The Usher Society began more than 50 years ago, when St. Patrick's was still a mission church.  The first usher coordinator was Wiliam Flaherty, who served in the position from 1952 to 1968.  Since then, usher coordinators have included Andrew Sciacca, Anthony Marquette, Steve O'Brien, and the present coordinator, John Baldi.  Since the late 1980's, women too have served as ushers at St. Patrick's. 

Today, the Usher Society includes approximately 60 members.  A team of ushers serves at all the Saturday evening, Sunday and Holy Day Masses.  Each Mass has a head usher.  Their duties include greeting people, taking up the collection, directing people as they receive Communion and return to their seats, and distributing the Church bulletin as people exit from Mass.

Ushers also are called upon to be aware of the handicapped and assist them whenever necessary.  If someone becomes ill or an emergency occurs, the usheers take charge.  Ushers, at times, even help to make sure parishioners have rides home.   Amoung their most challenging duties is handling the crowds druing Christmas and Easter Masses.

Those who volunteer their time as ushers find in it fulfillment.  The greatest evidence of this is the number of years many ushers have served.  Vincent Della Croce has been an usher since 1946.  Several others, including James Spratta, John Goodwin, Tony Marquette, Walter Farrel, john Haselberg, Bil Knust, Alexander Swanson, and John LaRocca have served as ushers since the 1950s.  The list goes on and on.  many more ushers have served since the 1960s and 1970s.

The ushers themselves say that the pleasure is theirs.  Tom Fauls says he enjoys the opportunity tohelp and getting toknow all the people from the Mass at which he ushers.  Will Minerva agrees. "It's a part of my church life," he said. "I'm glad to do whatever is necessary to help the church and I enjoy getting to know everyone."

St. Patrick's is a parish known for its hospitality.  Its ushers have helped it to earn that reputation.

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