Adult Altar Servers?

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I coordinate the altar servers for my parish. Tonight I received a call from an older lady in the parish. She stated that for her whole life she felt “left-out” beacuse she was not allowed to serve at the altar as a child. So she went to the pastor and requested to be allowed to become a server now.

My gut feeling is this would be a disaster. Clearly, she is only one of many adults who may feel this way. I am convinced that if we allow adult servers in my parish, in a very short time we will have no children participating in this ministry.

What eight-year-old will want to sign up to join this ministry and serve with a lady who looks like (or maybe even is) his grandmother?!! And forget the teenagers. I am sure they will leave.

IMO, we should be doing everything we can to keep our children at the altar of God. But am I practicing “age-ism”?

Do you all think my fears unfounded?

I would be happy to set up a program for adults to serve at daily mass, and funerals. I’d advertise for it in the bulletin and train these folks myself. But my feeling is, on the weekend when kids can participate, they should have exclusive right to serve mass. After all, adults can be lectors, ushers, greeters, and EMHC. None of these ministries are open to kids. And in fact, the lady who called me is both a lector and a EMHC.

She is not satisfied with a “daily mass only” program. To me, this smacks of rank clericalism. What do you think?
 
You might do a search on this, but I think adult men are allowed to serve at the altar. Our parish has two men who serve on a regular basis (one of whom coordinates the training for the kids who serve). I don’t think women are allowed to do this, though. Talk to your priest and see what he says.
 
scaron said:
Do you all think my fears unfounded?
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I think your fears are unfounded.

But I am biased, I am an over-50 altar boy!

I would have more problems with the fact that the inquirer is female. The ministry of serving can be an important foundation for a person discerning a call to the priesthood and/or diaconate.

I would like to see more grown men at the altar.

Michael
 
In my experience the amount of adult participation in altar service in a parish - and I’m talking both men and women - and the number of altar boys and girls - and I’ve yet to see a parish where the boys aren’t a strong presence merely because girls also serve - is directly related. The more adults of both genders, the more boys for sure.
 
Hesychios said:
I would have more problems with the fact that the inquirer is female. The ministry of serving can be an important foundation for a person discerning a call to the priesthood and/or diaconate.
Michael
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well, i guess this is part of it. I know for a fact that there are other ladies in the parish who feel “left out” because they could not serve at the altar as children.

As I said, I see this as clericalism - they feel that if they are not on the altar they are “second-class” citizens in some way - instead of reveling in the marvelous opportunities the church has open for women, they concentrate on what is not available in bitterness.

Hey, I am a marrried man. I am not allowed to be on the altar as a priest either. Bothers me not a bit. I serve in the ways I can, and pray that God will find my service acceptable.
 
Hmmm… I don’t think that this woman’s request to serve the mass is necessarily about feminism or rank or clericalism. It sounds like she’s served in many capacities in the church, serving at the liturgy is very enlivening for her, and she senses a call to act as an altar server. I think that’s entirely respectable. Adult men serve occasionally, but we’re probably not yet used to seeing adult women because females’ service has only been permitted for 13 years. But really, when you think about it, unless those men are instituted with the ministry of acolyte (rare), they are just deputized with functioning as an altar server, and her service would be on par with theirs.

A few thoughts:

I personally like the idea of reserving children altar servers for most Sunday masses that children and families attend for the reasons you give.

Maybe she, along with an adult male server, could be scheduled once in a while like everyone else?

Maybe she could be trained for more involved masses like holy days of obligation, triduum, funerals, etc. when her physical size, maturity, and availability could really be an asset?

As far as your fears of children working with “grandmother”: I think that is unfounded. When I was a girl and really liked learning to serve with the two old (think grandpa and great-grandpa age) men who trained me - I was pleased that they took an interest in me. It might have been even more fun with a “grandma”-type lady around to show me where to go, tap me on the shoulder when it’s time, etc.
 
My mother’s parish does not have a school or many children(only 3 children’s envelopes per week). The parish is declining, probably going to be closed soon. The deacon’s wife is the altar server at all of the Masses, since nobody else is available.
 
My first parish allowed adult women and men (college age, one was my friend and she was 22) to become alter servers. This might be because it was a campus parish though.

Jerry
 
we have several adults who serve, including our deacon candidates, we already had a diminished number of boys coming forward (for the same reason I think that we have declining attendance at CCD, parents won’t commit to getting them here). We do not and never have had girls or women serving in this parish, and won’t with this pastor.
 
scaron said:
I coordinate the altar servers for my parish. Tonight I received a call from an older lady in the parish. She stated that for her whole life she felt “left-out” beacuse she was not allowed to serve at the altar as a child. So she went to the pastor and requested to be allowed to become a server now.

My gut feeling is this would be a disaster. Clearly, she is only one of many adults who may feel this way. I am convinced that if we allow adult servers in my parish, in a very short time we will have no children participating in this ministry.

What eight-year-old will want to sign up to join this ministry and serve with a lady who looks like (or maybe even is) his grandmother?!! And forget the teenagers. I am sure they will leave.

IMO, we should be doing everything we can to keep our children at the altar of God. But am I practicing “age-ism”?

Do you all think my fears unfounded?

I would be happy to set up a program for adults to serve at daily mass, and funerals. I’d advertise for it in the bulletin and train these folks myself. But my feeling is, on the weekend when kids can participate, they should have exclusive right to serve mass. After all, adults can be lectors, ushers, greeters, and EMHC. None of these ministries are open to kids. And in fact, the lady who called me is both a lector and a EMHC.

She is not satisfied with a “daily mass only” program. To me, this smacks of rank clericalism. What do you think?
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The ministry of Serving at the Altar is a Lay Ministry open to anyone who is qualified and capable of performing the tasks necessary. If you feel otherwise you should allow someone else to coordinate the program.
 
Just some food for thought – My pastor does not allow me to be scheduled as a Reader or Communion Distributor. I am part of the parish music staff, and that’s where he needs me. As I am interested in the Diaconate (if our Bishop ever allows another class to form), he understands my desire to serve in these lay ministries, but he has been quite adamant that I am needed at the piano on the weekends. During the summers, he has me serve in these lay ministries at daily Mass, but I am not to be scheduled regularly for the weekend Masses.

I am not offended by this, in fact, I am grateful to be able to provide a positive service to the parish. The pastor of the church I belonged to prior to this always told people to “Bloom where you are planted.”

While I understand this woman’s desire to serve at the altar, it sounds like she is serving the parish in other ways. Perhaps she should consider blooming where she is already planted.

My other recommendation to you is that you start the program off small – adult servers at daily Mass only. If you have enough interest, then schedule them at one Mass per weekend. Schedule them together so that youth serve with youth, and adults serve with adults. This should assuage some of your fears of a reduction in interest on the part of the kids.
 
I am 60 years old and only two years a Catholic, which means I completely missed out on my chances to be a “altar boy.” I would jump at the chance, if I were asked.

With regard to the OP’s dilemma, I am old-fashioned enough to think that altar servers should be male.

DaveBj
 
If you observe on EWTN you will see adult men serving as Alter Servers. I "feel’ [not believe] that it is always best to allow children in a normal Parish setting to serve as Alter Servers. The female objection pivots on tradition in our past and frankly legalism. The Church dictates who does what, not our opinion.

I personally feel that anyone that is in communion with the Church that desires to serve at least once should be given a chance provided that the opportunity exists. But younger men and women seeking a vocation should be part of the mass in a significant way. I personally am preparing to become an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister first because I feel called to that and second so that I can seek out my calling to the diaconate. As a former seminarian, we all served in various capacities, Alter Servers, Lecterns, Choir, etc. But this is a special setting. These roles should be set aside for anyone seeking a vocation, especially to the priesthood. [Just my opinion]
 
scaron said:
I coordinate the altar servers for my parish. Tonight I received a call from an older lady in the parish. She stated that for her whole life she felt “left-out” beacuse she was not allowed to serve at the altar as a child. So she went to the pastor and requested to be allowed to become a server now.

My gut feeling is this would be a disaster. Clearly, she is only one of many adults who may feel this way. I am convinced that if we allow adult servers in my parish, in a very short time we will have no children participating in this ministry.

What eight-year-old will want to sign up to join this ministry and serve with a lady who looks like (or maybe even is) his grandmother?!! And forget the teenagers. I am sure they will leave.

IMO, we should be doing everything we can to keep our children at the altar of God. But am I practicing “age-ism”?

Do you all think my fears unfounded?

I would be happy to set up a program for adults to serve at daily mass, and funerals. I’d advertise for it in the bulletin and train these folks myself. But my feeling is, on the weekend when kids can participate, they should have exclusive right to serve mass. After all, adults can be lectors, ushers, greeters, and EMHC. None of these ministries are open to kids. And in fact, the lady who called me is both a lector and a EMHC.

She is not satisfied with a “daily mass only” program. To me, this smacks of rank clericalism. What do you think?
Click to expand...
The pastor needs to be consulted on this one. I personally don’t think that adults should be excluded from this ministry, particularly because of their maturity. In fact, it may be a blessing to have people who have maturity serving at the altar of our Blessed Lord.
 
scaron said:
I coordinate the altar servers for my parish. Tonight I received a call from an older lady in the parish. She stated that for her whole life she felt “left-out” beacuse she was not allowed to serve at the altar as a child. So she went to the pastor and requested to be allowed to become a server now.
?
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your gut feeling should be respected.
any person who expresses the feeling that they are somehow “left out” of the Mass because they are not an altar server (or engaged in any other active liturgical ministry) has a very poor, inadequate understand of the Mass, and of the term “full active participation.” Such a person should not be filling any liturgical role until they attend a Remedial Liturgy class or Mass 101.
 
scaron said:
…She stated that for her whole life she felt “left-out” beacuse she was not allowed to serve at the altar as a child. So she went to the pastor and requested to be allowed to become a server now. …
And in fact, the lady who called me is both a lector and a EMHC.
She is not satisfied with a “daily mass only” program. To me, this smacks of rank clericalism. What do you think?
Click to expand...
It sounds as though the pastor or parish priest supports her, so I think his decision should be supported.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“107. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church. [footnote 89: 89. Cf. Pontifical Commission for interpreting legal texts, response to dubium regarding can. 230 § 2: AAS 86 (1994), p. 541.] All should observe the norms established by the Bishop for his diocese regarding the office of those who serve the priest at the altar.”

If children are being used there cannot be a large number of instituted acolytes (men instituted by a bishop) to choose from. If there were, from the GIRM:
“100. In the absence of an instituted acolyte, lay ministers may be deputed to serve at the altar and assist the priest and the deacon; …”.
If there were, say, 100 instituted acolytes available then only they should be chosen, not females or children.

I do not see any obstacle in her being an EMHC. From the GIRM: “100. … they may carry the cross, the candles, the thurible, the bread, the wine, and the water, and they may also be deputed to distribute Holy Communion as extraordinary ministers. [footnote 85: Cf. Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction Immensae caritatis, 29 January 1973, no. 1: AAS 65 (1973), pp. 265-266; Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 230 § 3.]”

It seems to be encouraging the use of altar servers as EMHCs, rather than giving any grounds for refusal.

It is permitted for her to be a lector at a Mass in which she is an altar server:
“109. If there are several persons present who are able to exercise the same ministry, nothing forbids their distributing among themselves and performing different parts of the same ministry or duty. …
110. If only one minister is present at a Mass with a congregation, that minister may exercise several different duties.”

From the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“[47.] It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension.
[footnote 119: Cf. S. Congregation of Rites, Instruction, De Musica sacra, 3 September 1958, n. 93c: AAS 50 (1958) p. 656.] Nor should it be forgotten that a great number of sacred ministers over the course of the centuries have come from among boys such as these.
[footnote 120: Cf. Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, Response to dubium, 11 July 1992: AAS 86 (1994) pp. 541-542; Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Letter to the Presidents of Conferences of Bishops on the liturgical service of laypersons, 15 March 1994: Notitiae 30 (1994) pp. 333-335, 347-348. ]
Associations for them, including also the participation and assistance of their parents, should be established or promoted, and in such a way greater pastoral care will be provided for the ministers. Whenever such associations are international in nature, it pertains to the competence of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to establish them or to approve and revise their statutes.
[footnote 121: Cf. Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution, Pastor Bonus, art. 65: AAS 80 (1988) p. 877.]
Girls or women may also be admitted to this service of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop and in observance of the established norms.[footnote 122: Cf. Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, Response to dubium, 11 July 1992: AAS 86 (1994) pp. 541-542; Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Letter to the Presidents of the Conferences of Bishops concerning the liturgical service of laypersons, 15 March 1994: Notitiae 30 (1994) pp. 333-335, 347-348; Letter to a Bishop, 27 July 2001: Notitiae 38 (2002) 46-54.]”

The last footnote, the letter of 27 July 2001 is at adoremus.org/CDW-AltarServers.html . I wrote about the letter at romanrite.com/j160302.html .

Assuming the bishop allows female altar servers, the parish priest can choose one. But drawing his attention to the above may help him make a more informed decision.
 
Well, service at the altar is not a ministry open to anyone, as that ministry is of acolytes, who are adult males. However, boys and girls, men and women, are allowed to be deputed to serve in an extraordinary capacity. It’s a technicality, but important to keep in mind if the Church ever wants to actually implement her own legislation on service at the altar.

I agree with those who would at least defer letting this woman serve until she gets over her seemingly flawed understanding of participation, but if the pastor wants to allow her you’re bound by his decision.
 
In times past all altar servers were male adults. They were ordained to the office of acolyte. We have since laicized those duties and others and we no longer ordain acolytes, lectors or sub-deacons. We first allowed boys to serve on the altar partially in the hopes that this would serve as a recruiting ground for future priests. Now we have a range of ages and both sexes doing duty as altar servers. This is all part of changing times and is not necessarily improper. It’s just different.

Matthew
 
Thanks to all who have responded, and especially John for the review of the relevant governing documents.

Clearly I wish I was back in the days 20+ years ago when I was an altar boy and worked with many, many other boys who all considered service at the altar a privledge. Just simpler then - tho not necessarily better, I guess - at least from some people’s perspective.

For my part I think the best advice is what has been repeated consistantly throughout this thread … Make my concerns known to the pastor, and then leave it in his hands. And truely I love the man, and he is wise and knowledgeable - I will trust his judgement.

Thank you all.
 
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