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Parish Ministries

Many parishioners participate in various parish ministries and social outreach services. Each of these groups assists in carrying out the spiritual, educational and social mission of our parish. Please join the other members of our parish community in performing these services:

Adult Faith Formation Advisory Committee On Technology Altar Guild Altar Servers Angel Tree Basketball Program-Children Basketball Program-Men Bereavement Minsitry Blood Drive Book Group Choir Clothing Drive Cub Scouts Eucharistic Ministers Family Mass Food Pantry French Community Habitat for Humanity Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary Larchmont Catholic Library Larchmont Interfaith Council

Lectio Divina Prayer Group Lectors Midnight Run Moms and Tots Operation Support Our Troops Parish Council Pastoral Ministry to the Aging - The Seniors Group Prayer Network RCIA Team Redirect Christmas Reflections Religious Education Renovation Committee Retreats Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Saint Monica's Gardeners Soup Kitchen STAY Connected (St. Augustine Youth) Thanksgiving Dinner Drive Ushers and Greeters Welcome New Parishioners

PARISH ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

Adult Faith Formation
Growth in faith is a lifelong process that goes from the womb to the tomb. At St. Augustine's we offer experiences that foster growth in faith for a lifetime. The adult religious education/faith formation team, with the input of the parish, plans a process of events and opportunities throughout the year.

Advisory Committee On Technology
This committee meets to update and improve the technology aspects of the parish. New members are always welcome

Altar Guild
Different members of the Altar Guild meet each week to assist in the maintenance of the altars. Twice a year at Christmas and Easter, a larger group prepares the church for these great feast days. New members are always welcome.

Altar Servers
This ministry is open to boys and girls in the fifth grade and older as well as to adults. Men and women are encouraged to join this ministry and are reminded that in the early Church it was the senior members of the Faith Community who served in the sanctuary. New members are always welcome.

Angel Tree
This ministry coordinates the collections for the Angel Trees each Christmas Season. They collect and distribute gifts to many families throughout the community. New members are always welcome.

Basketball Program-Children
For chilren, third through eighth grades. The program is open to all parishioners. The goal is for all children to participate and learn the basics and fundamentals of not only basketball, but of team sports and teamwork. Practice is usually once a week and games are scheduled once or twice a week.

Basketball Program-Men
Ecumenical men's group that gathers on Saturday and some holiday mornings to play basketball and to share in athletic camaraderie. Open to men from Saint Augustine's and the larger community.

Bereavement Minsitry
The support group is available to provide pastoral care and comfort to parishioners dealing with the loss of a loved one. In an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding participants are helped to begin the faith journey from loss and grief to healing and hope.

Blood Drive
Coordinates the annual St Augustine Church blood drive

Book Group
A small group of parishioners meet once a month in the rectory to discuss books on spirituality. This group is willing to assist other parishioners who wish to form a similar spiritual book discussion group.

Choir
The choir assists in providing liturgical music for all Masses, major feasts and celebrations. All interested persons should contact Michael Ward.

Clothing Drive
Coordinates the collection of clothing twice each year for donation to a local charity. New members are always welcome to help sort the clothing and load the van.

Cub Scouts
Open to male youngsters of the parish.

Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic Ministers are parishioners who serve the parish by distributing Holy Communion at Mass. They also bring Communion to those members of the parish who are sick and the homebound.

Family Mass
Children's Program - Children are gathered in the rectory for storytelling, art and music activities related to the Gospel during the Liturgy of the Word. Coffee Hour - Volunteers provide coffee and pastries following the 10:30 a.m. Family Mass.

Food Pantry
The Larchmont/Mamaroneck Task Force sponsors an interfaith food pantry for neighbors in need. At the Hope Pantry at 50 Washington Ave in New Rochelle and Mother Teresa's in New York City on every Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning, volunteers distribute bags of food to be prepared by the recipients at home. Volunteers also pick up and gather donated food, sort it out, fill the bags and welcome people. Children are asked to bring food donations to the altar during the 10:30 Family Mass each Sunday as well.

French Community
Liturgies in French are scheduled Saturday's at 6:30 p.m. from mid September to mid June. There is also a religious education program conducted in French.

Habitat for Humanity
In conjunction with the Christian Social Action Committee of the Parish Council, members of the parish are encouraged to join together to assist Habitat for Humanity in Westchester. Groups from the parish have helped on homes being built in Mount Vernon, Yonkers and Mamaroneck. Senior citizens as well as young people from the parish have participated. People of all ages are encouraged to join.

Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus Msgr. Stanley Mathews Council has been active in the Larchmont area for over 55 years. We are a Catholic men's fraternal behefit society that engages in charitable and community service activities throughout our parishes and neighborhoods. Our council provides funds and volunteer service to a number of causes, including scholarships to assist children continuing their education at Catholic high schools, local seminarians, the CYO, blood drives, Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics and many others. Our activities support the parishes, our clergy, the local community, our youth and each other. We are always interested in new members. For more information please visit our website http://home.catholicweb.com/larchmontknights.

Ladies Auxiliary
St. Augustine's Ladies Auxiliary is both a spiritual and social arm of the parish and promotes fellowship and support. Membership is open to all parishioners. The functions of this group include a day of recollection, Woman of Spirit Award Luncheon, Holly Party and other get-togethers. The Auxiliary is always ready to assist the parish in any capacity. This group welcomes parishioners to join the board and play an active role in the implementation of its activities.

Larchmont Catholic Library
The Library holds a collection of books, periodicals, video and oral tapes. The Larchmont Catholic Library is located on Larchmont Avenue in the former school building of St. Augustine Parish. Books are also available in the rear of the church.

Larchmont Interfaith Council
The Larchmont Interfaith Council is a group which meets informally for the purpose of promoting interfaith relations. It has evolved into a dynamic force of individuals committed to improving the quality of life in our community. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month from September to June.

Lectio Divina Prayer Group
The prayer group meets in the Rectory every Wednesday after the 9:00 a.m. Mass at different periods throughout the year. The prayer is Lectio Divina (sacred reading) one of our oldest traditions of prayer. In an atmosphere of prayer and silence a passage from Scripture, usually from the Sunday lectionary, is read in order to simply let God speak to us through the words. Those who participate in the prayer group are often surprised at how easy it is to pray this way, and how deep such prayer can be. New members are always welcome.

Lectors
Lectors are women and men with clear and resonant voices who make the announcements and read the scriptures at Mass. New members are always welcome.

Midnight Run
Midnight Run is an organization that ministers to the unsheltered homeless in New York City. Each month, St. Augustine's, in cooperation with other area churches, brings food, clothing, and toiletries to these people. Volunteers are needed to help in many ways -large and small-provide food, pack food, make phone calls, sort clothing, help area churches. For more information on Midnight Run and Midnight Run Soup click here.

Moms and Tots
A supportive and playful atmosphere for parents and their children aged 0-3+. The group meets Fridays, September through June, in the back stage room of Kenny Hall.

Operation Support Our Troops
This group gathers and ships donations to soldiers overseas during the holidays. Assistance is always welcome for this important ministry.

Parish Council
The Parish Council consists of members of the parish who assist the pastor in planning and implementing the direction and activities of the parish. Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month from September to June, at 8:00 p.m. in the Rectory. All parishioners are invited to the meetings.

Pastoral Ministry to the Aging - The Seniors Group
St. Augustine Seniors Program was initiated in 1980 to meet the existing and increased demand for spiritual, social, and recreational activities for the aging of our parish community. The goals are to coordinate and implement a program for older adults which will provide opportunities for them to participate more fully in parish and community life; and to render supportive services which will enable them to live in a caring parish environment. This is accomplished through spiritual ministry, outreach to the elderly, health and recreational activities, advocacy, and fundraising to support the program.

Prayer Network
The Prayer Network is composed of parishioners who are willing to pray for the needs of others in the parish. We use the internet to communicate requests and provide updates. Some intentions are specific, others are more general. All requests are confidential. If you would like to request prayers for a special intention, or if you would like to join the Prayer Network, please contact us.

RCIA Team
The RCIA Team consists of faithful Catholics who generously wish to share their faith journey with others. They assist in the process by serving as catechists and sponsors and by providing hospitality and support to those participating in the process.

Redirect Christmas
This ministry chooses and designates several organizations for donations. parishioners are asked to contribute to these organizations instead of giving traditional Christmas gifts to family and friends. New members are always welcome.

Reflections
Parishioners submit articles and publish this newsletter regarding parish activities. It is published several times per year. New members are always welcome.

Religious Education
GRADES 1 TO 9: The religious education program is offered for children in grades 1-9. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist are offered in second grade and the Sacrament of Confirmation in ninth grade. Teachers, substitutes and helpers are always needed. Please see above for Adult Religious Education.

Renovation Committee
This committee meets and discusses renovations to St Augustine Church. New members are always welcome.

Retreats
Each year, around the beginning of lent, parishioners are invited to attend men's and women's retreat held on separate weekends at the Passionist Spiritual Center. The retreat begins on Friday evening and ends at noon on Sunday. Retreatants are provided with the opportunity to meet in private sessions with the Passionist Retreat Team, participate in conferences, prayer sessions, workshops and reconciliation and enjoy quiet time for relaxation and reflection.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
The RCIA is a process that welcomes unbaptized adults who wish to explore the possibility of becoming members of the Catholic Church as well as those from other faith communities who desire to know more about the Catholic faith. Catholics preparing to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are also invited to participate in the RCIA process. Through this journey of faith that varies according to individual needs of each person the participants seek a closer relationship with Jesus Christ through Scared Scripture, the teaching of the Catholic Church, prayer and an understanding of the sacraments.

Saint Monica's Gardeners
This ministry meets to plant, attend to and create various gardens in and around the church grounds as well as a vegetable garden. The vegetables are then donated to the local food pantry. Donations of gardening materials and new members are always welcome.

Soup Kitchen
Our parish has been participating in the work of Mother Teresa's Queen of Peace Soup Kitchen since the late 1970's. Every Saturday, two or three volunteers or a family group pick up food left at the church and bring it to the Soup Kitchen in the South Bronx. Children are encouraged to bring food items to the altar during the 10:30 Family Mass each Sunday.

STAY Connected (St. Augustine Youth)
A new model of youth ministry for sophomores, juniors and seniors. They gather a few times each month for building relationships, serving others and growing in their faith.

Thanksgiving Dinner Drive
Each year parishioners prepare cooked meals for families in need as referred to the parish by local agencies working with these families. Parishioners are asked to sign up on posters at the entrance to the Church and Auditorium. Each person signs up for a particular size meal which should be a complete cooked dinner including all the trimmings, excluding alcoholic beverages. Dinners are brought to the Church on Thanksgiving morning prior to the 9:30AM Thanksgiving Mass. After the Mass parish volunteers distribute the meals to families and agencies. Each Thanksgiving St. Augustine's parishioners provide approximately 500 meals to local needy families.

Ushers and Greeters
Ushers are especially needed at Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter. Men and women volunteers are also needed to take up the weekly collection, greet parishioners at Sunday Masses. All are welcome to join.

Welcome New Parishioners
New parishioners are welcomed into the community by this committee which provides information regarding the parish and sends the new members a plant.