Adults serving as Altar Servers

[phil19034]

I much prefer adult male altar servers at Mass. It would be nice if more dioceses began instituting male acolytes and lectors. I really don’t think serving at the altar is a place for most children.

We have a few adult male altar servers at my parish. They are extremely experienced and competent. They make a difference.

They serve Mass because they want to be of help, and not because they parents thought it would be cute.

It would be nice it parishes began recruiting 10th-12th grade males to apprentice as say “pages of the altar” to experienced “knights of the altar.” I think that might help vocations too. All too often kids sorta serve and then they are completely out of it by the time high school begins.

I agree with part of your post here and disagree with other parts.

PERSONALLY, what I think would be AWESOME is to do what the EF parishes do. They have “Altar Server Guilds”

The adult men serve as MC and head Acolytes. Then, lesser parts by boys slowly training to become MCs & full blown Acolytes.

Sometimes I go to a Extraordinary Mass and there are 6+ Altar Servers. Some masses, I’ve seen over 10. They all have a role and it’s a wonderful ministry because then it truly becomes what it was intended to be… a ministry to introduce boys to the clerical life.

 

[phil19034]

I guess the bottom line on all this is that we need more people to serve. Either as Altar Servers, readers, Eucharistic Ministers, etc., etc.
Needless to say, we could use a lot more Priests.
May we offer a prayer here to ask for God to move more people to service in one capacity or another.

I don’t know your parish, so I’m not going to address your specific parish. But in general, I would say that where most parishes need more volunteers is with things like gardening around the parish, service projects, evangelization efforts, soup kitchens, men’s groups, women’s groups, youth ministry, Bible Study, Marriage Enrichment programs, discipleship groups, etc.

Most people only have so much time to volunteer, and when they volunteer for liturgical tasks, many (not all) feel like they are volunteering enough and don’t volunteer enough for the other opportunities.

Personally, I would rather see a parish with a ton of volunteers running all the programs I mentioned and zero volunteers at mass, than a ton of volunteers serving at mass but no volunteers for all the programs I mentioned.

Where Father needs the most help is with programs on Monday through Saturday - not on Sunday.

Example: attend any FSSP parish for Sunday Mass. Obviously they have no Sunday volunteers at Mass other than a few ushers. Father does everything himself (esp during low and high masses). But then the FSSP parish will often have a ton of volunteers helping with the Sunday fellowship after Mass, with parish events, etc.

God Bless

 

[Moose]

I served as an altar server for over 18 years at daily mass - from age 38 to age 56…
Our parish is well overb100nyears old and our pastor a conservative Irish native.
FYI…

 

[Phrancez]

PERSONALLY, what I think would be AWESOME is to do what the EF parishes do. They have “Altar Server Guilds”

So do parishes that principally celebrate the Ordinary Form of the Mass. The most well-known of the guilds are the Knights of the Altar and some parishes had Pages of the Altar.

The adult men serve as MC and head Acolytes. Then, lesser parts by boys slowly training to become MCs & full blown Acolytes.

There are no “acolytes” in the 1962 Missale Romano. The “office” of instituted acolytes was realized in 1972 with the promulgation of Ministeria Quaedam by Pope Paul VI. The EF Mass has deacons, sub-deacons and altar boys.

Sometimes I go to a Extraordinary Mass and there are 6+ Altar Servers. Some masses, I’ve seen over 10. They all have a role and it’s a wonderful ministry because then it truly becomes what it was intended to be… a ministry to introduce boys to the clerical life.

There’s usually 18-24 at my parish, which exclusively celebrates the Ordinary Form of the Mass. There’s typically at least a dozen at the local Byzantine Catholic Church for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

Altar servers exist to serve the man celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Further in years past, most of the altar boys were junior high and middle school boys. If vocations was really a primary concern, they would have had boys serving in high school.

 

[phil19034]

There are no “acolytes” in the 1962 Missale Romano. The “office” of instituted acolytes was realized in 1972 with the promulgation of Ministeria Quaedam by Pope Paul VI. The EF Mass has deacons, sub-deacons and altar boys.

Yes, and no. It’s true that back in 1962 only seminarians and religious order brothers joined the Acolyte Minor Order.

However, there are some Instituted Acolytes serving at EF masses today. We have at least one in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that I’m aware of. He was installed as an Acolyte via the Anglican Use Ordinariate. Therefore, he is an INstituted Acolyte serving EF masses and has been granted all the rights and privileges of that office.

He also gets to serve as sub-deacon at some Solemn Masses.

God Bless

 

[PetraG]

Most people only have so much time to volunteer, and when they volunteer for liturgical tasks, many (not all) feel like they are volunteering enough and don’t volunteer enough for the other opportunities.

Actually, most of the volunteering at every parish I’ve belonged to is done by the same fraction of people: in other words, most of the people I know who volunteer at Mass also volunteer in other capacities, and often several.

For altar servers, as an example, there is a three hour introductory training but after that and other than important liturgies (which have extra training but are seen as a privilege to do), the time commitment outside of going to Mass is about 15 minutes before Mass on the Sundays they serve and refresher training of about an hour a year.

 

[phil19034]

Actually, most of the volunteering at every parish I’ve belonged to is done by the same fraction of people: in other words, most of the people I know who volunteer at Mass also volunteer in other capacities, and often several.

Very true. However, there is still so much time people are willing to give. It’s human nature. Let’s say someone is actively volunteering for X number of ministries at the parish. The parish announces that they need 10 people to volunteer to do whatever.

There comes a point where a person eventually says “Volunteering for X ministries at the parish is enough for me, I can’t do X+1.” No one wants to get burned out, esp burned out of volunteering at Church.

Therefore, while serving at Mass often doesn’t take up too additional much time, it does lock a person into a specific time for Mass. They have to attend the mass they are scheduled for. And if they can’t, they have to help find a replacement. So while it doesn’t take up more time in the week (because they are already at Mass), it does impact the weekend flexibility (assuming the Parish has multiple mass times for the Sunday Liturgy).

For altar servers, as an example, there is a three hour introductory training but after that and other than important liturgies (which have extra training but are seen as a privilege to do), the time commitment outside of going to Mass is about 15 minutes before Mass on the Sundays they serve and refresher training of about an hour a year.

True. However, with Altar Guilds, they often spend far more time with training, and often do a little training every week. They are looking for precision. Working on getting down their movements down to “military precision” and by training for all sorts of Masses and other liturgical functions.

God Bless

 

[poche]

Why not ask the priest?

 

[Venite]

Serving at the altar is, in fact, meant to be done by adult men, and had always been so until modern times. Not that it excludes boys from serving also, nor should it, but the idea that serving is reserved for children and the purpose is for vocations is not only completely false, but turns the sanctuary into a glorified daycare and the liturgy as child’s play.

There are no “acolytes” in the 1962 Missale Romano. The “office” of instituted acolytes was realized in 1972 with the promulgation of Ministeria Quaedam by Pope Paul VI. The EF Mass has deacons, sub-deacons and altar boys.

Prior to Ministeria Quaedam, there was the minor order of acolyte. The new acolyte is different than the old, and is basically the Ordinary Form’s subdeacon sans tunicle.

The Extraordinary Form has many more ministries than just deacon, sub-deacon and “altar boy,” the latter being a non-existent entity.

 

[BartholomewB]

Until now I had never even heard it suggested that there was any preference for adults over minors or vice versa. Is there anything in the GIRM about it, or in any other official Church document?

 

[PetraG]

True. However, with Altar Guilds, they often spend far more time with training, and often do a little training every week. They are looking for precision. Working on getting down their movements down to “military precision” and by training for all sorts of Masses and other liturgical functions.

Military precision? Who needs that? There is a priest who just started as pastor at a parish near us, Monsignor Cihak, who was one of the masters of ceremonies at the Vatican for about a decade, and even he doesn’t go for that.

Volunteer time is a commodity that should never be wasted, but should be treated with the utmost respect. When the people organizing volunteers have that attitude–that is, to require the time needed, but not more or less than that–they get a lot more volunteers and have volunteers who get a lot more done in what you recognize is a limited amount of time to give.

 

[phil19034]

Military precision? Who needs that?

it was a figure of speech… God Bless

 

[phil19034]

Until now I had never even heard it suggested that there was any preference for adults over minors or vice versa. Is there anything in the GIRM about it, or in any other official Church document?

There isn’t an official preference of one over the other.

1. Some prefer boys because it’s a way to introduce them to the clerical life.
2. Some prefer kids (boys and girls) because it gives kids an opportunity to volunteer to serve at Mass
3. Some prefer adults or older teens because they want a lot of precision and reverence.
4. Some prefer adults because they have a lot of adults wanting to serve in some capacity at mass
5. Some prefer to have Altar guilds with men and boys, where the men and older boys mentor the younger boys and teach them.

The only thing they are supposed to avoid (at least in the US) is mixing how they are dressed. So they mix adults and kids, or boys & girls, they all have to dress the same way.

Also, if they are going to mix adults and children, then the adults will most likely require youth protection training.

God bless

 

[PetraG]

it was a figure of speech… God Bless

I have found that there are actually people out there training altar servers who believe that is the goal, heaven help us all. (It is hard to imagine an angel operating according to this kind of a model, I mean.)

 

[phil19034]

phil19034:

it was a figure of speech… God Bless

I have found that there are actually people out there training altar servers who believe that is the goal, heaven help us all. (It is hard to imagine an angel operating according to this kind of a model, I mean.)

Well, if it’s an Altar Guild or Altar Society, then yes they will view it that way. But those groups dedicate a few hours each week or several hours each month to learning the Liturgy.

These are groups that march out with candle sticks during the consecration, escort lectors with candle sticks, etc.

When you have 10+ Altar Servers serving at one mass (instead of 1 to 3), then precision, organization & logistics become more important so each of them knows what they are supposed to do for that Mass.

 

[CatholicSooner]

I wouldn’t hate seeing that. I bet it doesn’t bother the priest…atleast I don’t think it should. Just another thing to count as a sacrifice.

I view the main objective of alter servers as preparing them for their vocation. A side but more practical byproduct is actually helping the priest.

Therefore, I don’t see an issue of an adult serving at mass however I think the priority should be young boys/men if available.

I’d also prioriize the adults too. I’d prioritize single men that still may have a vocation to the priesthood over married men.

 

[PetraG]

Well, if it’s an Altar Guild or Altar Society, then yes they will view it that way. But those groups dedicate a few hours each week or several hours each month to learning the Liturgy.

These are groups that march out with candle sticks during the consecration, escort lectors with candle sticks, etc.

When you have 10+ Altar Servers serving at one mass (instead of 1 to 3), then precision, organization & logistics become more important so each of them knows what they are supposed to do for that Mass.

This may be the difference, since at the parishes I know the Altar Society takes care of the cleaning and the decorating of the church, care for the linens and vestments and so on, while the priest takes care of training servers or those who train the servers himself, as well as training the lectors and the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. That eliminates a layer of communication.

Ten altar servers? Who on earth has ten altar servers at a Mass on a regular basis? Do you have a video link, because I’m curious how that works at a Mass during Ordinary Time. Even so, it is hard to imagine that the altar servers don’t have recurring roles that hardly require anything like hours a week of rehearsal on an ongoing basis. (Special Masses, such as for Triduum or when the archbishop will be at Mass, are another matter and yes, those rehearsals take a good deal of time.)

Are these super-young altar servers? It may be that the parishes I’m thinking of don’t need as much time because they have servers who are mostly middle school and many in high school. You don’t need nearly as much practice if you have high school students with 4-5 years under their belts there to direct traffic and to do the more intricate maneuvers.

 

[BartholomewB]

Yes, but those are all merely practical considerations. None of them means that the Church considers the Mass is more properly celebrated with altar boys rather than with adult men as servers, which is the question the OP is asking.

Another practical consideration, back in the days, was that schools – particularly if they were Catholic schools – might more readily consent to a boy arriving a few minutes late for class every day, than a factory would consent to the boy’s father arriving a few minutes late for work every day.

 

[YourNameHere]

As I said in my original post, I just want to make sure that the Priest gains assistance at Mass.
I don’t care who serves as an Altar Server.

 

[JohnLilburne]

BarrtholomewB wrote: “Until now I had never even heard it suggested that there was any preference for adults over minors or vice versa. Is there anything in the GIRM about it, or in any other official Church document?”

As I posted above in Post 26,

" According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

“ The Ministry of the Instituted Acolyte and Lector

98 The acolyte is instituted for service at the altar and to assist the Priest and Deacon. …

100 In the absence of an instituted acolyte, there may be deputed lay ministers to serve at the altar and assist the Priest and the Deacon; ….”

Only adult men can become instituted acolytes."

So if there are seven altar servers required and seven instituted acolytes present, then zero females and zero children are to be used.

Another document about Instituted Acolytes is the 1972 Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam. Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 28 has: “But in celebrations presided over by the bishop it is fitting that all such ministerial functions be carried out by formally instituted acolytes”. To put this in another way, if a bishop is presiding at Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours (or any other liturgical ceremony) there should not be female or children altar servers.

[Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Excerpt from the English translation of Ceremonial of Bishops © 1989 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]