Serve

Sunday Ministries

Music Ministry

It has been said that when you sing, you pray twice. This is how we feel in music ministry. Singing at Mass is rewarding and uplifting for both the choir member and the parishioners sitting in the pews. The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings and sings at 10:30 AM Sunday Mass. The choir also sings at special services and Masses throughout the year. Please contact Ernest Camerota if you are interested in learning more. We are always looking for talented instrumentalists to play at Masses and special services. If you are interested, please contact Ernest Camerota to schedule an audition

Altar Servers

Altar servers assist with the preparation and execution of the Mass. They assist the liturgical coordinator whenever possible while anticipating the needs of the presider. Any student who has received their First Communion is eligible to be on our Altar Server team. If your child is interested in this opportunity, please contact the parish office.

Eucharistic Ministers

Eucharistic Ministers have the privilege to share in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass. The communion rite is the heart and center of the entire Mass. The gathering of the community, the proclamation of God’s Word, the remembering and thanksgiving and offering in the Eucharistic prayer — all are directed toward the moment of communion in which we, fed with His own Body and Blood, are made one in the Lord. A primary qualification for ministers of Communion is that they be by nature interested in, caring about, and at ease with other people. All who gather at the table of the Lord do so as brothers and sisters in the Lord, and must be welcomed there as such. If you are interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister, please contact the parish office.

Lectors

As a lector, you have the task of making God present in the Liturgy of the Word for our community. Lectors proclaim God’s word at our Masses. Lectors are responsible for two readings and the prayer of the faithful. If you are interested in becoming a lector, please contact the parish office.

Ministry Schedules

Schedules for our Liturgical Ministries are coordinated on a quarterly basis. We provide access to a automated scheduling system to allow our volunteers absolute control over their serving preferences, availability, and ability to find subs and replacements if the need arises. If you are a current volunteer, you can access our ministry scheduling system here. If you need help with your account, drop us a line at support@holycrossdewitt.org.

P.S. You can also download the scheduler app for your iOS or Android device. Our organization ID is holycrossdewitt

Outreach Ministries

Catholic charities men's shelter

The Catholic Charities Men’s Shelter on South Clinton Street can host 100 men struggling with homelessness every night. Case management services are available to help individuals find and keep stable housing. One way we support the men's shelter is by preparing sandwiches for the shelter. Join us downstairs in Yeazel Hall at 8:15 AM (following daily) Mass on the first and third Tuesday of each month. After sandwich prep, we pray together. At 9:00 AM a volunteer delivers the sandwiches to the shelter at 1074 South Clinton Street. Volunteers can also sign up to serve the sandwiches at 5:00 PM later that day. Questions? Contact Dc. Dare Dutter.

Parish Team at Samaritan center

The Samaritan Center is an interfaith effort of community members committed to serving the hungry and those in need in order to promote their welfare dignity and self sufficiency. Join our team of parishioners that prepare and serve a meal on Sunday afternoons at the Samaritan Center. Holy Cross teams provide & serve the meal about once a month. Prep shifts start at 11:30am and meals begin at 12:30pm. Clean up is usually concluded by 3pm. If you’d like to learn more, contact Rick Coughlin.

Meals at Emmaus Ministry

On the second Thursday of each month, Holy Cross volunteers serve a meal to neighbors on the south side at Emmaus Ministry of Syracuse. Road to Emmaus Ministry of Syracuse, Inc., a 501 (C) 3, not for profit organization, is a dynamic ministry that brings the presence of the Catholic Church to the poor, hungry, isolated, and homeless of the south side and the city of Syracuse, New York. Emmaus Ministry is located at 4335 South Salina Street, Syracuse, New York 13205.

Food PantrY DONATIONs

On the first weekend of each month, we collect non-perishable food donations at all weekend Masses. Volunteers sort & pack food for distribution to several parish families and food pantries: Downtown Emergency Center, St. Lucy’s, All Faiths at St. John the Baptist, and the Jamesville Ecumenical Food Pantry. To learn more, visit our food giving weekend page.

Jail Ministry

Jail Ministry is a grassroots, social justice, spiritually founded community that provides presence and advocacy to inmates at the Onondaga County Justice Center in Syracuse, NY.  Jail Ministry is a part of the Brady Faith Center, a neighborhood mission that is an outreach of the Syracuse Catholic Diocese, serving the south and west sides of Syracuse. Parishioners at Holy Cross serve Jail Ministry as financial supporters, volunteers & staff, and worker council members. To learn more about how you can get involved with Jail Ministry, visit their website.

Refugee Assistance Committee

Our Refugee Assistance Committee is a group of loving and caring parishioners dedicated to providing for and supporting resettled refugees in Syracuse. They work closely with Northside CYO, a Catholic Charities resettlement agency in Syracuse. Catholic Charities serves about 600 newly arrived refugees every year. Staff provide support for refugees the moment they arrive in Syracuse. Case managers connect refugees to education, housing, jobs, English language class, health care, and more. Programs for children and youth help young refugees acclimate and find success.