communicating His words to the parish community and experience a joy that comes from serving the Lord and others. The Lector Ministry is a great way to serve the Cathedral community.
The Weekend Mass Lector ministry requires two lectors for the 5:00 pm Saturday evening Mass. Two lectors are required for the 8:30 am, 11:00 am, and 5:00 pm Sunday Masses.
The Weekday Mass Lector ministry requires one lector for the 7:00 am Mass on the weekdays. One lector is needed for the weekday 12:10 pm Mass.
Those interested parishioners seeking to learn more as a lector for any Masses, as a regularly scheduled participant or substitute, may contact the Cathedral office.
Music Ministry
The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value. The Music Ministry of the Cathedral of the Incarnation exists to enhance the liturgical celebrations of the Parish and the Diocese by supporting the participation of the Assembly, and by adding beauty. We endeavor fully to embrace the Church’s vision of a sung liturgy, a task for which a Cathedral Church is given a special responsibility in the Church’s liturgical documents. Every Sunday and most Holy Day Liturgies at the Cathedral are supported musically by an accompanist and a cantor, as well as by the participation of the Cathedral Choir on a regular basis.
“Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendor.”
- Pope Benedict XVI
The Cathedral Choir and Cantors. The treasury of sacred music is to be preserved and cultivated with great care. Choirs must be assiduously developed, especially in cathedral churches.
An accomplished SATB ensemble, the Cathedral Choir sings at the 11:00 am Mass each Sunday September through June, on certain Feast Days, for major Liturgies celebrated by the Diocesan Bishop, and also presents special musical events. Repertoire is varied, including chant and polyphony, as well as quality choral anthems by composers of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Cathedral Cantors are drawn from among qualified, active Cathedral Choir members. Choir membership is open to singers age High School Senior and above, preferably with some choral music experience.
Generally new choir members are welcomed in September and January, but sometimes it is possible to join mid-year; contact the Director of Music, Jackson Schoos, via our parish office at the parish office at (615) 327-2330 or email info@cathedralnashville.org for additional details and to schedule an interview and simple audition.
Ushers
Our ushers welcome both visitors and parishioners with a smiling face when arriving to Mass and assist them in finding a seat. Ushers will also help people find their way around the church. They also assist in the collection during every Mass. Their goal is to exemplify and extend the hospitality of the Cathedral of the Incarnation. Join in meeting many of your fellow parishioners and guests that visit the Cathedral.
Duties include:
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Arrive 20 minutes early, before Mass to help welcome parishioners and visitors, along with distributing hymnals.
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Help answer questions about our parish.
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Facilitate the collection.
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Work with other greeters in selecting gift bearers.
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Help clean up and prepare the sanctuary & narthex for the next Mass.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Carlos Torres for more information.
Young Adults
Interested in young adult events at the Cathedral? We organize a variety of events throughout the year to help you meet other young adults around the parish and get integrated into the Cathedral-at-large! If you are interested in receiving Young Adult Ministry, please visit their website.
St. Simon Society
St. Simon Society which is based on the ministry of Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus carry the Cross, serves as the Cathedral’s Bereavement Ministry. “If one member suffers in the body of Christ, which is the Church, all the members suffer with that member”. (1 Corinthians 12:26) The St. Simon Society ministry puts our faith into action.
St. Simon Society volunteers serve in pairs (He sent us out in twos). They are identifiable to others by magnetic ID badges that say, “Cathedral of the Incarnation.” Volunteer opportunities are set up to take from 1 to 3 hours. Detail needs are communicated for each event.
Funeral Greeters typically work with the parish and funeral home staff to prepare the church for the service, direct people to the service and building facilities, disperse programs, open and close doors, and straighten the church after the service.
To volunteer for the St. Simon ministry, please contact the parish office.
Prayer Network
The Cathedral Prayer Network offers support to members and the community through the power of prayer. The Network asks that they be contacted when parish members, or a member’s friend(s) or family member(s) are afraid, alone or sick, or facing a crisis.
Prayer cards are available in the back of the church. You may also call the Cathedral office at (615) 327-2330. If you would like to join the prayer network, please contact us and we will send you the prayer list each week.
Prayer: Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. Lord, show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask you to minister to their spirit at this very moment and meet their needs.
Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release in them a renewed confidence in your ability to work through them.
Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask you to give them understanding, patience and strength as they learn submission to your leading. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask you to renew them by revealing your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with you.
Welcome Committee
The Cathedral Welcome Committee strives to help build a strong parish community where everyone feels welcome. Our main responsibility is to greet parishioners and visitors with a friendly face when they arrive at Mass and to distribute the Worship Aids and Bulletins. Currently, we have greeters at both of the Sunday morning Masses, and greeters generally serve once or twice a month.
For committee members who want to be more involved, we also:
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Host a Welcome Reception for Parish Newcomers twice a year at the Rectory to assist with registration, answer general questions, and to connect newcomers to the various Cathedral ministries so they can develop new friendships and grow spiritually.
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Assist at the Cathedral Christmas Open House held at the Rectory and other events.
Please join us in this important and enjoyable ministry! For more information, please contact the parish office.
Haiti Mission
The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, Tennessee was paired with the Saint Jean Baptiste Parish in La Vallée de Jacmel, Haiti through the Parish Twinning Program of America. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization in 1992, the Haiti Parish Twinning Program matches up U.S. and Haiti parishes to support the Haitian Parish’s needs.
Haiti has struggled to create economic development due to lack of infrastructure, political unrest, and the prevalence of natural disasters. Our organization supports the Haiti parish community through education, health, spiritual growth, and business development.
We started by raising funds to support the priests of St. Jean Baptiste in the endeavors of helping their parishioners. Little did we know all the ways we could help this community improve itself and the lives of its people. The pastor came to us expressing his desire to provide a primary school for a poor community in the valley, and that dream became a reality in 2001 when St. Terese de La Voute was built. Realizing the primary school students needed a secondary school to continue their education, we founded IPEPH de Musac. The secondary school started out with only 12 graduates and now has around 25 in each graduating class, who all receive a college scholarship. Our graduates are given a college counselor to help them navigate life outside of their small villages and walk alongside them through this new experience.
After graduating college, they are given the opportunity to apply for our business program which helps create economic growth in the local villages. Our students are equipped with the necessary tools to change the future for not only themselves and their families, but also their communities and country.
We also recognize that health is an important aspect in creating better communities. Currently our health initiative is focused on providing preventative dental care to youth throughout the La Vallée community by funding a dental clinic with a full-time dentist.
All of our acts are done to bring the goodness of God into a community that has the power to change Haiti for the better, but not necessarily all the resources to do so. As our organization continues to grow, we are able to expand our efforts in these four sectors to enhance spiritual and community development.
For more information, please visit HaitiMission.org.