The Ladies Altar Society promotes
and cultivates Christian fellowship among women of the parish. It
sponsors activities and works with the parish on activities to benefit the
total well-being of the parish. The Society decorates and adorns the
altar for masses and other special occasions. This group is open to
all women of the parish and meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30
p.m.
The purpose of the Altar Society
mainly is for the upkeep of all things relating to the celebration of the
Lord’s Supper at the main Altar. Nothing but the best affordable is
to be used for sacredness and holiness. When items are too worn and
torn, they are to be burned, so that anything having been used in honoring
our Lord will not be mistreated or trampled.
At present, we have four groups
of ladies taking three months rotation to dress-up the Altar. They see
to it when it comes their turn that the Main Altar and Chapel Altar frontals
are changed to the proper color related to the seasonal liturgical calendar
each Sunday and on Holy Days of obligation. Also they are to see that
the white top altar cloth is kept cleaned and unsoiled by changing it when
needed. They inform the person in charge about the soiled cloths, so
that person in charge takes care of sending the cloths to be cleaned.
It is a very big honor especially in God’s eyes if you volunteer, help, or
are asked to help so to do this chore for our Lord.
The Corporals are used at the
altar to catch particles of the consecrated hosts and/or drops of wine.
Therefore, these cloths are treated with the utmost respect and reverence
for they could contain the Body and Blood of Our Lord. They should be
treated with as much respect as the vessels that contain the Body and Blood
of Jesus.
To clean the Corporal cloths,
they are first rinsed in cool water and the rinse water is then taken
outside and emptied on the bushes or grass. DO NOT throw this
water down the sewer. The Corporals are then washed along with the
Purificators.
The Corporals may or may not be
starched before ironing, depending upon the priest’s wishes who is at St.
Margaret’s.
The Corporals and Purificators
are then ironed in a special way.
