Lectors

Proclaiming the Word

Yours is the task of telling our family story, the story of salvation. Yours is to proclaim the true and saving word of God. You are the messenger of God’s love for us.

The lector is the storyteller of the community. Like the elders of a tribe, the lector publicly tells the story that identifies us. The lector is a leader in the community for, before there can be a powerful telling of the story, the teller must plunge into it, learn about it, know the characters and times and places. The lector knows these, not just as Bible history, but as the story that gives meaning to our lives. Indeed lectoring is so much more than reading. It is a ministry of proclamation, giving strong voice to the Word of God found in Sacred Scripture, and announcing the Prayers of the Faithful at Mass.

There are many skills involved in being a good lector. The lector needs grace in movement, carrying the gospel book in procession and moving to and from the ambo. The lector also needs a sense of pace: waiting to begin until everyone is settled and ready, moving through the words of Scripture at a pace appropriate to that particular reading. A lector is comfortable using their voice to draw everyone into the Scriptures. They speak clearly and know the reading so well because of their preparation that they are able to maintain eye contact with the assembly.

This ministry is open to all adults and youth in seventh grade and older who love the Scriptures, possess a good speaking voice, and are willing to study and pray over the Scriptures.

Get Involved

For more information and to become part of this important ministry contact the coordinator, Jessica Smits, at lectors@