Upcoming liturgical training for ministers aims to encourage ‘vibrant worship’ in the diocese

Friday, Oct. 03, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY — A Level I & II formation class in liturgy and ministry for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, ushers and musicians will be held on Oct. 18 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Orem. The class is sponsored by the Diocese of Salt Lake City and will be led by Lorena Needham, director of the Office of Worship and her assistant, Arthur Becerra. 

The day-long class, which will be given in English, is designed to provide new and experienced lectors, ushers, musicians and communion ministers with the knowledge they need to help realize Bishop Oscar A. Solis’s vision for vibrant worship in the diocese, Needham said.

The bishop is “the chief liturgist of the diocese, and he has a vision which he calls ‘vibrant worship,’” Needham said. “It comes out of the Pastoral Plan, number four, which is ‘Eucharist and Catholic Identity, Unity and Diversity.’”

The formation class is designed to give the ministers enough knowledge “that they would be able to help the pastor by forming a liturgy committee,” which is a goal of Bishop Solis, she added. “Every parish should have a liturgy committee.”

The first three hours of the class will be an introduction to liturgy led by Needham. This will be valuable for all attendees, including musicians and ushers, who often find the discussion on the communion procession particularly useful, she said. 

After, there will be breakout sessions for each individual ministry.

The focus of the training will be the Eucharist, the most important sacrament of the Catholic Church, Needham said.

“Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life ... and so, without doing liturgy well, we don’t get to the top of the mountain, if you will,” she said. “That’s the goal, that’s the hope.”

Ranae Lupus, an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and her husband Greg, a lay ecclesial minister, are helping organize the class at St. Francis of Assisi. With close to 25 communion ministers in that parish, there is a great need for it, Ranae Lupus said. 

“I’m a convert to the Church ... and when I got involved, it changed my whole life,” she said. “The Eucharist is what drew me to the Catholic faith, so I’m very passionate about the Eucharist.” 

When people fully understand the power of the Eucharist, they want to be more involved in the Church, she said. 

“We get more people come on board ... and I tell them, I say, ‘You wait ’til the first time ... of what you’re going to feel,’ and we see tears from people, saying, ‘I never realized what I was missing.’ It’s very precious,” Lupus said.

This class is part of an ongoing training series taking place throughout the diocese. A similar class in Spanish will be held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Oct. 9 and 11. 

The classes will use the booklet, “I Rejoiced” or “Me Alegre,” which can be found on the diocesan website. Needham encourages all local Catholics, even those not involved in ministry, to download  and read it. Its message is for everyone, not just ministers, as all baptized Catholics are called to be “priest, prophet, and servants of the kingdom,” she said.

WHAT: Liturgy and Ministry Formation Class 

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 65 East 500 North, Orem

A donation of $10 is requested to cover the cost of materials and lunch.

This class is for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, ushers and musicians. Pre-registration is required; deadline is Oct. 13. Contact Ranae Lupus or Greg Lupus by text 801-319-9665 or ranae@biscotools.com or greg@biscotools.com to sign up.