St.
Martha Catholic Church
Pallottine Fathers (Society of Catholic Apostolate)
U.S.A. Circus Church
200 N. Orange Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34236
(941)366-4210
Fax: (941)954-8434
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Parish MinistriesCarosella Adoration Chapel Requirements: Parishioners wishing to volunteer an hour a week to spend time with Jesus. Contact person: Church Office The Altar Society
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The Adult Choir provides spiritual music for the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Liturgy. |
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The Cantors lead the congregation in singing at Sunday Masses. |
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The Contemporary Choir is a quality instrument choir for the 9:00 a.m. Family Liturgy. |
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The Children's Choir gives the children an opportunity to participate in quality music and liturgy. |
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The Spanish Choir provides spiritual music for the Spanish Mass. |
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The Gregorian Choir provides spiritual music for the Tridentine Latin Mass. |
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The Vietnamese Choir provides spiritual music for the Vietnamese Mass. |
Requirements:
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For Adult Choir and Cantors: Parishioners who like to sing (audition required). |
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For Contemporary Choir: Singers and musicians who would also like to enjoy the camaraderie and spiritual experience. |
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For Children's Choir: Young singers with supportive adults. |
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For Spanish Choir and Cantors: Hispanic parishioners who like to sing. |
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For Gregorian Choir: Parishioners who like to sing and enjoy the Tridentine Latin Mass Liturgy. |
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For Vietnamese Choir: Parishioners who like to sing and regularly attend our Vietnamese Liturgy. |
Contact persons: Virigina Bray
Council of
Catholic Women
Parish based group who are affiliated with the Florida and National Council
of Catholic Women. This is a faith based group of parishioners who meet in the
context of prayer, liturgy, social and service issues. Their connection to the
larger Council groups keep them informed and active in religious, educational,
legislative, social and economic domains; to stimulate greater proficiency in
meeting the needs of the times.
Contact person: Peggy O'Connell
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Sarasota Memorial Hospital: These Eucharist Ministers deliver the Blessed Sacrament to Catholics who are recovering in the Hospital. |
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Nursing Homes (28) and Shut-ins (62): These Eucharist Ministers deliver the Blessed Sacrament to those Catholics who are unable to attend Mass. They go the parishioners' homes and the Nursing/Retirement Homes. |
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Mass (13 weekend; 4 daily): The Eucharistic Ministers assist in the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament, in both species, during Mass. |
Requirements: Parishioners who have a special reverence for the Eucharist. Must have transportation.
Contact person: Bro. William Hudspeth
Requirements: Male and female parishioners who wish to carry the Word to our incarcerated fellow human beings and bring them a sense of belonging that they desperately need.
Contact persons: The Diocese of Venice in Florida
Requirements: Parishioners who read and speak well, and would like to "proclaim" the Word.
Contact persons: Robert Beckman
Legion of Mary
The main purpose is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its
members. Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced
program of prayer and service. Work includes catechesis, parishioner visitation,
prison ministry, visitation of the sick or aged, crowd contact, religious
education, visiting newly baptized, Pilgrim Virgin Statue rotations, and meeting
the other spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the
guidance of a spiritual director named by the pastor.
Contact person: Lia Foster
Library
St. Martha's Library is located on the second floor of the Elslander Parish
Center. The library contains over 3500 volumes on a variety of religious
subjects ranging from Bible Study to Theology. Library hours are 10 a.m. till
noon on Sundays when the School of Religion is in session. Access to the library
can be arranged at other times by calling the Parish Librarian, Ted Cover.
Contact person: Ted Cover, (941)379-0758
Ministers of Hospitality
Parishioners who meet and greet people attending worship and parish
functions. They are also called Ushers in the Church setting, but they do
much more than that. They are men and women who assist with worship seating and
safety. Persons in this ministry are instrumental in making certain that church
functions, whether they be liturgy, sacraments or interfaith events are
celebrated in an inviting and safe environment.
Contact person: Robert Morressey
Requirements: Ministry representation to welcome these newcomers.
Contact person: Ray Macaulay
Parish Council
The Parish Council is the unifying
structure of Saint Martha's Catholic family. Our purpose is to counsel the
Pastor by serving God and the parishioners of Saint Martha's, in the spiritual,
liturgical and assistance areas of parish life.
Requirements:
The Parish Council is represented by no less than nine or more than 25
lay people and clerics from within Saint Martha's Parish. Regular members are
voting members who count towards a quorum and include three permanent positions:
Saint Martha's School Principal or representative, the Director of Religious
Education and a Finance Council representative. The Pastor has the privilege and
authority to appoint the balance of the regular members, usually from among a
rotation of representatives of the various Parish Ministries. Elected members
are voting members who count towards a quorum and include up to three members
elected by Parishioners every year on a three year cycle. There may be up to a
total of nine elected members. St. Martha's Pastor is an ex-officio member of
the Parish Council. He neither votes, nor is included in a quorum count on
matters brought before the Council. The Pastor may appoint additional ex-officio
members at his discretion.
Regular meetings are held monthly between September and May, except that no meeting is held in December. Parishioners and non-parishioners who want to address the Council must submit a written request to the President at least ten days prior to the meeting. The President is responsible for obtaining the Pastor's approval for the request and for granting any exceptions to this requirement.
Minutes: Click here to view the minutes of our last meeting.
Contact person: John McGruder, President
Patriarch Apostolate
Men of the parish are invited to become senior altar servers for the 4:00
p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday Masses, Holy Day Masses, weekday morning, noon
Masses, and funeral Masses.
Contact person: Deacon Frank Horan
Peace and Social Justice/SURE
Advances
and applies Catholic social teaching to those local, national and international
issues which impact the poor and vulnerable. We have three primary components:
a social justice educational program; a legislative initiatives program; and a
public advocacy program. The public advocacy mission is an outgrowth of our
participation in SURE.
SURE is an ecumenical organization whose acronym stands
for Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity. St. Martha's along with
twenty other faith base communities serve as the poor's advocate before
governing bodies of city and county to promote social justice.
Requirements: Parishioners who are interested in learning about Catholic social justice issues and/or doing something about these matters. SURE requires p
arishioners who are interested in public advocacy for low to moderate income families.
To view one of the best Catholic Peace & Justice websites in the country, go to http://www.osjspm.org
Requirements: Become part of the Christian Prayer Line to pray for those with prayer requests.
Contact person: Connie Moran
| Bonita Springs Pregnancy Careline St. Leo Parish P.O. Box 3250 Bonita Springs, FL 33959 |
| Pregnancy Crisis Careline (not Diocese of Venice) 21234 Olean Blvd., Suite 4 Port Charlotte, FL 33952 |
| Project Rachel (Post-abortion Healing Ministry) 1000 Pinebrook Road Venice, FL 34292 1-877-908-1212 |
Requirements: Parishioners who are interested in participating in issues of life and death from a Catholic perspective.
Contact person: Ray & Peggy O'Connell
Requirements: Parishioners who are interested in making rosaries. We have many skilled rosary makers that are available to teach anyone interested in learning. Supplies are provided and the work can be done at home.
Contact person: Helen Skinner
St. Anthony Society
To foster the rich religious traditions of its forefathers who came to this
country many years ago. The traditions of the Italian parishioners are expressed
through their religious beliefs and community participation. An annual Mass is
held on the Feast of St. Anthony followed by an Italian Dinner and Dance.
Contact person: Anthony Pasqualicchio
Secular Franciscan Order
The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the
Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God – laity,
religious, and priests – who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in
the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi. In various ways and forms but in
life-giving union with each other, they intend to make present the charism of
their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.
Contact person: Dody Martin
Small Christian Communities
Parishioners who gather to break open the Word, reflect upon it, discuss it,
put it into the context of their lives in the present and then are called to act
upon the Gospel message. They meet in small groups (typically 10-12 persons in a
group) in the home of a parishioner for several weeks in the fall and again in
the winter. The small groups gather during the year for day-long retreats to
connect with each other. Each group has a facilitator and published materials
for scripture, discussion and action.
Contact person: Joe Quinton
Requirements: Warm, people-oriented persons who enjoy bantering as
they pour coffee for fellow parishioners.