Altar servers at communion service

[Catholic_Duck]

If say, a priest found himself too ill to say mass as he was stuck in bed, and thus a communion service was being held in its place, would the altar servers already vested for mass be able to assist in any way?
From my current point of view I see these two arguments.
Don’t want to confuse people about mass and communion services, having altar servers might do this.
Not be very nice to turn altar servers away who are all vested and ready to go.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

If say, a priest found himself too ill to say mass as he was stuck in bed, and thus a communion service was being held in its place, would the altar servers already vested for mass be able to assist in any way?
From my current point of view I see these two arguments.
Don’t want to confuse people about mass and communion services, having altar servers might do this.
Not be very nice to turn altar servers away who are all vested and ready to go.

It depends largely on who is officiating at the Communion service.

If it is a deacon, then he properly presides in the sanctuary and the altar servers would assist him as they would assist at any liturgical function at which he would preside.

In the absence of a deacon or an instituted acolyte, if it is lay people who lead the Communion service, the rite unfolds in a different manner and with the focus being more outside the sanctuary and so the role for altar servers will be significantly different; the various roles are to be divided among several lay leaders in such a fashion that there should not appear to be one lay person who predominates the Communion service, at least ideally.