Altar server leading & training

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Bbigam

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Our Parochial Vicar just asked me to take charge of the altar servers in our parish. I’m going to be meeting with him before I take charge of anything to make sure I know what all to do, and we do have a small booklet as a guide (somewhere, apparently, I haven’t seen it yet).

I just wanted to know of any advice or resources you might want to refer me to - free and online would be ideal!

For the most part, we use altar servers from First Communion through high school, and they wear albs with cinctures. We only have the Ordinary Form, but in a pretty traditional way - we have a High Altar with (veiled) tabernacle (but Mass is celebrated at the freestanding altar in front of that), and we do use chalice veil, burse, Communion patens, and Sanctus bells, and some of the ciboria have veils too. We take as many servers as are willing to serve - at our Sunday choir Mass, sometimes we have as many as 11-12 servers. We do not usually process with the candles, just the crucifix, and we only use incense on occasion (though, if it were up to me, we’d have it every Sunday and Solemnity!). We do have a deacon, and we use EMHCs only minimally.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
can’t find any books, but I am starting to find some youtube videos. If it was the EF you wanted to I have a wonderful book on that
 
Bbigam said:
sometimes we have as many as 11-12 servers.
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11 to 12 servers? At one Mass or is this the total number of servers you have to serve the various Sunday Masses at your parish?
 
ByzCath said:
11 to 12 servers? At one Mass or is this the total number of servers you have to serve the various Sunday Masses at your parish?
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This is also about how many we have at the “big Mass” for my parish on every Sunday (which happens to be a cathedral). Also a “come when you can” serving program. We probably have about 20-25 servers who regulatory serve for that mass, and we have 10-12 most Sundays (unless the Bishop is there, then we have a few more, and end up pushing 15-16).

We have a couple good MCs (including myself, if you didn’t figure it out by looking at my username), and we assign “jobs” based on who is there. We also use incense, 6 torches, black cassocks, and surplices every Sunday! It is truly wonderful!
 
ByzCath said:
11 to 12 servers? At one Mass or is this the total number of servers you have to serve the various Sunday Masses at your parish?
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We’ll sometimes have 11-12 at once at a particular Sunday Mass - the 10 am Choir Mass. I should note that his isn’t a huge parish - the nave seats maybe 200. The other two weekend Masses have fewer altar servers, because most of the families attend the 10 am Mass. We do have a schedule, but we also take whoever shows up and wants to serve. At daily Masses we have a couple of adults (men) who will serve and generally don’t vest; if a kid is around to serve at daily Mass, he will vest.

I wish we used torches, cassocks and surplices, and more incense, but we don’t, at this point anyway.
 
melchesidechpio said:
can’t find any books, but I am starting to find some youtube videos. If it was the EF you wanted to I have a wonderful book on that
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I wouldn’t mind at all looking at EF resources for inspiration and guidance on matters left vague in the OF!
 
I thought the candles were required as long as there were people available to carry them? In the GIRM it states that the candles should be next to the cross in processsion to the altar?
 
Bbigam said:
We’ll sometimes have 11-12 at once at a particular Sunday Mass - the 10 am Choir Mass. I should note that his isn’t a huge parish - the nave seats maybe 200. The other two weekend Masses have fewer altar servers, because most of the families attend the 10 am Mass. We do have a schedule, but we also take whoever shows up and wants to serve. At daily Masses we have a couple of adults (men) who will serve and generally don’t vest; if a kid is around to serve at daily Mass, he will vest.

I wish we used torches, cassocks and surplices, and more incense, but we don’t, at this point anyway.
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So you have one server per seat in the nave? What possibly could 11 or 12 servers do at one Mass?

I have been to Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC and at most there were 4 to 6 servers. Even with a bishop and having two more servers to hold his miter and crozer would only make it 6 servers. I have seen a Mass with a bishop that had 4 servers.

So, again, what possibly could be the need for 11 to 12 servers?
 
Bbigam said:
I wouldn’t mind at all looking at EF resources for inspiration and guidance on matters left vague in the OF!
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There is a book out its called " How to serve the Low Mass and Benediction" it was originally produced in 1920 I believe.
 
ByzCath said:
So you have one server per seat in the nave? What possibly could 11 or 12 servers do at one Mass?

I have been to Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC and at most there were 4 to 6 servers. Even with a bishop and having two more servers to hold his miter and crozer would only make it 6 servers. I have seen a Mass with a bishop that had 4 servers.

So, again, what possibly could be the need for 11 to 12 servers?
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Well, there’s no need for 11-12 servers. If we had crucifer, 2 main servers, and thurifer that would be 4 and we’d be set. But it can add solemnity to the Mass to have more than that, and we can find things for more to do, like ring the bells and hold the patens. I want to help make sure that all the altar servers are being reverent in the sanctuary the whole time. Our priests like to encourage kids to serve, whether needed or not. But as I train people, I do intend to let them know that they are not needed if they aren’t interested in being reverent and attentive.
 
We are using 5 to 6 servers tonight at our midnight Mass (OF). I’ll post here tomorrow and let you know how they were used. Our parish sanctuary is pretty small. Not at all like our EF parish in Seattle. The servers have new cassocks and surplices. The old white “bathrobes” have been done away with. 👍 I couldn’t get the processional torches refurbished in time so they are using candlesticks.

The present plan is to use a thurifer, Crucifix bearer, four torch bearers, lector and priest in procession.
 
archangel04 said:
I thought the candles were required as long as there were people available to carry them? In the GIRM it states that the candles should be next to the cross in processsion to the altar?
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Anyone have a source for this? I’ve never heard that but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

I do need to sit down and read through the GIRM sometime.
 
While the Dominican Rite Mass is not exactly the same as the Roman Mass, the server manual is very good. Friar Augustine has a blog, with many Dominican Rite resources, including the server manual, available in PDF.

I recommend it highly; it was used at Holy Family Cathedral for both Roman and Dominican Rites.

dominican-liturgy.blogspot.com/
 
ByzCath said:
So you have one server per seat in the nave? What possibly could 11 or 12 servers do at one Mass?

I have been to Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in DC and at most there were 4 to 6 servers. Even with a bishop and having two more servers to hold his miter and crozer would only make it 6 servers. I have seen a Mass with a bishop that had 4 servers.

So, again, what possibly could be the need for 11 to 12 servers?
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There may not be a need for 11-12 servers, but it does rightfully increase the solemnity of the mass, which is particularly fitting in my case as the bishop is often here. Our “minimum” number where we can still do everything is 10 (12 for a bishop)

Thurfur and Boat
Crucifer
(optional: 2 “main” servers)
6 Candle Bearers
MC to handle servers (and handle mitre/crosier, if bishop is present)
If Bishop is present:
Mitre Bearer
Crosier Bearer
 
Bbigam said:
Anyone have a source for this? I’ve never heard that but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

I do need to sit down and read through the GIRM sometime.
Click to expand...
Hey sorry for the late responce and here is the source from the GIRM
C. THE DUTIES OF THE ACOLYTE
  1. The duties that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and several may coincide. Hence, it is desirable that these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, however, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several ministers.
The Introductory Rites
  1. In the procession to the altar, the acolyte may carry the cross, walking between two ministers with lighted candles. Upon reaching the altar, the acolyte places the cross upright near the altar so that it may serve as the altar cross; otherwise, he puts it in a worthy place. Then he takes his place in the sanctuary.
This section continues to 193.

The index of the GIRM lists the following paragraphs as including “acolyte”: 98, 100, 116, 120, 139, 140, 162, 178, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 247, 249, 279, 284, 339.
romanrite.com/girm.html

Notice it says may carry the cross, but it seems to imply that if the cross is to be used then it should be accompanied by two candles.
 
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