Altar Boy Clothes/outfit

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Our altar servers (boys and girls, but mostly boys) wear a white alb with a rope cincture (color depending on liturgical season). An average Mass will have anywhere from 12 to 20 servers, but we had 68 of them for one of the Holy Week Masses.

Incidentally, our altar servers continue in this role into young adulthood (all young men, from what I’ve seen; no gals there). They help instruct the younger ones.
 
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mommy:
Yep, this is what the 6+ boys serving at our masses look like 🙂
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…they look sharp, (same way we dressed in the pre-vatican II days)… i’m biased i suppose, but i just think it adds to a more reverential mood…

Peace:thumbsup:
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
Our altar servers (boys and girls, but mostly boys) wear a white alb with a rope cincture (color depending on liturgical season). An average Mass will have anywhere from 12 to 20 servers, but we had 68 of them for one of the Holy Week Masses.

Incidentally, our altar servers continue in this role into young adulthood (all young men, from what I’ve seen; no gals there). They help instruct the younger ones.
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First, let me gag over the kinky color-coded cinctues. (I can’t help it, I’m a card-carrying fuddy-duddy)

**Then let me applaud your amazing team! :clapping: **What is the secret of this enthusiam in an age-group that is usually running as far and fast away from the church as their little legs will take them? I am blown away!
 
mercygate said:
**Then let me applaud your amazing team! :clapping: **What is the secret of this enthusiam in an age-group that is usually running as far and fast away from the church as their little legs will take them? I am blown away!
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I credit our pastor. I didn’t live here then, but I understand that when he became pastor of this parish, the parish was struggling to stay alive. He totally turned it around, and it is now really thriving, a very active parish with lots of involvement by people of all ages. For example, our Knights of Columbus chapter has young men, too, not just the older gents!

Our pastor is still young, as priests go, and he manages to be orthodox without being the least bit time-warped fuddy duddy! 😉 He’s an excellent homilist, and isn’t afraid to tackle the topics that some priests like to avoid, yet manages to do so without sounding like the warmed-over 1950s – so he’s not turning off the younger folks. His attitude and gifts are “catching”, and infuse any other priests we happen to have in the parish at the time.

There’s quite a bit of inspiration from the Holy Spirit here – we are truly blessed. 🙂
 
Pariah Pirana:
NO!

A cotta is an Anglican-variant of the surplice. Typucally it’s LONGER than the surplices we are (were) used to seeing being worn by altar boys. The neck is also different – round versus square. The cotta has wide application within many parts of Protestantism, including the chorus.

Male altar servers can wear surplices of any length they wish. The longer versions (called “cathedral length” by some vendors) typically look far more formal and elegant.

And again, while it’s not written anywhere, it would be an abomination for a female altar server to wear a cassock and surplice.

Finally, and this might bother some of you, the Roman collar can quite correctly be worn by male altar servers during the Mass, just as they do in many parts of Europe – including the Vatican City.
It’s the stole and not the collar that is the mark of a cleric. Unfortunately many poorly catechised Catholics might become even more confused…
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Why is that? I don’t disagree, but I don’t understand why. The alter servettes at my parish do wear a cassock and surplice when they serve.
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
he manages to be **orthodox **without being the least bit time-warped fuddy duddy! 😉 He’s an excellent homilist, and isn’t afraid to tackle the topics that some priests like to avoid
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Works every time. Give 'em the real deal and they thrive on it. Feed 'em dribs and drabs of nice-nice nothingness, and they shrivel.
 
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mercygate:
Works every time. Give 'em the real deal and they thrive on it. Feed 'em dribs and drabs of nice-nice nothingness, and they shrivel.
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I guess all that warm-and-fuzzy only-tell-them-what-they-want-to-hear stuff is just empty calories; it doesn’t really feed the soul, does it? 🙂
 
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ByzCath:
Very poorly veiled attempted attack on the Church.

There are many, many adults who feel that it is beneath them to apologize to children, especially teachers. It has nothing to do with the Church, as the principal has apologized.
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Whoa, whoa, Byzcath. I’m NOT attacking the Church! I was commenting on the people who have failed to apologize to the children who were molested, either the molesters themselves or the ones who shifted the molesters about. I am able to distinguish between the Church in Her impeccability and her members who cannot claim that charism, so it was not any type of attack on the Church. I love the Church!

I don’t know where you stand on apologies to children by mentioning this, but you are right, there are people who think it beneath them to apologize to children. With respect, they are wrong. To not be able to admit wrong runs against the teachings of the Church. And it has to do with the Church. I, in my actions, represent my school district and should I engage in misconduct against a child, my district is liable. This teacher represents, at the very least, the local parish, and it behooves her to make an effort at peace and reconcilliation with the child.

I quite respect your opinions and posts. I’m sorry if I’ve mistakenly given you cause to take me to task, but if you haven’t misunderstood what you thought was my intent and would have posted as you did anyway, then I must respectfully disagree with you. OP, sorry for the thread hijack.
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
Our altar servers (boys and girls, but mostly boys) wear a white alb with a rope cincture (color depending on liturgical season). An average Mass will have anywhere from 12 to 20 servers, but we had 68 of them for one of the Holy Week Masses.

Incidentally, our altar servers continue in this role into young adulthood (all young men, from what I’ve seen; no gals there). They help instruct the younger ones.
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That’s a horrible liturgical abuse. Altar servers are there to serve, not to put on a show. 68? You gotta be kidding. Even 20 sounds deeply abusive. Even 12 unless you have a giant church.

This is precisely the sort of thing the hardcore abusers would refer to if an excessive number of EMsHC were ever questioned…
 
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amasimp:
Why is that? I don’t disagree, but I don’t understand why. The alter servettes at my parish do wear a cassock and surplice when they serve.
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The cassock is a non-liturgical garment, typically worn by priests and sometimes deacons and seminarians. The surplice is a liturgical garment, typically worn by priests and sometimes deacons and seminarians. Neither are typically worn by the laity, unlike the alb.

However, the surplice and cassock have long been on loan to altar boys. It’s through that tradition that they are still acceptable today for males – and unacceptable for females.
 
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mercygate:
Yeah. I meant even the girls! I used to be a choir mom when I was an Episcopalian. AKA DRILL sergeant!

On my vocational aptitude/achievement/interest tests I scored off-the-chart high (I mean REALLY high) for two professions: Roman Catholic Priest and Army Officer.

Bring on those dudettes! I’ll have them processing noiselessly in black pumps and socks, with perfect posture, in perfectly even lines, without wobbling or swaying, or winking at the congregation, or scratching themselves, without chewing gum, and they will bow and cross themselves at all the appropriate places – and they will LOVE it!
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Will you come to my parish???!
 
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SnorterLuster:
Around here, our altar boys always wore black cassocks. I remember seeing pictures of altar boys wearing red cassocks. Anyone know why the difference in colors?

The altar boys at my TLM chapel wear the traditional gear so I didn’t vote either way.
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Our parish has a majority population of people with Polish heritage. We have both red and white and black and white cassocks/surplices. The red and white are the colors of the Polish flag.
 
Detroit Sue:
Our parish has a majority population of people with Polish heritage. We have both red and white and black and white cassocks/surplices. The red and white are the colors of the Polish flag.
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Are you Polish?
My girls do Polish Dance.

Hey Sue, Do you know if (and I am about to butcher this spelling) “Our Lady of Czechtahova” is as traditionals as our churches?
I know their vernacular is Polish but how about their Holy Masses?
 
http://www.rocksmyfaceoff.net/forum/images/smiles/off_topic.gif
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JKirkLVNV:
Whoa, whoa, Byzcath. I’m NOT attacking the Church! I was commenting on the people who have failed to apologize to the children who were molested, either the molesters themselves or the ones who shifted the molesters about. I am able to distinguish between the Church in Her impeccability and her members who cannot claim that charism, so it was not any type of attack on the Church. I love the Church!

I don’t know where you stand on apologies to children by mentioning this, but you are right, there are people who think it beneath them to apologize to children. With respect, they are wrong. To not be able to admit wrong runs against the teachings of the Church. And it has to do with the Church. I, in my actions, represent my school district and should I engage in misconduct against a child, my district is liable. This teacher represents, at the very least, the local parish, and it behooves her to make an effort at peace and reconcilliation with the child.

I quite respect your opinions and posts. I’m sorry if I’ve mistakenly given you cause to take me to task, but if you haven’t misunderstood what you thought was my intent and would have posted as you did anyway, then I must respectfully disagree with you. OP, sorry for the thread hijack.
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I misunderstood what you were saying. I must tell you that I was not the only one to do so from the other pm’s I got after my reply.

I am glad that I was wrong though. Yes some adults have touble apologizing to children but I would say a hefty pay out seems to me to be an apology.

Now back to the topic at hand.
 
No problem, Byzcath. And yes, a hefty payout could well be considered an apology. I hope you’ll let your pms know I wasn’t jumping Holy Mother Church.
 
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ByzCath:
http://www.rocksmyfaceoff.net/forum/images/smiles/off_topic.gif

I misunderstood what you were saying. I must tell you that I was not the only one to do so from the other pm’s I got after my reply.

I am glad that I was wrong though. Yes some adults have touble apologizing to children but I would say a hefty pay out seems to me to be an apology.

Now back to the topic at hand.
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http://www.rocksmyfaceoff.net/forum/images/smiles/off_topic.gif Now I’m going to thank JKirk for his kind remarks to me regarding my thread that I referred him to… and for his clarification of his post…I too misunderstood it…:o
And, I’d like to say, I think you are a great Catholic, David.:tiphat:
 
While googling, I ran across the following. I think it was written by a Anglican visiting Catholic churches on the Continent.

CHAPTER XIII
COSTUMES FOR ALTAR SERVERS
Things seen in many Countries I MUST yield the palm to the Journalist’s Note Book in the Church Times of September 4th, 1936. Many and various as are my detailed notes on servers’ costumes all over Europe, I have never come upon the green and gold tippets and cassocks to which “Quiz” so directly calls my attention. The most delightful costume I have met was as far ago as 1903, in the charming old parish church at Lourdes, now, alas, vanished; where a small boy would have exactly represented Pope Julius II if only he had worn a beard! His dark red velvet skull-cap and tippet were bordered with white fur. I have seen nothing like this since. The common attire of red cassock and laced cotta is vulgar in comparison. They had the addition of red tippets at Cochem on January 24th, 1909, and at Strasbourg on May 5th, 1907, as well as scarlet zucchettos also at S. Germain-en-laye on April 21st, 1929, but scarlet birettas instead of zucchettos at Le Folgoat on September 8th, 1909, and Bordeaux on August 17th, 1921. At Brussels on January 30th, 1909, in S. Gudule, the tippets were replaced by scarlet hoods much like those of a Doctor of Divinity. At Thorn on the Vistula, on August 31st, 1913, the cassocks were of a dreadful cheap red cloth; sleeveless rochets of cotton fabric replaced the laced cottas, and the poor little boys all had their heads cropped so close they looked like shaven convicts.

(continued)
 
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