MASTER OF CEREMONIES PROGRAM
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) program is a way to develop the liturgical involvement and sense of responsibility of young men in your parish who you think might possibly have a call to the priesthood.
​
The steps are:
-
Identify one or more young men that you think should be considering the priesthood more intently.
-
You do NOT need to tell them yet that you think they might have a call. You are simply inviting them to take up a greater role in the liturgical life of the parish.
-
Set aside time for training them on how to serve as the Master of Ceremony for the liturgies or the processions you will be having them help with.
-
Let the other servers know that the MC has authority to direct them during a liturgy.
-
Mark their increase in responsibility with a difference in vesture. For example, if your typical servers vest in albs, your MC would be in cassock and surplice. If your regular servers are in cassock and surplice your MC would be in higher quality surplices for your MCs.
-
When you have special events such as Benediction, processions, Midnight Mass, Triduum liturgies, etc., your MCs should always be the first invited to serve. If you have multiple MCs, ideally they would often serve together, thus helping deepen a brotherhood of young men for whom the liturgy and the things of the liturgy are ‘normal’. This creates an environment in which discernment of the priesthood becomes normal – which is what we are aiming for.
-
It is also beneficial that on occasion the MCs, along with their parents, are invited to social gatherings, such as a cookout or sporting event. This all helps to foster a fraternity and an environment of encouragement to actively discern the priesthood.
-
If you would like to talk to a pastor who has successfully implemented this in our diocese, contact Fr. Dan Dury at St. John Neumann, Sunbury.
For more information and resources visit the Serra Club’s “Master of Ceremonies Master Server”
​
​