St. Joseph’s Church is a Roman Catholic community united in faith and tradition–committed to using our gifts and talents by living and sharing the ministry of Jesus Christ and spreading the Good News through prayer, worship, fellowship, service and education.
We are happy to provide you with a listing of the Ministries and Committees at St. Joseph’s Church. They are listed here to help you find a group you would like to join and to help you find a group that can help you. Where available, you will find e-mail addresses where you can contact chair people directly. Where there is no e-mail address available, send an e-mail to the Parish Offices at: stjosephschurch@albany.twcbc.com
Thank you for your interest in the Ministries at St. Joseph’s Church.
Ministry/Committee | Contact | Description
Altar Servers | Parish Office | Students that have at a least received their First Eucharist through our amazing High School Seniors assist Father during Liturgies on weekends and Holy Days.
Baptismal Preparation | Parish Office | Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life-the gateway to life in the Spirit-and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Make contact with the Parish Office even as early as the beginning of pregnancy to schedule attendance at the preparatory class.
Bereavement Ministry | Parish Office | A member of this committee works to support the family after the death of a loved one. The committee also has a Memorial Mass every year for deceased relatives of our parishioners.
Buildings & Grounds | Tom Neals | The purpose of the committee is to provide input guidance and assistance for the upkeep and improvement of the parish facilities and property. The members of the Buildings and Ground Committee are from various backgrounds who freely give their time and knowledge to prioritize repairs and improvements or make recommendations of vendors or to perform extra or specialized work when necessary and review bids when received from vendors.
Bulletin Advertising | LPI 1-800-477-4574 | Coordinates ad renewals and completes ad layout. Bulletin advertising makes our bulletin and several other ministries at St. Joseph’s possible.
Children’s Liturgy | Parish Office | Takes place during the 9:00AM Sunday Liturgy from October to May excluding holiday weekends. All Children ages 4-8 are welcome. No registration is required.
Coffee Hour | Sue and Joe Masi | On the first Sunday of every month coffee, tea, baked goods, and a reception space is set up in Holy Family Hall to build the socialization and community of parishioners. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know everyone around you. Free to the community.
Eucharistic Ministers | Joe Masi | Eucharistic Ministers assist by administering the sacraments of Holy Communion, the consecrated bread and wine. Their ministry enables members of the community to receive the Eucharist under both species in a timely and reverent manner.
Eucharistic Minister/Lector Scheduling | Lori DeSieno | Schedules ministers for Liturgies at the church. In charge of publishing and distributing ministry schedules. All ministers requiring special scheduling needs should contact this committee a minimum of three weeks before the publication of the new schedule.
Evangelization | Deacon Stephen Lape | This Committee meets to discuss how to help the parish with Evangelization.
Faith Formation/Youth Ministry | Faith Formation/Youth Ministry Office| Provides Religious Education instruction during the school year for grades 1-12.
Finance Committee | Fred Pepper | Meetings are on a quarterly schedule. They are announced in the church bulletin available in Holy Family Hall and on the website. Committee members review revenues and expenditures. Variances are analyzed.
Greeting Ministry | Parish Office | The Greeting Ministry has people at the main entrance to the church welcoming parishoners and visitors to weekend liturgies. A great opportunity for children to sign-up with a parent/grandparent and also gives all who enter a feeling of a truly welcoming environment.
Liturgy, Prayer & Worship | Parish Office | This committee primarily deals with various aspects of our communal and public celebrations of the Liturgy such as mass and devotions and seasonal planning. It collaboratively discusses and evaluates the different needs and particular circumstances of the parish and parishioners and advises the Pastor as to suggestions and ideas to enhance the worship at Saint Joseph’s Church.
Lectors | Parish Office | Lectors read the First and Second readings at the weekend and Holy Day Liturgies. Lector Training will be arranged by the office.
Marriage Preparation | Joe and Sue Masi | Married couples in our parish are paired with engaged couples and they get together for five sessions to discuss the many aspects of marriage. Sponsor couples share the sacred– human reality which is the day-to-day experience of Christian marriage.
Ministry to Homebound | Parish Office | Visiting our Homebound parishioners to share Eucharist and companionship.
Music Ministry | Patty Dolezal-Neumann | The Music Ministry leads the congregation at Sunday Liturgies Christmas Easter and other special events during the liturgical year. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday Evenings.
Parish Bakers | Parish Office | These participants serve the parish community by creating the delectable treats served or sold at church functions.
Parish Registration | Parish Office | Print the Parish Registration Form and mail or bring it to our office at 231 Second Street.
Pastoral Council | Eric Yager | The mission of the Pastoral Council is planning. To fulfill this mission it strives to envision, address, and evaluate the needs and goals of the Parish community in light of Church teaching and the mission of the Catholic Diocese of Albany and the Universal Church. This is to encourage spiritual growth social concern community building and vibrant welcoming community life. The Pastoral Council meets approximately ten times a year. There are twelve members on the council and additional youth representatives. Any Parishioner 18 and older is eligible to run for election to the Pastoral Council.
Prayer Line | Shirl Crane | These participants of the prayer line serve others spiritually by remembering them in prayer.
Prison Ministry | Pat Johnson | The Prison Ministry assists in liturgies and plans weekend retreats for inmates. Events involve witness talks with inmate participation songs and sharing. Follow-ups include returning for Mass to check-up on inmates’ progress and to promote the Spirit. Ministry members are in teams serving five prisons. Members work on two retreat programs a year.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) | Dan Stec and Deacon Stephen Lape | Meetings are Sunday mornings (October through April) for those who wish to join The Catholic Church. Catholics who are not instructed in the faith and have not received all the sacraments of initiation are also welcome.
Social Concerns | Deb Griffith | This committee focuses on the moral obligations we as a Church have to educate and advocate on behalf of others in need. A fundamental objective of the committee is to enable our parish community to grow in consciousness regarding issues of social justice and human rights. Activities include, but are not limited to — the Giving Tree, Health Care Kits, Sandwiches for Bethesda House, and City Mission Meals.
Special Events | Parish Office | Do you have an interest in bringing people together for special events; Bus Trips, Concerts, Social activities during the day/evening? St.Joseph’s would love your time and expertise to make it happen!
Ushers | Deb Griffith |The ministry of the Ushers includes assisting parishioners with finding seats (especially during the Holiday seasons). They ensure the gifts are ready before the liturgy begins and designates parishioners to bring the gifts up during the offertory hymn. The Ushers also pass out the baskets for the offertory collection. On Palm Sunday they are called upon to hand out the palms.
Vocations | Parish Office | This committee promotes vocations so that the church will have priests and religious needed for the future. The Vocation committee meets quarterly with other parishes in our deanery to share our progress and ideas.