OUR MINISTRIES
BAPTISMAL PREPARATION
Celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism at St Ignatius Loyola Parish is a joyous occasion. Baptisms are scheduled on Sundays after the 12 o'clock Mass after completion of all paperwork. Please call the parish office to schedule the Baptism.
Support for families of the newly baptized begins with a preparation session held in the evening on the 2nd Monday of the month unless otherwise noted. Extended family, friends and parishioners are then invited to attend this beautiful Sacrament of Initiation into the Church and its family.
For infants, a subscription to the semi-annual newsletter from Our Sunday Visitor provides greetings and advice as their little one grows until the age of three. Our parish Prayer Shawl Ministry, an outreach of Mary's Ministry, is particularly happy to be involved by creating a memorable gift for each infant or child.
Families and the newly baptized are then invited to the semi-annual "New Parishioner Breakfast" to get even further acquainted with their parish family. If you are interested in serving on this ministry, or desire to have a member of your family be baptized, please contact the Parish Office @ 570-288-6446.
BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY
The Bereavement Ministry is a part of the Care and Concern Ministry which lends support to the family members of recently deceased loved ones. Members represent the entire parish in extending sympathy to those families by offering prayers and small acts of kindness. On All Souls Day, a special Mass is offered for all those buried during the previous year and their names are inscribed in the Book of Remembrance.
Funeral Service ministers serve the loved ones of a deceased person in these ways: visiting funeral home during the wake; offering transferal prayers as approved by the pastor; and greeting the mourners and distributing Mass programs at the church.
Bereavement ministers are responsible for calling family members to see how they are doing and to offer further support if needed. They also send sympathy cards to the families to assure them they are in the thoughts and prayers of the parish community.