Liturgy Committee

“Liturgy is the source of our life and our strength. Liturgy is the expression of our belief and our conviction. We grow in love through our encounter with Christ in sacrament, in scripture, and in one another.”


The Liturgy Committee of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Joseph the Worker Parishes is comprised of the Pastor and several lay members of the Parish. The Chair is one of the lay members. Meetings of the Committee are scheduled by the Chair or the Pastor. The purpose of the Committee is to strive to achieve a prayerful and enlivening style for all worship services at the Parish. Its function is to provide a centralized approach for attaining that style in all worship services.Without necessarily limiting the Committee’s work, its specific tasks shall include the following:

  1. 1. Planning and preparation of all worship services and matters related to worship services (e.g. themes, banners, flowers, reading materials) for the seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter.
  2. 2. Consultation with other Parish groups responsible for the planning and preparation of other specific worship services, including Confirmation, First Communion, Reconciliation, and Children’s Liturgy, with respect to matters relating to the particular worship service event. 
  3. 3. Each respective Parish group shall maintain primary authority and responsibility for its event, but is requested to give fair consideration to the views of the Committee during the consultation. 
  4. 4. As with all things in the Parish, the Pastor retains final authority with respect to all worship services, subject, of course, to direction from the Bishop.
  5. 5. When requested by the Pastor or members of the Parish, to provide support and guidance to activities involving worship and prayer.
  6. 6. Periodically to review the worship and prayer activities of the Parish and to propose changes to existing activities and the introduction of new activities to improve and enhance the liturgical events at the Parish.

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Finance Committee

The Finance Committee provides guidance and stewardship of parish finances. Goals discussed by members of the committee are: 

  1. 1. to use parish financial resources in a way that will best nurture the growth of Christian life among our parishioners.
  2. 2. to insure the parish will be financially sound.
  3. 3. to share our resources with those in need.
  4. 4. to support the three-fold mission of the church: 
  5.     To worship; To teach; To serve.

Members are involved in various aspects of parish finances ongoing review of parish expenses:
  • 1. developing a budget with parish staff and committee chairpersons for the coming year.
  • 2. developing and implementing a method of informing parishioners about the financial condition of the parish.

The weekly collection is our primary source of income. Many years ago, after prayerful deliberation, a decision was made by the Pastoral Council to begin sacrificial giving in our parish. Sacrificial giving is a gift of love, giving back to God a portion of what God has given us. The importance of joyful and enthusiastic response to church support rather than dollar amounts is stressed at St. Joseph the Worker Church.  As always, the people of Saint Joseph’s have been very generous in sharing their resources as we gather in Liverpool to build God’s Kingdom in this world.

Human Development Committee

The Human Development Committee’s mission is to foster the Christian ideal of a joyful sharing of gifts and resources, both spiritual and material. Our mission is also to encourage a deep awareness of mutual needs throughout the parish, and to promote a genuine concern for oppression and injustice throughout the world.We continue to accomplish this mission through various services and programs. The Human Development Committee is responsible for reviewing requests from human service organizations. We are especially interested in those groups who do not receive any regular funding from our government. Those who have received support recently include: Oxford Inn, Unity Acres, Dorothy Day House, Jail Ministry, Spiritual Renewal Center, Hope for Bereaved, Birthright, SUPPORT (pregnancy counseling), Respect Life,  Rose Center (a drop-in center on the West Side), Inter-Religious Food Consortium, Hospice. A portion of this budget is used for emergency situations at the discretion of the pastoral staff.

Hunger Committee

The Hunger Committee helps our parish community become more aware of the causes of hunger, how we can alleviate these causes, and help promote legislation that will respond to human needs.

We cooperate with community agencies and other local churches. We meet once a month, the 2nd Monday, to address the needs/issues of hunger here in Liverpool, the greater Syracuse area, and around our world. If you are interested in this committee, please contact Larry Davis at 457-7937 or call 315-457-6060.

Respect Life Committee

The goals of the Respect for Life Committee is facilitated through the Human Development Committee. Periodically, a bassinet is placed in the back of the Church where parishioners may drop off baby sleepers, sweaters, hats, crib sheets, towels, washcloths, and small toys. Items that are collected are distributed to various agencies such as Birthright, Catholic Charities, and those who participate in our Food Pantry.  If you are interested, please contact the office 315-451-5070 or email info@ihmsjw.org.