“The Lord has given me a well-trained tongue, that I may speak to the weary a word that will rouse them” (Isaiah 50,4). The ministry of proclaimer is more than simply reading the Scriptures aloud in liturgical assembly. To rouse the weary, the word must indeed be “proclaimed.” When the Scriptures are proclaimed in church, God himself is speaking to his people. The proclaimer is called to make the Word come alive for the listeners. Their responsibility is to make sure their interpretation upholds the plain sense of the text., the author’s clear intent, and that they enable the text to speak to everyone.
 
The qualifications and skills needed to proclaim the Scriptures effectively are:

Men and women who possess a love and knowledge of the Scriptures and a gift for good public reading
The gift of a good, strong, clear voice, clear diction, proper breathing, sufficient eye contact with the assembly
Comfortable with being in front of a crowd
The training includes the use of the lectionary and the microphone which are crucial in selecting good proclaimers, as well as training in the procedures and customs of Sacred Heart parish.

 
At Sacred Heart the proclaimers are scheduled to proclaim the Bible readings and the Commentator is scheduled to read the commentary before Mass, the Prayers of the Faithful (General Intercessions) and the announcements at the end of Mass.
 
Presently Sacred Heart has twenty-five Proclaimers of the Word/Commentators who serve on a rotating schedule for the weekday, weekend, holy days of obligation, holidays, etc.
 
For information  call Sacred Heart's Parish office at 337-364-4439

updated: 7-27-22