Editing Catholic Mass (section)

==Participants at Mass==

===Celebrant===

* the "'''celebrant'''" = the priest presiding over Mass
*the celebrant "offers" the Mass
*also called "presider"
**"presider" is a more recent term that intimates an active role of the people in the Mass
*when two or more priests celebrate Mass at the alter, they are called "'''concelebrants'''"
** principle concelebrant
***the main celebrant, such as the Bishop who leads a Mass assisted by other priests
**concelebrants 
***additional priests who "assist" or "concelebrate" with the principle celebrant
*note: Deacons are not concelebrants

===Ministers===

* "to minister" means to serve or make happen 
**thus a "minister" is an agent of the Mass
**and also a helper to the Mass
*in the Mass, the "Ministers" assist the Celebrant
**"assisting ministers"

====Types of ministers ====

*'''Ordained Minister''' = priest 
**note: "priest" in Latin is ''sacerdos'', which means "minister of holy things"
* '''Ordained Deacon''' 
** assists the celebrant
**may proclaim the Gospel (reading of the Gospel) and deliver a homily
**ordained Deacons may be married
**"Transitional Deacons" are seminarians in their final year of preparing for the priesthood
*'''Lector'''
**or "Reader"
**reads the first or first and second readings
** do not read the Gospel
* '''Ministers of the Eucharist''' 
**administer Holy Communion (distribute the Eucharist)
** '''Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist''' = ordained (Deacon or Priest)
** '''Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist''' = lay person qualified to administer Holy Communion
***since they are not "ordained" they are "extra" (out of) "ordinary"

=== Other participants in the Mass ===

*'''Altar servers'''
**"alter boys" or "alter girls"
***but may also be adults
** also called "acolytes"
*'''Cross bearer'''
*'''Thurifer'''
** or "thurible bearer"
** carries the "thurible"
** the "thurible" is the instrument on a chain that holds burning incense for special blessings

* '''Cantor'''
**a solo singer who leads the congregation in song, such as Processional hymns, the ''Gloria, Sanctus'', antiphons, etc.
**may also sing by him or herself certain parts of the Liturgy, including the Alleluia
*'''Choir'''
**led by a "music minister"
*'''Usher'''
**or "greeter" or "welcomer"
**responsiblities of ushers include:
***assist worshippers to enter and exit the church or find seats
***collect the offerings ("the basket")
***guide worshippers for Holy Communion
***look after and/or protect the Sanctuary and Ministers

===Congregation===

*the assembled for divine worship
*also referred to as 
**the people
***as in, "The people respond..."
**the assembled worshippers
**participants
*the "liturgical assembly" refers to celebrants, assisting ministers and the congregation as a whole
*see: [https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/about/public-affairs/upload/how-to-cover-the-mass.pdf how-to-cover-the-mass.pdf (usccb.org)]
**note: in the Church there are various forms "congregations", or assemblies