Church of St. Pius X
300 Lacey Road, Forked River, NJ 08731
609-693-5107
The ministry of ushers is the oldest lay ministry in the Catholic Church. The ushers of today have descended from a long line of people of God , such as the “gatekeepers” in 1 Chronicles. During the time of Christ, the temple guard numbered in the hundreds and were the forerunners of today's ushers.
The more immediate predecessor of today's usher can be found in the clerical order of porter, instituted in the 3rd Century A.D. During those times, it was the duty of the porters or ushers to guard the door of the church against any intruders who might disturb the service and to ring the bells.
While today's ushers don't ring bells or guard the church, their primary duties and responsibilities include greeting and welcoming parishioners as they enter our Church. They make everyone feel like they are apart of our Church Family. They help parishioners to find seats, take up the collection, hand out Bulletins and wish everyone a good day at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Celebration.
We are always in need of more ushers to assist at Mass. Please ask an usher if you would like more information.