NATCHEZ — As parishioners entered Assumption Catholic Church Sunday, the sight of holy water, wafers and wine at the entrance greeted them.

Sharon Mire had carefully laid all of the items out the day before.

When The Dart landed on Morgantown Road Saturday, Mire was just putting the finishing touches on the preparations for services the next day.

Mire is a member of the Altar Society and, 16 Saturdays a year, she comes in to help make sure everything is ready for the service.

“I love it,” Mire said. “I love the ladies, I love the group.”

The New Orleans native came to Natchez 21 years ago and began attending Assumption six years after. Her children, Shannon and Michael Mire, were attending Cathedral School at the time, and she wanted to attend church more.

Even though both her children have graduated, Mire has continued to come to the church.

“It’s just a real quaint, nice church,” Mire said.

And, for the past 15 years, she’s been helping prepare the church for Sunday service.

She described the first time as being “very scary.”

“There is a lot involved that you really need to pray upon and make sure you do it right,” Mire said. “I take this seriously because this is something you do for God.”

But, luckily, the church has a checklist in the back, complete with photos. Even though Mire has been setting out the items for years now, she still refers to the checklist from time to time.

“Sometimes, yes, it’s good to have a checklist,” Mire said.

On Saturdays, she’ll come in and unlock the cabinet that contains the wafers for the host.

“It’s sacred, so we keep it under lock and key,” Mire joked.

She sets two kinds out — a bowl with a big wafer and a bowl with smaller wafers. Mire also collects holy water from the back, pouring it into two containers, and sets out the wine.

It doesn’t take long, usually only approximately 10 minutes. But those 10 minutes mean a lot to her.

“It’s my quality time to pray with God while I’m here by myself,” Mire said.

Those 10 minutes are just the start for Mire though. Her prayers, like the wine, holy water and wafers she lays out, are done in preparation for Sunday.

And, on weeks in which she is in charge of preparations, she’ll have the satisfaction of coming into Assumption and seeing the items she put out being put to good use.