
3 minute read
The Altar Guild: Making Our Parish Beautiful And Growing In Fellowship
When you walk into our parish around Christmastime, you can’t help but be inspired by the gorgeous decorations that surround you. Year by year, they not only remind you of the peace, joy, and glory of the holy season but also of the sanctity of the Christ Child.
“We decorate the altar area for special feast days,” says Anita Nyberg, President of the Our Lady of Lourdes Altar Guild. “For Christmas, we order Christmas trees from the mountains in North Carolina and arrange them around the Nativity scene, and we adorn the altar with red and white poinsettias. We also hang wreaths on our parish doors. During Lent and Advent, we put up special wall hangings that go with the altar, as well.”
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Thankfully, lovely decorations are only some of the many blessings that Our Lady of Lourdes Altar Guild bestows on our parish family. This ministry consists of several committees which work to enrich the life of our parish in a variety of ways. These include the Altar Linen Committee; the Flower Committee; the Cleaning Committee; and a committee that takes care of sending out “get well” and sympathy cards, such as to Altar Guild members or their families in time of need.
“The Flower Committee gets new flowers each week, and we make arrangements with them to put around the altar or statues,” Anita says. “We also have a flower memorial program through which anyone can dedicate a floral arrangement to a loved one.”
Furthermore, a group of Altar Guild members makes phone calls to parishioners to inform them of current Guild events and activities. Each Friday after Mass, Guild members clean our parish by carefully removing wax from the carpets, dusting, cleaning out the pews, and taking care of the candles.
During the pandemic, Altar Guild members worked with other parish families to sanitize our church pews after every Mass.

Altar Guild ladies gather with Fr. Michael Schuetz. Each May, they attend a special Mass and then go out to lunch at a local restaurant, signaling the end of the guild year. Guild meetings resume in September.

For the Easter season, the sanctuary is adorned by the efforts of the Altar Guild ladies. Azaleas and Easter lilies brighten the altar as we herald the Risen Christ!
“They were very dedicated,” Anita says. “They did it for a year and a half, and we have 13 Masses every week! They are not doing the pews anymore, but they are still sanitizing door handles and other surfaces.”
To financially sustain their activities, the Altar Guild holds bake sales offering homemade goods each year before Thanksgiving and Easter, in our parish vestibule.
Overall, the Altar Guild provides an uplifting way to embrace the gift of stewardship.
“One of the main aspects I like about the Altar Guild is the fellowship it provides,” Anita says.
“We have such a wonderful group of ladies, and we have all gotten to know each other so well. Being in the Guild provides you with a great opportunity to contribute to the betterment of the parish while experiencing spiritual and social growth as well.”
The Altar Guild meets on the second Thursday of the month in the Fallon Center from 11:15 a.m. until about 1 p.m., except for during May and the summer months. Meetings include socializing, a luncheon, and time to discuss upcoming Guild activities and business. Guest speakers are also invited to come to the meetings and speak on religious themes. DVDs on faith topics are shown as well. Furthermore, each May, members close their ministry year by attending a special Mass together and then going out to lunch at a local restaurant.
Anita extends a warm invitation and encourages others to join the Altar Guild.
“It is wonderful to be part of the Altar Guild!” she says. “I encourage new people to join because it allows you to enhance our altar and help our church community. The work we do adds to the beauty of our parish and enables people to pray in a beautiful church.”

Guild ladies decorated the sanctuary with Fraser fir trees and red and white poinsettias for the Christmas season.

The Guild ladies have prepared the sanctuary for the season of Advent. A large Advent wreath and purple wall hangings adorn the altar.