Ministries

Our Lady of the Valley offers a number of ministries to share your God given gifts with the Church and the community. 

Fr. Noby earnestly encourages all of you to give to God in return by engaging in one or more ministries in the Church.

Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to be part of any of these ministries and contact the Parish Office for further information.

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Eucharistic Ministers

The Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are the Bishop, Priests and Deacons. The Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are those who help in the distribution of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and those who take the Eucharist to the sick and home bound.   

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Lectors

Lectors are those who proclaim the Word of God during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass and other liturgical services. It is a very important ministry as you become the voice of God Proclaiming His Word.  

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Altar Servers

This is a ministry closely connected to Liturgy. The altar servers help the priest in all liturgical functions. They are an essential part of the Mass, especially the Liturgy of the Eucharist. They help in the smooth performance of the Mass and help everyone to pray and worship better. Their role is indispensable. Any child who has received their First Holy Communion is eligible to be an altar server. Altar servers come 15 minutes prior to Mass, vest themselves with altar server robes, light the candles and join for prayer before Mass.

It is not hard to be an altar server. We do have regular training for altar servers. Parents, please encourage your children to serve at the altar. Help children to do their share of service to the Church. Everyone who serves at the altar should be properly disposed to things of God and their conduct at the altar should be proper to the sacred liturgical action helping the congregation to focus and participate better.

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Acolytes

Any adult Catholic man in good standing with the Church can be an Acolyte. It is a Minor Order conferred by the Bishop. All priests receive this Order during the years of theological studies. Their proper function is to serve at the altar helping the priest at all liturgical functions. They prepare the altar for Mass, assist the priest in distributing Communion and take Communion to the sick. They can also expose the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic Adoration and bring Communion from the tabernacle and return it.

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Music and Singing

This is a wonderful ministry that is closely connected to the Mass. “Singing is praying twice,” says St. Augustine. “Liturgy without music is like a body without soul,” remarks St. John Bosco. The role of a choir is to help the congregation to sing, and the effect a good choir can have on the rest of the congregation is huge. A good choir attracts people from all over. Our Church community has many talented singers and musicians.

We need more members to join our choir. Remember, you don’t have to be an American Idol to be part of the choir. Young or old, all are welcome. It is God who has given you the voice and talents. God only expects us to sing His praises with the voice He has given us. Please use your God-given voice to give praise to Him and also to help raise the minds and hearts of others to God.

We also need the talents of those who can play musical instruments. The congregation appreciates a lovely choir with instruments that lead everyone to a deeper experience of the Mass. We appreciate very much those musicians and choir members who already share their talents with the Church.   

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Faith Formation 

By our baptism we have accepted the responsibility to spread the Faith. Faith formation related ministries are a direct exercise of that responsibility. Parents are the first teachers of the Faith. To supplement their efforts the Church provides opportunities for Faith Formation for a range of ages (1st – 5th grade religious education, 6th-12th grade youth group, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, and additional adult Faith Formation programs). Many volunteers are needed for the success of these programs and initiatives.

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OCIA (The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) 

OCIA is the process by which those who wish to become Catholic are welcomed and introduced to the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church. For those not yet baptized, this process leads to the Easter Vigil where they receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. Those who have been previously baptized in another Christian tradition are invited to participate fully in the Church through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion.

Classes begin in September until the feast of Pentecost every year. If you or anyone you know would like to become a Catholic, please ask them to call the Parish Office to register for OCIA. You could participate in this ministry by encouraging those adults you know who have shown interest in the Catholic Church and would like to be part of our Catholic Community. If your spouse, kids, grandkids, relatives or friends who are not Catholics but would like to know more about the Catholic Faith, please encourage them to attend OCIA. Those of you who are Catholic but wish to know more about our Faith are also welcome to attend OCIA. You can be part of this ministry by helping with the classes/instruction as well.

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Parish Council & Finance Council

The Parish Council and Finance Council are volunteer advisory councils to the Pastor. The Parish Council meets every first Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. It is the task of the Parish Council to care for the physical and spiritual needs of the church, to plan for the future and to take good care of the material property of the Church. The Parish Council is the responsible body that represents the people and makes their wishes known to the Pastor. They plan and execute every activity of the Church. They are elected for a term of two years with the possibility of being reelected for another term. Once they have completed two terms, they need to wait for at least a year before they can be elected again.

It is the task of the Finance Council to advise the Pastor on administering the finances of the parish judiciously and responsibly. They prepare the budget, monitor the income and expenses regularly, and prepare and present quarterly financial report to the congregation. They meet once a month on the second Monday of the month.  

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Eucharistic Adoration

We have Adoration every Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration, the practice of spending time in prayer and reflection before the Blessed Sacrament, has been a source of profound spiritual growth for countless Catholics throughout history. Please consider spending time in the presence of Our Lord. Those of you who can make it as a family or as a couple, please do so. Bring along your children as well and help them to cultivate a special devotion to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

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Women of Our Lady of the Valley

The Women of Our Lady of the Valley is a wonderful organization for all the women of our parish. The Church depends so much on the hard work of these women. Every woman registered in the parish is already a part of the altar society. Your church is your second home. What about spending some time to take care of it?

The altar society women take great care of the altar and supply the bread, wine and candles for the church. They clean the sanctuary and change the altar cloths. They make sure that the vestments and the linens for the liturgical celebrations are washed and made available and provide the luncheons for funerals. We are very thankful to all those who participate in the altar society and pray that more women of our parish become active members. The ladies of the altar society meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 6.00 p.m.

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Knights of Columbus

There are no words to thank the Knights for all the wonderful work they do for the Church and our parish. The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus. There are more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses. Membership is limited to “practicing Catholic” men aged 18 or older.

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, who founded it on the principles of charity, unity and fraternity. The Knights of Columbus was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works.

For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for their philanthropic efforts, the Order often refers to itself as the “strong right arm of the Church.”  All Catholic men are encouraged to be part of this amazing organization. Please consider prayerfully to be part of this ministry. Contact Tony Faro, Grand Knight, at 541-910-6013 for more information.

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Hispanic Ministry

Hispanic Ministry is an opportunity for faith formation and fellowship in Spanish. There are monthly meetings centered on prayer, learning more about the Faith, and opportunities to grow as a community. Hispanic Ministry also facilitates the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a novena, mañanitas, Mass and a dinner in December.  

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Prayer Line

The prayer line ministry is dedicated to praying for the requests of our parishioners without having to come together in a group. Those in this ministry receive prayer requests via text messages or emails. If you like to pray for others, this is the ministry for you. The coordinator of this ministry is Kathy McGee working closely with Theresa Beery. If you like to be a prayer warrior, call Kathy at 541-910-0434 to be added to the prayer line list or if you have a prayer request to be shared with those already on the list, please notify Kathy at 541-910-0434 or Theresa Beery at 541-963-2372. 

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Maintenance Committee

This ministry is about the general upkeep of the properties of the church. As called to be part of the Church, we all have a responsibility to take care it. We would really like to have a team who would take care of general maintenance. If you are an electrician, plumber, carpenter, painter, a handy man, or someone of good will who wants to help, please consider being part of this ministry. 

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Our Lady's Simple Blessings Pantry

Simple Blessings Pantry:   Non-food and personal hygiene items available to anyone in need.

Located on the corner of K and 5th Street, La Grande, next to Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church.

OPEN WEDNESDAYS: 

2:00PM to 4:00PM