How to Become a Lector in a Catholic Church

A lector is someone who proclaims the first and second readings during Catholic mass. Becoming a lector is a serious decision and commitment to your faith and parish, since you are sharing your time and energy to the service of the church. Prepare to become a lector by asking God for His blessing and going to confession. There are several steps to complete before becoming a lector but once you become installed as a liturgical minister, you may then lead a life of service to the church and grow more in your faith.

Evaluate yourself and review your faith. You may find yourself wanting to be a lector but have forgotten what you have learned in catechism. Attend a seminar offered at your parish or at the archdiocese, or simply talk to a priest to find out more about the foundation of the church and pillars of faith. Be firm with your decision to become a lector but before you sign up, you must be confident about your faith and your knowledge of Catholic traditions and doctrine.

Attend training. Ask the parish staff about training classes they offer to become a lector. Usually, this information is also available in the Sunday bulletin. Learn the names for the things found in church, as well as the order of the mass. You may also want to exercise your speaking skills so that you may be able to enunciate and read effortlessly.

Study spiritual books. Faith is an evolutionary process where there is always room to grow and develop. By refreshing your knowledge through spiritual books, not only will you strengthen your faith but you will also have a better understanding of the church and congregation.

Go through rehearsal. To supplement your training, you have to go through rehearsal in order to put into action everything you have learned. One of the best ways to prepare to become a lector is to shadow an already installed lector and observing his or her actions during mass.

Schedule a time when you will serve. The church staff keeps a schedule of who is going to serve on what day and time, so you should schedule a day and time when you will have time to arrive early and stay late. If you also have additional free time, be sure to let the staff know so they can place you in a substitute list so that if someone cancels, they can contact you to serve.