There are a number of ministries and groups as part of the Parish to keep masses running, grow our communities and provide outreach to others. They are always looking for dedicated people so if you are interested in supporting any of the groups below please contact the appropriate person or the Parish office.
Altar Servers
Boys and girls age 9 and upward are encouraged to participate. Practice sessions are held so that the child feels comfortable before serving at Masses. There is no obligation, but if the role is taken on, it should be with dignity and respect and attendance is considered a duty.
Bereavement Group
This group of people follows up on bereavement to ensure those widowed are not left without care.
Catholic Women’s League
The object of the League is to unite Catholic Women in Christian fellowship in order to enhance the growth of their spiritual, intellectual, family and social life and to foster mission and charitable works and social action. The League is open to all Catholic and non-Catholic women, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit they strive to fulfil their motto, which is “Faith and Service”. The League is the only national women’s forum within the Church for addressing social issues from a women’s perspective. Meetings are held monthly and advertised in the Parish Newsletter.
Children’s Liturgy Of The Word
This is part of the 9am Sunday Mass at Ss Peter & Paul and the 10am Sunday Mass at St Bernadette’s. Its purpose is to give the children a better understanding of the Gospel of the day. After the greeting in the Mass, the children and leaders are invited to come forward to the altar; they then go to the Parish hall and the church meeting room for the liturgy and return to the Church at the offertory.
Choir
The choir sings at Sunday Masses and special celebrations in the Church’s liturgical year. Practice is on Wednesday evenings 7.30-9pm and new members are always welcome.
Collectors and Bookstall
Staffing the bookstall before and after Mass and supervision of all collections.
Communion to the sick
A group of special ministers who take Communion to the sick.
Counters and Bankers
Counters are responsible for overseeing the counting and recording of collections and the preparation for banking.
Eucharistic Adoration
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in St Elizabeth’s Chapel, from after 7am Mass – 11pm on Thursday, every week except in January. You are invited to register for a specific time (1 hour) to ensure that someone is always present, or to just call in at your convenience. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament brings blessings to you, your family, the parish and our world. Also held at St Bernadette’s on Thursdays between 9am-10:15am
Finance Committee
Advises and assists the Parish Priest, the pastoral team and the Parish Pastoral Council in the management of parish finances, and attends to Parish maintenance/improvements.
Funeral Teas
This Group assists bereaved families on the day of the funeral to provide refreshments to those attending the funeral. If required by the Bereaved family, tea and coffee is served in the parish hall immediately after the Requiem Mass/Service.
General Maintenance of Property
We are always keen to hear from those who are skilled in areas of maintenance and are willing to help out occaisionally.
Indoor Bowling Club
The Club formed on 14 February 1956 to promote sport and foster parish goodwill, and over the past years members have enjoyed success in a number of National and Provincial Championships. Currently we meet on Wednesday evenings at Sacred Heart College Assembly Hall, Laings Road at 7.30pm.
Library
A wide variety of books and videos are available for borrowing. Parishioners are asked to fill out the card in the back of the book and place it in the box provided. Many of the books have been provided from parishioners’ home libraries and are books they have enjoyed and now wish to share with others.
Liturgy Group
The committee meets every second Tuesday of each month to plan liturgies and oversee their implementation. The committee works closely with all parishioners involved with the different aspects of parish liturgy.
Marist Third Order
A lay group, which supports the Marist religious and parish priests and imitates the Marist way of life in prayer. They meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 11am-12noon, in the Church Library, for rosary, a tape and short discussion.
Marian Mothers
A small friendship group of mothers or expectant mothers, who meet on a fortnightly or monthly basis. They listen to CD’s prepared by the Marist Laity, followed by discussion and morning tea or supper. The group is nourishment for mothers only with no other commitment.
Marriage Preparation
Ss Peter and Paul Parish is a venue for the Hutt Valley Marriage Preparation course. The present coordinating couple are parishioners from Ss Peter and Paul Parish.
Musicians
The parish has several groups of musicians who are rostered on at different masses.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Sodality
A sodality devoted to St Alphonsus and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This group began over 40 years ago in our parish. They attend the first Saturday of the month Mass for the First Saturday devotions and afterwards pray the rosary for world peace. The co-ordination of the flowers and the brass for the altar also comes under the auspices of the Sodality.
Passionist Family Group Movement
Begun in Australia in 1972 by the Passionist Fathers the movement has quickly taken hold in New Zealand, and is strong in Lower Hutt with 13 groups, each consisting of between 10-16 families. Families are of every size and age – married couples, solo parents, widows and widowers, non-Catholic partners and divorced and remarried couples. Family groups meet socially, once a month, for family outings and through belonging to this smaller community, soon feel more of a part of the larger community of Ss Peter & Paul.
Play Group for Preschoolers
This Group meets every Thursday, 9 am – 11am in the Church Hall. Mums and Dads have an opportunity for to meet other parents in our community in a relaxed and social atmosphere.
Parish Sacramental Programme
The Parish Sacramental programme is for school age children up to Year 8 and its purpose is to guide children who attend non-Catholic schools in their Catholic faith. This group comes together with the Parish school children to celebrate the sacraments. Confirmation is celebrated in November, Reconciliation at Easter time and First Eucharist in June. Parent and child sessions are held several weeks prior to the date each Sacrament will be celebrated.
Preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation
Members of this group are responsible for the programmes, which prepare the children and their parents for the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist.
Projector Data Entry
A Team of helpers required to prepare the power-point files (hymns, prayers, etc) to be projected at the weekend masses. This involves copying and pasting from an existing database of hymns and prayers, and on occasion adding new hymns to the database.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults [R.C.I.A.]
The R.C.I.A. is a process for adults wishing to enquire into the Catholic Faith. It is a spiritual journey of faith in progressive steps beginning with enquiry evenings, followed by a period of instruction. During this period, known as the catechumenate, the enquirers decide whether they wish to proceed with steps towards becoming a Catholic. The process culminates in the candidate being received into the Catholic Church at Easter.
Sacramental Programmes
Sacramental programmes are run with the Parish, schools and families working together to prepare the children for the blesses sacraments. First Reconciliation is celebrated at the beginning of Advent, First Confirmation is celebrated in June and First Communion is celebrated at the end of August.
Seasons for Growth
”Rainbows” is a programme for children who have lost a parent through either death or separation. Children work through their grief and into a positive appreciation of their new life by meeting children of similar ages. A trained facilitator guides the meetings [once a week for 8 weeks] so that the children develop four gifts:good self-esteem; forgiveness; love and a sense of God who is love. An enriching experience for all involved.
St Vincent de Paul Society
This is a Catholic, international, fraternal organisation of lay people who practise Christianity by helping those in need, on a person-to-person basis. It is open to all who wish to live their faith by loving their neighbours in the persons of the needy.
The Shinning Ladies Club
A dedicated group of women who spend about 1 or 2 hours every 8th or 9th week to keep our brasses shining.
Welcomers
Provide a welcome with a smile to all of us as we arrive for Mass on Sundays and help people feel part of the Parish.