St.

Patrick Parish Lector Guidelines

General Ministry Information:
 Each lector is responsible for serving when scheduled. Courtesy and common sense dictate that the
lector contact a substitute, or switch with another lector when he or she has a schedule conflict.
 Your respect for God and his people should be reflected in your appearance and attire. Please note:
no T-shirts, tank tops, muscle shirts, or halters; shorts; blue jeans; apparel with signs, logos, messages
or athletic shoes at any time! Jewelry and clothing that would be distracting to the assembly should
not be worn. What we wear makes a statement, sometimes louder than words.
 If you cross in front of the altar, pause in front and bow, then proceed to the ambo. There is no need
to bow or genuflect when you return to your pew. The tabernacle is to be reverenced at the beginning
of Mass and at the end of Mass, but not during the celebration of Mass itself (GIRM 274). Nor is
there a need to raise the lectionary before or after your reading.
 Lectors should sit near an aisle, preferably on the right side of the church.
 A Liturgical Minister may perform only one liturgical ministry at a time, at a Mass, thus if you are
performing the function of lector at Mass, you may not also perform the function of an usher, or
extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the same Mass.
 The 1st lector's name on the schedule is designated as the 1st reader; the 2nd lector's name on the
schedule is designated as the 2nd reader. It is the Church's desire that whenever there is more than
one reading, it is better to assign the readings to different readers, if available (Lectionary for Mass
52). Thus two lectors are assigned for the Sunday Liturgies whenever possible.
 The General Instruction of the Roman Missal places emphasis on the importance of silence in the
sacred liturgy. The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation,
and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided. The liturgy should include
brief periods of silence, accommodated to the gathered assembly, in which, at the prompting of the
Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be
prepared. These are observed before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the first and second
reading, and at the conclusion of the homily (GIRM 56). After you complete the reading, pause
around five seconds before returning to your pew.
 Prayer, preparation, and practice are the keys to your being an effective proclaimer of God's Word.
 Pray that you proclaim the Word as God wills it be proclaimed.
 Prepare well for your reading, reviewing the context of the passage; what happens before or after
this selection. All lectors will receive the Workbook for Lectors. Please use this source as your
first basis for preparation. If there is an option of readings, please consult the Director of Liturgy
for the correct reading. Don’t assume the correct readings are listed in the bulletin.
 Practice your reading aloud in the presence of another, who will be able to give you a critique of
your proclamation. This will maximize your ability to effectively proclaim God's Word. Lectors
should be preparing the readings at least a week prior. Practice making eye contact with the
assembly. Remember you want to capture the attention of the assembly, so that the members of
the assembly hear the Word of God and can reflect on the words being spoken to them.
  The readings are printed in sense lines and should be read as such. Avoid at all costs reading
words in groups of three, thus destroying the sense of the sentences.

Before Mass Information:

 Plan on being in the narthex at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled Mass time; please initial your
name on the posted schedule or insert and initial your name for the person for whom you are
substituting.
 Check the lectionary and be sure that it is opened to the correct readings and marked.
 The 2nd lector should have the Prayer of the Faithful with them in their pew before Mass or on the
shelf at the ambo. Review the Prayer of the Faithful and be sure you are aware of how to pronounce
any names to be mentioned in the intention of the day.

At Mass Information:
 The 1st lector processes in with the Book of Gospels, slightly elevated, walks up the stairs, omits the
sign of reverence (GIRM 173) and goes around the altar on the left side and places the Book of the
Gospels on the middle of the altar, and returns to the assembly via the right side.
 The 1st lector is to come forward from the assembly after the Opening Prayer is concluded and the
celebrant takes his seat at the presiders' chair. When there is a reverent quiet evident, the 1st lector
proclaims the first reading, making eye contact with the assembly when announcing the reading. One
should not turn the pages for the next lector. He/she can turn the page when they read. When
finished, the lector returns to his/her seat within the assembly.
 The 2nd lector is to come forward from the assembly after the responsorial psalm is sung, waiting to
rise at least until the cantor and organist are seated. When there is a reverent quiet evident again, the
2nd reading is to be proclaimed. When finished with this reading the lector closes the lectionary and
places it on the shelf.
 The 2nd lector also announces the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful. He/she approaches the
ambo when the Creed is at We believe in one holy, catholic, apostolic.. The lector does not close the
Book of the Gospels if it is on the ambo, but holds the petition binder over the Gospel Book. The
lector should be ready before the celebrant begins the introduction to prayer. After you have
finished, remain at the ambo, head bowed toward the assembly, until the celebrant has completed the
ending prayer and then close the binder.
 If there is only one lector- the lector processes in with the Book of Gospels, proclaims both readings,
and announces the intentions of the Prayer of the Faithful.

After Mass Information:

 After the 5:00 PM and 8:00 AM Masses please place the Book of Gospels on the lower shelf of the
table near the narthex and open the lectionary at the ambo to the proper reading.
 After the 10:30 AM Mass, please place the lectionary, Book of Gospels and binder of petitions on the
sacristy counter.
 Do a mini self-evaluation by asking: "did I proclaim the meaning of the Scriptures, or merely read the
words? Did I effectively communicate to the assembly God's word of salvation using all the skills
available to me? What can I do to improve the next time?"