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Growing up, Tom Singleton enjoyed the same things other kids in South Dartmouth enjoyed for recreation - the beach, his boat, fishing, Little League. But because of his parents - Joe and Beverly Singleton - he was no stranger to volunteer activity. Both were "doers," active in civic affairs, active in church (St. Mary in South Dartmouth). Both were elected as representatives in the town of South Dartmouth. His mother did fund-raising for the parish and was active in the women’s guild. His father sang in the church choir. They were role models for participation.

But the environment at St. Lucy did the rest. A member of St. Lucy for about 20 years, Tom says that "from the beginning there has been an open atmosphere at St. Lucy" for those who wish to help. "It feels like it is our church," he says, "like we have a stake in it." The message Tom hears at St. Lucy: "We not only want you to participate, we need you to participate."

And participate he has - as a Lector and a Eucharistic Minister and several other activities and jobs in the past. But he regards his membership on the Liturgy and Spirituality Committee for more than 10 years as his principal activity. The Liturgy and Spirituality Committee meets for about two hours every month. Preparation and outside work are often involved.

The oldest of three children, Tom attended public elementary school, Bishop Stang High School, and University of Massachusetts. A volunteer job - teaching English as a Second Language to Portuguese and Hispanic adults in New Bedford - convinced Tom he wanted to be a teacher. He majored in elementary education at UMass. Until his retirement five years ago he was an elementary teacher in Portsmouth - mostly at the Melville School - and was active in the teachers’ association.

Wife Millie - who retired in 2002 - also volunteers at St. Lucy, serving as a Eucharistic Minister. Before that she was involved in the startup of the Children’s Homily and has sometimes helped Circle of Friends. Tom and Millie were married in 1981, and now have two sons - Joe and Mike - who live and work on Aquidneck Island.

Tom’s work on the Liturgy and Spirituality Committee involves a diverse group - some staff, some volunteers - and a wide-ranging set of tasks - from a penance service to flowers on the altar. And often the committee relies on others for help implementing what they plan. Both Tom and Sr. Mary Burns stressed the importance of the separate groups of volunteers who planned and carried out the logistics of the last parish mission in 2002 - baby-sitting, refreshments, transportation, phone calls, mailing. Whatever the committee decides, these ad hoc groups make it happen. Tom points out the advantage of these groups. "People can volunteer for a single job, or a particular function - like the mission - or a finite time; they don’t have to make a permanent commitment." Again this year the focus is on the 2006 parish mission, so ad hoc volunteers will once again be needed.

Why should anyone want to volunteer? "It gives a sense of helping out," says Tom, "of being part of it, of having a voice in what’s happening." At St. Lucy, says Tom, "the people in the pews are relied upon to make it happen. Jobs get done by people giving of their time."

Story and photo by Ed Weyhing

E-mail Ed Weyhing with corrections and suggestions.