Ministries

The youth of the parish are invited to participate in the Mass by becoming an altar server. Training usually begins in fifth grade. Altar servers are assigned to serve at Mass in one-to-two month intervals. They are also assigned once every three to four months to serve daily Mass for a week at 8:00am.

Have you ever wondered who is responsible for making the Cathedral look so beautiful throughout the year? The Art and Environment Ministry consists of volunteers who help put up, arrange and take down flowers, banners, candles, drapery and decorations for major liturgies, to help enrich our worship and experience of Mass, and reflect the particular theme of the liturgical season. Many hands are needed to help beautify our church. If you have a few hours you could spare, please consider hleping the Art and Environment Ministry. 

Bereavement Ministers offer spiritual support and assistance with funeral planning. This support and assistance can be offered prior to and /or after the death of a loved one. During this difficult time, bereavement ministers work with family members to discuss and address the facets of the funeral mass, and to assist in the selection of readings and music for the funeral liturgy. 

Each Advent the Giving Tree Ministry coordinates the needs of partnering organizations with the generous spirit of our parishioners in order to provide gifts and the necessities to those in need in our neighborhood and beyond. 

Interested in helping with the Giving Tree Ministry contact Mary Wollgast at maryfw13@hotmail.com. 

Organizations supported by the Giving Tree:

Agape Missions

Birthright

Trinity Services

Sacred Heart (Hopkins Park)

Sacred Heart (Joliet)

Warren-Sharpe Community Center

Daybreak: St. Raymond has been committed to preparing and serving dinner and breakfast once a month at THE CENTER. Our dinner commitment is the 2nd Saturday of the month for prep and service from 6pm until 8pm.  Breakfast is the second Sunday of the month 6am until 8am for prep and service.  Residents are responsible for CLEAN UP!  You do NOT need to bring the food that will be prepared unless you so choose. Please contact Kim McCarthy at kmccarthy555@yahoo.com.

Shepherd’s Table: Volunteers pre and serve LUNCH from 9:00am until  to12:30am on the 4th Monday and 5th Wednesday of each month. Substitute volunteers are also needed when scheduled volunteers are unavailable. For more information, or to volunteer for Shepherd’s Table, please contact the Shepherd’s Table coordinator, Kevin O'Donnell at 815 722-6653, ext. 217 or kevin@straymond.net 

The role of the Eucharistic Minister is to minister the Body and Blood of Christ to the asembled faithful. Extraordinary Ministers symbolize the service each of us is called to through our Baptism. As lay ministers of Holy communion, EM's bring the true presence of Jesus Christ to his people. EM's assist in the nourishing of God's children with the Body and Blood of Christ. We invite and encorugage everyone (baptized and confirmed) to consider this ministry. The commitment that is asked is to serve at scheduled Masses in which one would be paritcipating. Assiting the priest with distribution of the Holy Body and Precious Blook at Masses.  Every effort is made to schedule families together when members serve in other ministries. Formal instruction and training will be provided.

Volunteers warmly welcome parishioners as they enter the Church for Mass. At this time, greeters also help assist in managing the flow of congregants as they enter the church, making sure attendees have registered online, use hand sanitizer upon entering, are wearing a mask, not to enter if they are ill and ushering attendees to  their pew.   

Pastoral Care Ministers are available to bring the Eucharist to all homebound who would like to receive. A dedicated group of lay ministers deliver communion, engage in spirituality and bring the life of the parish to the homebound. Training is provided. Please contact Kevin O'Donnell at 815-722-6653 ext 217 or email kevin@straymond.net

Justice and Peace Committee members respond to the social teachings of the church, promoting a world of charity and justice. This group's focus is to educate people on what is going on in the world today regarding various topics. Justice and Peace also helps to promote the purchase of items that carry the Fair Trade symbol.  

Lectors play a key role in the celebration of Mass. A lector is a Minister of the Word who proclaims God’s Word to the assembled faith community. Liturgical proclamation of the Word is an formidable responsibility to which one is called and into which one is formed. Being a lector is more than simply reading a reading. This ministry involves studying, preparing, and gaining an understanding of God’s Word that can be transferred to the assembly in a clear and understandable manner. The vital role of the lector is to communicate the depth and importance of the scriptures. Training is provided along with a workbook that enables the lector to practice and prepare prior to Mass. Schedules are distributed months in advance and on average lectors usually minister at Mass about once per month.

A group of volunteers that count the Sunday collection at Mass each week. Each group volunteers about once a month. Interested in volunteering contact Mary Wheaton at 815-722-6653 ext 214 or mary@straymond.net.

As with all parishes in the Diocese of Joliet, the Cathedral has an active Parish Council.  According to Diocesan guidelines, it functions as follows: 

• The parish pastoral council, in collaboration with the pastor, assumes the overall well-being of the parish, present and future.  Its primary work is strategic pastoral planning;  its secondary work is consultative, proposing practical solution to the ongoing life of the parish.
• Members of the council are individuals with talent in planning and designing parish mission, vision and goals.  They are individuals who are committed to the parish as a whole, are willing to serve for three years, are able to attend council meetings and can work collaboratively with each other and the pastor.
• The parish pastoral council is accountable to multiple groups and fulfills its function by being responsible to the parish community, the pastor, the Bishop, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Office of Ministry Formation and itself.
• The Parish Council meets monthly from August to May. Meetings are generally held on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the Commons.
• Parish Council minutes are available upon request.
• Current Council Members: Larry Alt, Steve Blotnik, Ken McCafferty, Luis Leon, Kathleen Albrecht, Judy Stengele, and Stephen O'Connor.

Volunteers pray for special needs and requests of parishioners and their families. Prayer and the support of others is an importnat element of our Christian community. If you have a special intention, be assured that the members of the Cathedral Prayer Connection are dedicated to the intercession on your behalf.  New members are always welcome to join our group of "pray-ers." There are no meetings or dues. The only requirement is that you are willing to receive a prayer intention by phone, pray intensely for that need and pass the request along to one other person on the phone chain. It is a great and rewarding opportunity to connect with those who believe in the power of prayer. 

In conjunction with the Joliet Diocesan Respect Life Office, the  Pro-Life ministry promotes life from conception to natural death. This ministry is dedicaed to infoming its members and the enitire parish community of all life issues. Every October the ministry hosts a Pro-Life Baby Shower for Birth Right of Joliet in addition to participating in praying the rosary monthly, attending the Diocesan Respect Life Mass in October and coordinating the parish spiritual adoption program for the parish. 

All food harvested from the gardens will be donated to local food banks, shelters, soup kitchens and other social agencies that serve those in need. Gardeners are required to tend their gardens weekly and to keep their beds weed free and watered throughout the growing season. When harvested, gardeners are asked to deliver fresh produce to recipients.  Great for first-time gardeners! Got a Green Thumb? Family Bonding! Get Exercise! You can fit this into your life. Build Community! And most of all, share the joy of fresh, sun-kissed produce with those in need! 

Please contact Kevin O’Donnell at 815-722-6653 ext 217 or email at kevin@straymond.net to reserve your plot!

High school teen youth ministry sponsored by the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus

and St. Paul the Apostle churches in Joliet.

Email: youthministry@stpauljoliet.com for more information.

Meetings on 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 5:00 - 7:30pm @ St. Paul the Apostle Parish Center, 18 Woodlawn Ave., Joliet, IL 60435.

Join together with friends and people who will become your friends every Tuesday night. Social hour from 5-6pm can range from foosball to guitar hero, and there are always snacks and smiles.  Then, from 6-8 we grow in our love and faith through sharing, reading, social justice, and more.  Parent permission slips are required and all adult volunteers are fully vetted through the Diocesan Safe Environment Program.  We look forward to sharing more information with you at 815-725-1527.

Seniors, 55 and over, meet for socializing and entertainment. If you are age 55 or older and are looking for an opportunity to participate in various activites and meet with friends and other seniors in the community, the Seniors Club is the place for you! Monthly meetings are held in the Commons where a hot meal and entertainment is always provided.  The annual dues of $10 help offset the cost of these events. If you like enjoying a meal or taking in a show join the Seniors Club where you are sure to have a great time. 

Contact Glenda Gumina at 815-730-1344.

The Society of Saint Vincent DePaul is an international lay organization supported by the parish offering prayers, resources, and assistance with housing rent or mortgage payments to thsoe who have fallen upon hard times. Read More

Contact President, Mary Spesa at SVDP@straymond.net.

Wedding Coordinators assist couples with their wedding rehearsal and ceremony. The Sacrament of Marriage between two people is on of the most important days in a couple's life together.  Wedding Coordinators assure everything runs smoothly during the wedding ceremony by helping with preparation, set-up, an general instructions for the ceremony. Wedding Coordinators are present at the church for the rehearsal and wedding ceremony.  Wedding rehearsals are typically held on Thursday or Friday evening and require 1 1/2 hours of coordinator time. Ceremonies are celebrated on Friday evenings or Saturday afternoon and requires approximentaly the same amount of time. 

Held in Novmeber, our NON-PERSISABLE thanksgiving food drive helps the needy friends of Sacred Heart Church, Joliet, Soup Kitchen and the Veterans  Assistance Commission of Will County. 

Interested in volunteering please contact  

Kim McCarthy at 815-353-2826 or kmccarthy555@yahoo.com

50+ Singles is a social opportunity for single men and women 50+ years old and above. Social and faith based events are hosted by the group.  

Join us March 5, 2023 for a Cathedral Tour and Social in the Parish Commons. Information can be found on the Home 

page under Upcoming Events.