INDUCTION CEREMONY OF A
NEW MOTHER BUTLER GUILD UNIT
Induction is made before the main altar. If this is done within the Holy Mass, induction is held after the homily.
1. Presentation of New Members
Inducting Officer (may be an officer of the National or Diocesan Council; or Parish Unit President or Organizer):
Your Reverence, as the state position of the Mother Butler Guild, I am presenting the following new members of this unit of Parish and petition that Your Reverence admit them and proclaim them as such.
Spiritual Director (Bishop or Parish Priest):
Members of the Parish Unit of the Mother Butler Guild, do you promise to lead a truly Catholic life?
New Members: Yes, we promise.
Spiritual Director: Then by virtue of the authority conferred upon me as the Spiritual Director of the Mother Butler Guild in this Parish, I hereby admit you and proclaim you as members of the Mother Butler Guild with the duties and prerogatives as such.
2. Presentation of Officers
Inducting Officer: Your Reverence, allow us now to present the newly elected officers of this unit.
President
Vice President
Executive Secretary
Recording Secretary
Treasurer
(Note: As each officer is called, she steps out of the line of new members, comes forward a few steps to form another line in front.)
Spiritual Director: Officers-elect, do you promise to perform your duties to the best of your ability for the glory of God and service to Our Holy Mother, the Church?
Officers: Yes, we promise.
Spiritual Director: By virtue of the authority vested in me I hereby admit you and proclaim you as such.
3. Blessing and Presentation of the Unit Banner
Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also be with you.
Priest: Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are our model in love and service. We beseech you, bless this banner which is the symbol of our commitment to love and serve you joyfully and devotedly within the ranks of the Mother Butler Guild. Ever inspire us, through this banner, to carry out our duties with renewed strength, you who reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
All: Amen
Inducting Officer: This presentation of the banner to you, the Unit President, means that the leadership and administration of this unit of the Mother Butler Guild shall rest upon you and the other officers until your successors shall legally take over.
(The Unit President accepts the banner and places it on a stand near the altar.)
4. Pin Ceremony
Inducting Officer (while holding the tray containing the MBG pins):
The pin is the badge of a Mother Butler Guild member. It is the symbol of our commitment and pledge to serve as handmaids of the altar. The act of giving it to you symbolizes the unity that binds all officers and members together.
She then presents the tray with the pins to the Spiritual Director for blessing.
Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Priest: Let us pray.
Lord God, heavenly Father, your immense love for mankind moved you to give us your beloved Son as the Saving Victim on our altars. Bless these pins, we entreat you, so that handmaids wearing them close to their hears while serving Jesus Christ, our Servant God, may always be filled with His love, humility and generosity. With your grace, may these pins encourage your handmaids to be faithful to their commitment and to Your word. so that we may all merit eternal reward in your kingdom. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
(The Spiritual Director blesses the pins. The Inducting Officer pins the badge on the left lapel of the uniform of each officer.)
5. Candle Ceremony
Inducting Officer (addressing the new members):
This is the candle ceremony, symbolizing that the Mother Butler Guild, being a mandated organization of Lay Apostolate, works in close collaboration with hierarchy. The light which I shall pass on to you, symbolizes the love, ever on fire, which shall burn for our God and our Church, the flame which shall warm us in our mutual work.
With an unlit candle, she then goes before Spiritual Director who lights her candle.
Spiritual Director: I light this candle that the love of God may ever be the spirit behind all your works in this organization.
The Inducting Officer then proceeds to light the candle of the member nearest to her. The member with the lighted candle, in turn, will pass on the light to the one next to her, and so on down the line.
6. The Pledge
a) New Members
Inducting Officer: Please hold your lighted candle with your left hand, raise your right hand and recite with me the pledge of membership.
All: I state your name , freely and joyfully / join the ranks of the Mother Butler Guild / Convinced that I am answering the call of Christ / and trusting in the help of His grace / I hereby pledge myself / to be an apostle in my family / in my section / in my special sphere / by prayer / by work and example / and by living a truly Catholic life. / May God and our Blessed Mother / help me to keep my pledge.
b) New Officers
Inducting Officer: Officers-elect, please raise your right hands and proclaim your pledge of office.
Officers: I state your name , commit my abilities, my endeavors, my services and my love, in the fulfillment of my duties as state your position of this unit of the Mother Butler Guild, May our Lord Jesus Christ, whom I promise to serve, devotedly and with joy, and our Blessed Mother, my model in this service, help me to be faithful to my pledge.
7. Profession of Faith
The Spiritual Director signals the new members to kneel, and with their lighted candles, recite the Apostle's Creed with him.
All: I believe in God...
Spiritual Director: New members of this Mother Butler Guild Unit of name of parish be faithful to your solemn pledge. May Christ, our Supreme Leader, and our Blessed Mother, enlighten, help and bless you. In the name of the Father...
Inducting Officer: I am officially welcoming all of you to the sisterhood of the Mother Butler Guild.
Materials Necessary for Induction
- Approval of the parish priest
- MBG uniform
- MBG pin (per member)
- Candle (per member and Inducting Officer)
- Unit banner
- Tray for pins
- Holy Water (for blessing of the banner and pins)
- Match ( for Spiritual Director during Candle Ceremony)
- Copies of induction ceremony for all member, Inducting Officer and Spiritual Director
- Banner stand
INDUCTION OF OFFICERS OF A PARISH UNIT OR OF A DIOCESAN COUNCIL
I. PETITION
MBG Inducting Officer:
"Your Reverence, as the state position of the Mother Butler Guild, may I present to you the new officers of the Mother Butler Guild of _______________________ Parish / Diocese and petition that you Reverence admit and proclaim them as such."
(She calls the names of the officers who come before the main altar.)
President
Vice President
Executive Secretary
Recording Secretary
Treasurer
Auditor
Vestment Custodian
Spiritual Director (Parish Priest):
Officers-elect, do you promise to perform your duties to the best of your ability for greater glory of God and service to our Holy Mother the Church?
Officers: "Yes, we promise."
Spiritual Director:
"By virtue, therefore, of the authority vested in me as Spiritual Director, I hereby proclaim you as the new officers of the Mother Butler guild of ________________ Parish / Diocese for the term __________.
II. PRESENTATION OF THE BANNER
The Spiritual Director blesses the banner and candles.
After the blessing, the assisting MBG officers give the candles to the officers-elect.
The new president goes to the Spiritual Director accepts the banner from him and places it on the stand.
MBG Inducting Officer:
"This presentation of the MBG banner to you (name of president) as the President means that the leadership and administration of this Unit/Diocese of the Mother Butler Guild shall rest upon you and the other officers of the Unit/Diocese until your successors shall legally take over.
III. THE CANDLE CEREMONY
The Spiritual Director lights the candle and passes it to the president-elect while saying ...
"I light this candle that the love of God may ever be the spirit behind all your works in this organization."
The newly elected president lights the candles of the other officers.
MBG Inducting Officer
"This is the candle ceremony symbolizing that the Mother Butler Guild being a mandated organization of the Episcopal Commission on the Lay Apostolate of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, works in close collaboration with the Hierarchy. The light that shall be passed on to you symbolizes the love, ever on fire which shall burn for our God and our Church, the flame which warms us in our mutual work. and which you are to keep ablaze in the hearts and the works of the Mother Butler Guild members."
IV. THE PLEDGE
MBG Inducting Officer:
Officers-elect please hold your lighted candle with your left hand, raise your right hand and proclaim your pledge of office.
Officers-elect:
I, state your name , commit my abilities, my endeavors, my service and my love, in the fulfillment of my duties as state your position of this Unit/Diocese of the Mother Butler Guild. May our Lord Jesus Christ, whom I promise to serve devotedly and with joy, and our Blessed Mother, my model in this service, help me to be faithful to my pledge.
Spiritual Director - addresses the officers and gives the him blessing:
"Newly elected officers of the Mother Butler Guild Unit/Diocese of _________, be faithful to your solemn pledge. May Christ, our Supreme Leader, and our Blessed Mother enlighten, help and bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
All: Amen
Inducting MBG Officer:
On behalf of our National President, we can congratulate you as the new officers of Parish/Diocese. May our Lord Jesus Christ remain with you and help you be fruitful in your work.
(MBG officers will now blow their candles, turn to face the people. then return to their seats and join the community in reciting the Apostles Creed if induction is done after the homily. The Inducting Priest may also choose to hold the Induction after Communion.)
INDUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS OF EXISTING UNIT
I. PRESENTATION OF NEW MEMBERS
MBG Inducting Officer (She may be the president of the unit)
"Your Reverence, as the (state position) of the Mother Butler Guild, may I present to you the new members of the Mother Butler Guild of _______ Parish and petition that your Reverence admit and proclaim them as such."
(She calls the names of the new members who come before the main altar)
Spiritual Director (Parish Priest):
Members of the ____________ Parish Unit of the Mother Butler Guild, do you promise to lead a truly Catholic Life?
New Member: Yes we promise, to live a truly Catholic life.
Spiritual Director: Do you promise to uphold the faith and promote fidelity to the statues of the Mother Butler Guild?
New Members: Yes, we promise.
Spiritual Director: Then by virtue of the authority conferred upon me as the Spiritual Director of the MBG in this Parish, I hereby admit you and proclaim you as members of the Mother Butler Guild with the duties and prerogatives as such.
II. THE PIN CEREMONY
The Spiritual Director blesses the tray with pins and candles
Assisting MBG Officer (may be any officer of the Unit) gives the candles to the new members and pins to new members.
MBG Inducting Officer:
The pin is the badge of a Mother Butler Guild member. It is the symbol of your commitment and pledge to serve as handmaids of the altar. The act of giving it to you symbolizes the unity that binds all officers and members together.
III. THE CANDLE CEREMONY
Spiritual Director lights the candle of the Assisting MBG Officer while saying ...
"I light this candle that the love of God may ever be the spirit behind all your works in the organization."
The Assisting Officer lights the candles of the new members.
MBG Inducting Officer
"This is the candle ceremony symbolizing that the Mother Butler Guild being a mandated organization of the Episcopal Commission on the Lay Apostolate of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, works in close collaboration with the Hierarchy. The light that shall be passed on to you symbolizes the love, ever on fire which shall burn for our God and our Church, the flame which warms us in our mutual work. and which you are to keep ablaze in the hearts and the works of the Mother Butler Guild members."
IV. THE PLEDGE
MBG Inducting Officer:
Please hold your lighted candle with your left hand, raise your right hand and recite your pledge of membership.
New Members:
I (state your name), freely and joyfully / join the ranks of the Mother Butler Guild, / Convinced that I am answering the call of Christ / and trusting in the help of His grace, / I hereby pledge myself / to be an apostle in my family / in my section / in my social sphere / by prayer / by work and example / and by living a truly Catholic life. / May God and our Blessed Mother / help me to keep my pledge.
Spiritual Director- addresses the new members and gives them his blessing:
"New members of the Mother Butler Guild Unit of __________________, be faithful to your solemn pledge. May Christ, our Supreme Leader and our Blessed Mother enlighten, help and bless you in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit"
All: Amen
Inducting Officer:
On behalf of our National President, Amb. Tita de Villa, we are officially welcoming all you to the sisterhood of the Mother Butler Guild.
(The MBG new members blow their candles, turn to face the people, then return to their seats and join the community in reciting the Apostles Creed.)
II. THE PIN CEREMONY
The Spiritual Director blesses the tray with pins and candles
Assisting MBG Officer (may be any officer of the Unit) gives the candles to the new members and pins to new members.
MBG Inducting Officer:
The pin is the badge of a Mother Butler Guild member. It is the symbol of your commitment and pledge to serve as handmaids of the altar. The act of giving it to you symbolizes the unity that binds all officers and members together.
III. THE CANDLE CEREMONY
Spiritual Director lights the candle of the Assisting MBG Officer while saying ...
"I light this candle that the love of God may ever be the spirit behind all your works in the organization."
The Assisting Officer lights the candles of the new members.
MBG Inducting Officer
"This is the candle ceremony symbolizing that the Mother Butler Guild being a mandated organization of the Episcopal Commission on the Lay Apostolate of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, works in close collaboration with the Hierarchy. The light that shall be passed on to you symbolizes the love, ever on fire which shall burn for our God and our Church, the flame which warms us in our mutual work. and which you are to keep ablaze in the hearts and the works of the Mother Butler Guild members."
IV. THE PLEDGE
MBG Inducting Officer:
Please hold your lighted candle with your left hand, raise your right hand and recite your pledge of membership.
New Members:
I (state your name), freely and joyfully / join the ranks of the Mother Butler Guild, / Convinced that I am answering the call of Christ / and trusting in the help of His grace, / I hereby pledge myself / to be an apostle in my family / in my section / in my social sphere / by prayer / by work and example / and by living a truly Catholic life. / May God and our Blessed Mother / help me to keep my pledge.
Spiritual Director- addresses the new members and gives them his blessing:
"New members of the Mother Butler Guild Unit of __________________, be faithful to your solemn pledge. May Christ, our Supreme Leader and our Blessed Mother enlighten, help and bless you in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit"
All: Amen
Inducting Officer:
On behalf of our National President, Amb. Tita de Villa, we are officially welcoming all you to the sisterhood of the Mother Butler Guild.
(The MBG new members blow their candles, turn to face the people, then return to their seats and join the community in reciting the Apostles Creed.)