It takes a lot of loving service and creativity to ensure the St. Mary's Cathedral is both a fitting place for the many Sacraments of the Church, especially the Holy Eucharist, and at the same time be place of serenity and peace for the faithful who come to worship. The Arts & Environment Ministry serves the parish in preparing an atmosphere for worship that will invite the community to raise their hearts and minds to God in full, conscious, and active participation. The goal of this ministry is to reinforce all the elements of worship by ensuring that the liturgical environment is appropriate, authentic, beautiful, and accessible.
     The Arts and Environment Team is responsible for decorating the Cathedral to reflect both the liturgical season and the scriptural readings for the season. Creativity is key for the success of this ministry. People who do well in participating in this ministry would usually have a strong interest in art, crafts, painting, sewing, arranging and caring for plants/flowers, and an eye for beauty. Arts and Environment is focused on the preparation of the space for worship. The decorated space should invite all parishioners to enter into the sacred beauty of the Mass while reflecting the theology of the liturgical season. In short, the liturgical environment should elevate the community’s prayer and worship. Pope Francis wrote in Evangelii Gaudium: “The Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized by beauty in the liturgy.”