How to become a Reader at Mass
En EspañolWhat is a Reader?
The term “reader” refers to any member of the faithful or any person in religious or consecrated life who has been deputed – in the absence of an instituted Lector – to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture at Mass, except the Gospel. At Masses without a deacon, a reader also announces the intentions during the Universal Prayer of the Faithful. Readers also may be called upon to recite antiphons and make parish announcements.
Only those persons who are selected by their respective pastor or chaplain and fulfill the requirements mandated by the law of the Church are eligible to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Those requirements include:
- Being of at least 16 years old;
- Being a fully-initiated Catholic Christian who has been Confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist
- Being of good moral character
- Not being bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- Demonstrating a genuine reverence and respect for the Most Blessed Sacrament;
- If married, being in a valid marriage according to the prescriptions of the current Code of Canon Law;
- Being in full compliance with the norms of the Safe Environment Program of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
How can I become a reader?
- Join the Reader group in LEAD by clicking here. Select the Reader learning path in English or Spanish. Note that you will need to register if you do not yet have a LEAD account.
- Complete your Virtus requirements and make sure your parish Virtus coordinator has marked you as a Reader in the Virtus database.
- To complete the Reader learning path, you will be asked to first submit a virtual letter of recommendation. Simply write a short paragraph about why you wish to serve as an reader in your parish. It will be reviewed by a local ministry leader at your parish. Other courses will dive into the topics of missionary discipleship, the liturgy, and the norms governing liturgical ministries.
- Upon completion of the required formation, you will be given a letter of authorization by the Bishop which will allow you to serve in your respective parishes for a period of five years.
Secondary Mandates
Additional mandates are only required for EMHCs. If you serve one parish as a reader, please inform the pastor and, with his permission, you may serve at a secondary location.
Mandate Renewals
Your initial mandate is for a five-year term. After five years, you are required to complete formation online or in person. When your mandate is about to expire, you will receive a notification and your dashboard in LEAD will show which course(s) you could take to renew. Usually, you only need to take one course to renew your mandate. If you wish, you do not need to wait to learn. Every time you take a recommended course, your mandate expiration will be pushed back another year.
If your parish offers in-person formation and coordinates that formation with the Institute, it can continue to push your expiration back. For instance, you receive your mandate in 2022 and, if you did nothing, it would expire in 2027. Your parish, however, offers formation every year by gathering for prayer, reflection, and maybe even a meal – participating in that would push your expiration back every year you attend.
That’s why it’s important for local leaders to use LEAD to set up local formation and track attendance. The updates become automatic. If your parish hosts local formation and doesn’t coordinate it with the Institute, your mandate could expire because your records are never updated.
To learn more, email the Institute for Catholic Formation (institute@diobpt.org) or call 203-416-1657.