Complete List of Parish Ministries

Alpha

Alpha is a practical introduction to the Christian faith where guests have an opportunity to explore the meaning of life in a relaxed, friendly setting with a dinner, a short video presentation and engaging conversation. Alpha is a steppingstone that leads you to where you can get answers to your questions. Alpha is geared specifically for people of different faiths or no faith backgrounds, converts and Catholics as well. Upon completion, individuals are encouraged to support the next Alpha session by helping on one of the Alpha Committees: Arts & Environment, Hosts, Kitchen Team, Meal Donors, Nursery team, and Prayer Group. Contact Elizabeth for more information or visit this page.
 

OCIA (English & Spanish)

Are you someone or do you know someone who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Has a child over the age of seven who has not been baptized? Was someone baptized Catholic as a child, but has not celebrated the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist?

RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through which non-baptized men and women enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer, and rites at Mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as catechumens. They undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus and the Catholic Church, and receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. 

We offer an opportunity to come together in a small group to learn more about our faith. Sessions focus on the teachings and experience of Church and prepare individuals to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season. There are separate sessions for children or youth. You are welcome to participate in the process with your questions, your insights, and your faith story in a safe, and welcoming setting. Contact Elizabeth for more information or visit this page.

Faith Formation Classes K-12 & Sacramental Preparation

High School Youth Group

Middle School Youth Group

Vacation Bible School

Baptismal Preparation

Adult Formation

The Hispanic Apostolate introduces the Hispanic community to the Catholic practice by creating and maintaining an effective Catholic culture that promotes knowledge of the faith, knowledge of the meaning of the liturgy and sacraments and moral formation in Jesus Christ. The Hispanic Apostolate offers many opportunities for community, service, and education all while celebrating our beautiful Hispanic heritage.  You can find our current activities by visiting our Facebook page at: Parroquia of the Blessed Sacrament en Español. Contact Epi or visit this page for more information.

El Apostolado Hispano introduce a la parte de la comunidad que habla español, a la práctica de la Fe Católica, creando y manteniendo una cultura católica, promoviendo el conocimiento de la Fe y el significado de la Liturgia, los sacramentos y la formación moral en Jesucristo.
El Apostolado Hispano ofrece muchas oportunidades a la comunidad, servicio y educación mientras compartimos la belleza de la herencia hispana. Puedes encontrarnos visitando nuestra página de Facebook: Parroquia of the Blessed Sacrament en Español. Comuníquese con Epi o visite esta página para obtener más información.
 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena Committee

We organize the novena and the feast of our Heavenly Mother, the Virgin of Guadalupe and we pass on their message to present and future generations. Contact Epi or visit this page for more information.

Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Message: “Listen. Put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightened you, the thing that afflicted you is nothing: Do not let it disturb you. Do not fear this sickness nor any other sickness, nor any sharp and hurtful thing. Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more?” 

Organizamos la novena y la fiesta de nuestra Madre del cielo la Virgen de Guadalupe Y pasamos su mensaje a las generaciones presentes y futuras.Comuníquese con Epi o visite esta página para obtener más información.

Mensaje de la Virgen de Guadalupe: “Oye y ten entendido hijo mío el más pequeño, que es nada lo que te asusta y aflije; no se turbe tu corazón; no temas esa enfermedad, ni otra alguna enfermedad y angustia. ¿No estoy yo aquí?, ¿No soy tu Madre?, ¿No estás bajo mi sombra?, ¿No soy yo tu salud?, ¿No estás por ventura en mi regazo?, ¿Qué más has menester?. No te apene ni te inquiete otra cosa; no te aflija la enfermedad de tu tío, que no morirá ahora de ella; está seguro de que sanó." (Y entonces sanó su tío, según después se supo).

Arts & Environment Committee

The Art & Environment Committee works to bring beauty and a prayerful atmosphere to our Worship space. Our desire is to enhance our worship experience by providing liturgically appropriate decoration during the four seasons of the Church year as well as special occasions. The committee is always looking for willing hands to help bring honor and glory to God through a beautiful worship space. Contact Caleb for more information.
 

Holy Helpers

This ministry is responsible for the care and preservation of the sacred materials and space utilized during Mass. Members complete tasks such as dusting the main altar, day chapel and sacristy, washing and ironing sacred linens, and cleaning holy water fonts (Friday or Saturday mornings). It is an important ministry that allows the parish to celebrate both weekday and weekend Masses in a devout and worth manner. Contact Caleb for more information.
 

Liturgical Ministry

Do you feel called to participate more fully in the Mass as a liturgical minister? We always welcome new disciples to serve Christ and our parish in this vital ministry! Together, as a church family, we are all called to participate in the liturgy through our prayer, song and spoken responses at Mass. Some of us also feel called to serve at Mass as liturgical ministers. Our liturgies at Blessed Sacrament couldn’t be successful without our wonderful group of liturgical ministers sharing their time and talent with our parish community! You can participate on the AV Room Team, as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a Gift Bearer, a Lector, a Mass Captain, a Sacristan, on the Sanitizer Team, as a server, an Usher, or on the Welcome Team. Contact Caleb for more information.
 

Music Ministry

"Music should assist the assembled believers to express and share the gift of faith that is within them and nourish and strengthen their interior commitment of faith." Music in Catholic Worship, Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. At Church of the Blessed Sacrament we strive to provide a musical ministry rooted in prayer that serves the “needs of the Liturgy and not to dominate it, seek to entertain, or draw attention to itself or the musicians,” (Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Workshop, USCCB). Parishioners have many opportunities to join this effort in our Adult Choir (rotating 5:30 pm Saturdays, 7:30 pm (Spanish), 8 am Sunday Masses), Children’s Choir (5:30 pm Saturdays), Praise Band (11:00 am Sundays), or as a cantor or instrumentalist. Contact Caleb for more information.

Bakers' Brigade

Enjoy sharing joy through baking? Then this ministry is for you! The CBS Bakers' Brigade bakes cookies and desserts for a wide variety of church functions including the parish mission, ALPHA, Jubilee Christmas, and much more. Participation is based on your availability to help at the time a request is made. Contact Ruth for more information.
 

Bereavement Committee

The Bereavement Committee focuses on helping those dealing with grief and loss. Their work instills hope, creates friendships, and provides a safe and comforting environment in which members can confront their feelings and learn to cope with their losses. If you are interested in helping those working through the grieving process, the Bereavement Committee offers many ways for people to volunteer. Contact Kevin for more information.
               

Eucharistic Adoration

Bishop Barron wrote, "Adoration commences when the consecrated Host is placed in a monstrance and displayed publicly for prayer and adoration. It is a time of quiet prayer and unity with the Lord. There are no prescribed rituals for Adoration, except a reverent silence and appropriate acknowledgment of Jesus among us (e.g., genuflecting on both knees when entering and exiting). Any form of prayer is appropriate during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and offering intercessions for others (Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Bible, Silence, Prayer)." We are blessed as a parish to have access to perpetual adoration at Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Consider signing up for a Holy Hour to spend with our Lord weekly. Contact Caleb or visit this page for more information.
 

Knights of Columbus (Local Council #8056)

If you believe in the importance of investing your time in friendship, the Church, and helping others, the Knights of Columbus is for you. We are men of faith and action. Council #8056’s outreach includes crewing several days for Habitat for Humanity and cleanup of St. Boniface Cemetery. We provide financial support for Gibault Children Services and Camp Wack (providing children with disabilities the opportunity to participate in adapted water skiing). Knights provide manpower for several parish activities, including the Fish Fry, Easter Egg Hunt, Pancake Breakfasts and more. Contact Jorge Martinez, Grand Knight, for more information.

Ladies of Charity

If you would like to join other ladies of the parish for serving at funeral luncheons and hosting Bingo for the Assisted Living Community residents in the local area, this would be the ministry for you! Ladies of Charity meet four times a year and serve the parish family as needed for funeral luncheons. Contact Louise Benner, President, or Mary Quinn, Chairman of Funeral Dinners, for more information.
 

CBS Library

Church of the Blessed Sacrament is blessed to have a library located on church premises. Filled with books, media and religious resources, it is available to all parishioners. If you would like to assist in maintaining the library by helping to inventory/shelf-read the collection, re-shelving books, DVDs, CDs, or process new items, we would be grateful for your assistance. Contact Gretchen for more information.
 

CBS Nursery

The Church of the Blessed Sacrament strives to be a family friendly environment that encourages participation of ALL its parishioners, small children included! But we do understand that there are times that childcare makes it possible for parents to participate more fully. We attempt to offer childcare in the parish nursery for faith formation events. If you are interested in helping us provide this important service to our young families or would like information about our nursery, please contact us. Contact Ruth for more information.
 

Holy Spirit and Blessed Mother Prayer Group

The Holy Spirit and Blessed Mother Prayer Groups prays for a renewal of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and offers up special prayers for vocations to the Priesthood. We lift up our voices in song (which is “twice praying”). They pray the Rosary for their personal intentions and those of our parishioners. Please join them on the last Friday of every month at 4 pm in the main church. Contact Janine for more information.
 

Marriage Preparation Sponsor Couples

As part of the marriage preparation process, Church of the Blessed Sacrament provides our engaged and discerning parishioners with a sponsor couple to help journey with them in their preparation for the sacrament of marriage. Sponsor Couples need to be married at least 5 years, be in a valid Catholic Marriage and willing to share your personal experience of your struggles and success in marriage. Both spouses do not have to be Catholic, many of the couples we prepare for marriage are of mixed religions, but the couple needs to have a relationship in which participation in the church and adherence to the church teaching is supported and promoted by both individuals. Contact us if you have interest in becoming part of this beautiful time in our newly engaged couples’ lives. Contact Elizabeth or visit this page for more information.
 

Simple Supper Volunteers

On Fridays during Lent, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament sponsors “Simple Suppers” after the Stations of the Cross. These parishioner-sponsored and led meals are a time for fellowship and support in our Lenten time of penance. We would welcome anyone would like to help in the preparation and hosting of the Lenten Simply Suppers. Contact Pat for more information.
 

Schoenstatt Ministry

As a movement of renewal within the Catholic Church, Schoenstatt works to help revitalize the Church and society in the spirit of the Gospel. Its members seek to connect faith with daily life, especially through a deep love for Mary, the Mother of God. As an international movement, it has expanded to every continent and has members from all vocations and walks in life. It is a spiritual family whose many branches and communities join to form a single Schoenstatt Family. Contact Rosemary for more information.
 

Office Volunteers

The parish is aided in many invaluable ways by the parishioners who spend countless hours in the parish office. Examples include the role of receptionist, data entry and editing documents. Parish office volunteers are essential to the success of the parish. If you are interested and available to help, please contact the office. Contact Ruth for more information.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries. Habitat’s vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat works toward our vision by building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Each year Church of the Blessed Sacrament participate in a Habitat for Humanity Build by both raising funds and providing volunteers. Contact Bob for more information
 

Indiana Veterans' Home

Help serve those who served for the cause of freedom at Indiana Veterans' Home. Church of the Blessed Sacrament offers a weekly Mass at the home on Tuesday mornings and would welcome more assistance providing this opportunity to the veterans. We need volunteers to aid the veterans in coming to the location for Mass, for liturgical needs, and for other essentials. Contact Joel for more information.
 

Meal Train Ministry

One of the ways Jesus loved others during his ministry on earth was by eating with others. He deepened friendships, fed the poor, and welcomed strangers. Providing a meal for someone is an easy and meaningful way to love your parish family. Don't worry if you're not gifted in the kitchen, you can also deliver takeout or a pick up a ready-made meal from the grocery store. As a member of the Meal Train ministry, you'll receive an email when a parishioner is facing a crisis, welcoming a new baby, dealing with an illness, or something similar. For more information or to join the email list, visit this page.

Jubilee Christmas

Jubilee Christmas is a special LUM (Lafayette Urban Ministries) program for families with children ages 12 and younger. Families who participate in Jubilee Christmas are invited to a host site and can select new toys for their children. Families also receive food items to make their Christmas dinner more special. Church of the Blessed Sacrament is a host site of the event which includes a Christmas gift drive, organization of both the gifts and the day’s event, as well as hosting the client families to come choose their gifts in December. This event is one of the parish’s largest outreach programs. Contact Brooke for more information.
 

Church of the Blessed Sacrament Direct Outreach

Each Tuesday from 9 AM-12 PM the parish office is open to meet and attempt to aid individuals with various financial, spiritual, or other physical needs. We encourage parishioners to help facilitate this process at the office by greeting clients, assisting with their needs, and praying with them. If you are interested in being the face of Christ to those in need, this is the ministry for you! Contact Ruth for more information.
 

Service Opportunities

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”   --St. Teresa of Avila
Church of the Blessed Sacrament is striving to bring Christ to the world through various acts of service throughout the year as well as maintaining partnerships with organizations that are in perpetual need of volunteers. To see our current list of parish-sponsored service opportunities, sign ups, and a list of local organizations with which we are partnering, please contact Elizabeth or see the Parish Life tab on this website.

The Pastorate Vision Plan is a three-year plan that guides the decisions of the pastorate. It lays out the goals and milestones as well as specific pastorate activities that will be sponsored at Church of the Blessed Sacrament over the next 3 years. To accomplish this mission, the efforts are divided into eight committees, in addition to the PVP Leadership Team which will help coordinate all the parish’s efforts. We invite all our parishioners to participate on one of the eight committees to help us reach the objectives set forth in the plan. The following are the committees, goals, and milestones from which parishioners can choose to participate.

Communications & Marketing Committee

• Goal: Create a comprehensive communication plan for the pastorate that incorporates digital, print, and social media.
• Milestones:
  • Create a Communication and Marketing Committee composed of professionals from the pastorate. Evaluate and update our system of contact information for all parishioners, ensuring complete and convenient communication for Mass, ministries, and other engagement opportunities.
  • Establish a plan for our pastorate Facebook page and other social media outlets promoting events, ministries, and spiritual efforts of the pastorate.
  • Evaluate gaps in our website content and update to include the most relevant and current pastorate information.

Family Committee

• Goal: Host 3 to 5 events annually to strengthen families both within and across our community through faith, fellowship, and fun.
• Milestones:
  • Create a Family Committee to plan future events fostering family relationships.
  • Continue to create fun family events hosted at the parish to build community such as Trivia, Bingo, Crafts, or Movie Nights.
  • Create an area on our campus, encouraging safe and inviting Family play and interaction.
  • Develop an annual celebration such as a Picnic, Carnival, or Festival.

Hospitality Committee

• Goal: Create or strengthen 3 to 5 Hospitality ministries promoting an invitational culture and welcoming pastorate.
• Milestones    
  • Continue to create a ministry expanding our welcoming of new parishioners through various activities such as brunch, lunches and get togethers.
  • Create a Program pairing new pastorate parishioners with existing parishioners to encourage activities and get togethers at their homes.
  • Identify leaders in the parish and expand our Hospitality Committee (formerly known as the welcome committee). They will recruit, educate, and train hospitality team members to promote a culture of radical hospitality before and after all Masses and provide training on a semi-annual basis.
  • Increase opportunities after Sunday Masses for groups to meet and get to know each other such as coffee and donuts, or other social gatherings.

Adult Faith Formation Committee

• Goal: Have 70% of our adult parishioners involved in one of our Faith Formation opportunities.
• Milestones:
  • Recruit and create an Adult Faith Formation Committee from current participants to oversee and manage new opportunities.
  • Continue to create new opportunities for Faith Formation each semester, including Discussion Groups, Bible Studies, and Topic Seminar events.
  • Host an annual registration for adults highlighting Faith Formation opportunities for them to choose their Faith Formation plans for the year.

Mentoring Committee

• Goal: Create 3 to 5 opportunities per year to foster relationships across various generations
• Milestones:
  • Bring in speakers and mentors for our teen-age groups, encouraging our teens to become mentors to younger Faith Formation students as part of their Service hours.
  • Expand cultural celebrations (e.g., Our Lady of Guadalupe or Corpus Christi) bringing multiple cultures and generations together.
  • Create a Mentoring Committee.
  • Research other churches and benchmark events that foster young adult engagement and mentoring.

Vocations Committee

• Goal: Host 3 to 5 activities per year to create awareness of the many vocations.
• Milestones:
  • Create a Vocations Team that will research other churches and benchmark events fostering Vocations and meet regularly to pray for an increase in Vocations to the priesthood and for young people discerning their future vocation.
  • Bring in speakers and mentors from the Diocese and across the community, focusing on the youth and enabling them to interact and explore various Vocations.
  • Create opportunities to support engaged couples as they prepare for marriage by partnering them with newly and seasoned married couples.

Social Action & Outreach Committee

• Goal: Increase our outreach opportunities by 50%.
• Milestones:
  • Create a monthly outreach opportunity challenging the parish to have ten new people participate in those events.
  • Continue to host at least two ALPHA sessions per year, with an added focus on unreached groups such as our Hispanic Community, teens, and other Christian churches across our community.
  • Create a Social Action and Outreach Committee.
  • Identify new or existing outreach opportunities, such as family service, mental health, or teen involvement, and plan an event or programs for at least one of these opportunities each quarter.

The 99 Committee

• Goal: Have 99 adults participate in “The 99” – A Catholic guide to a life of faith, an evangelization system by Ascension Press.
• Milestones:
  • Identify leaders in the pastorate for “The 99 – Master Class.” Host and review the Master Class and develop a plan to host “The 99” Experience in the pastorate. 
  • Host our first “The 99” Experience, inviting our Parishioners into an encounter with Christ and to learn how to have faith conversations with family and friends. 
  • Evaluate the first class, invite participants to the Master Class, and create a plan for hosting a second pastorate-wide experience. 
• Contact Sam for more information.