Stewardship Profile:
Jack Clarke
Jack Clarke sees his role as lector to be more than just doing the reading. To him it means sharing his experience of the scripture with others. How? Jack prepares by meditating on the scripture to be read. He hopes to absorb the word, hopes the sense of it comes through when he steps into the pulpit to read.
Jack signed up to be both a lector and a Eucharistic minister because he wanted to be involved in the parish. The ministries fit in with his previous experience, the first 25 years of which were as a Marianist Brother, teaching high school. "In high school at noon we would have a communion service for students," Jack says, and he often conducted it. Jack also has served as an RCIA sponsor, a Eucharistic minister for a nursing home, and has taken on the task of producing the quarterly computer schedule for lectors and Eucharistic ministers.
Jack was the oldest of four children of Jack (Sr.) and Edna R. Clarke. He
grew up in Queens, NY, attended Sacred Heart parish grade school and Chaminade
HS, after which he joined the Marianists. After joining the order he received a
BS in math from U of Dayton (1964), an MS in math from Notre Dame (1969). He
taught math and computer science at various Marianist high schools. He left the
religious life in 1985 and moved to Rhode Island, joining St. Lucy in 1988. He
now works as a computer scientist at NUWC. In 1994 Jack married Joanne Eigner.
They live in Middletown. Besides teaching high school, he has taught part time
at the community college level, something he would like to continue after he
retires.
Outside of St. Lucy and NUWC, Jack has taken some time to pursue his interest in art. While teaching high school in Philadelphia, Jack attended the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, where he got an MA degree in art education. His emphasis has been on ceramics and sculpture. He departed from his usual high school courses to teach a course in pottery. On the wall of his home is displayed a copy he painted of Gilbert Stuart’s familiar portrait of George Washington.
On another wall are the Purple Heart and Bronze Star and other service medals his father was awarded as a member of the US Army in World War II, where he participated in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-1945. His father died of cancer in 1966 in the age of 49. His 88-year-old mother lives in Connecticut.
Deacon John Croy conducts a training course for lectors, lasting about one hour, during which prospective lectors try out the pulpit and the microphone system. "We can always use lectors at all Masses," he says. Some Masses like Sunday evening are especially thin and the same people are relied on week after week.
Requirements? Deacon John says lectors are asked to come a few minutes ahead of Mass, early enough to review the workbook in the sacristy, which contains the readings, explanations where needed, aids to pronunciation and emphasis. Readers must also look over the prayers of the faithful, learning the pronunciation of any names to be included.
A couple of times a year Sister Sheila trains those who volunteer for Eucharistic minister - two classes, one hour each. New volunteers are welcome and needed. Both ministries require volunteers to be confirmed Catholics.
Anyone interested in becoming a lector can call Deacon John at 845-2558. Anyone interested in becoming a Eucharistic minister can call Sister Sheila at 848-5899. Learn about other opportunities by looking at the List of Ministries.
Story and Photo by Ed Weyhing