Ministry Training Videos Rich in Practical Knowledge, Catholic Tradition

Liturgical ministers play a vital part in assuring that Mass flows smoothly and the congregation is connected to God through word, prayer, and sacraments. As ministers train for their roles, they learn what the church expects of them, the “how-tos” of their roles, as well as the deep theological meaning of their roles. The Office of Worship of the Diocese of Baton Rouge has produced videos to enhance the ministers’ training to help them, as well as help congregation members appreciate everything involved in the celebration of Mass.

The training videos cover the areas of lector/reader, sacristan, alter server, usher, extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, and musicians, such as choir director/cantor.

“The idea was ‘how can the Office of Worship provide a workshop that could be repeatedly seen anywhere and anytimewithout having to do it in person?’” said Father Tom Ranzino, director of the Office of Worship. “What came to mind was the ability to record a presentation that can be used in a parish and do it in segments, where each segment has a practical topic at the end of which are questions that can be used by stopping the video and having a discussion with the coordinator of the liturgy or parish or priest or deacon regarding what the participants just saw.”

The videos cover the theology of the ministry as well aspractical details, such as how to do something, what to do, and what not to do.

The questions at the end and prompt discussions that are “crucial to the learning method,” according to Father Ranzino.

“(For example) ‘What am I supposed to do as a reader at certain points?’; ‘What am I supposed to do as an usher if there is a threat in the church building on a Sunday morning?’; ‘What do I do as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist if I drop the consecrated host?’; “What am I supposed to do as a sacristan to prepare for a funeral rite?’; ‘What am I to do as an altar server if I am supposed to carry the cross in the procession?’”

The videos also contain texts and visuals.

“Most of them have a vocabulary segment where the items used are defined,” said Father Ranzino.

Parishes can use the videos in conjunction with the training theyalready provide to meet their needs, emphasized Ranzino.

“For instance, Deacon Dan Borné oversaw the production of the lector or reader video. He provides a theology of the word, an explanation and description of how the lectionary is put together, the place of the Scriptures in Catholic worship, how to handle things such as the lectionary book itself, and how to proclaim the Scriptures, with a demonstration being given by a lay woman who is shown doing the liturgy of the word.

“There’s plenty of room to enhance what's on the video,” Father Ranzino said.

In producing the videos, Father Ranzino said, “It is important that we have good content grounded in our Catholic tradition.”

The videos, which the Office of Worship produced in conjunction with Catholic Life TV, can be viewed at diobr.org/liturgical-training-resources with the usher and musician videos coming soon.