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Crusader
Guest
Simply because all slots for altar servers should be going to boys. All of them. That and the fact that no women will ever serve in the Sanctuary during the Mass except as an altar server or reader.
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C
Crusader
Guest
What?!?!?!
You don’t like multi-colored tennis shoes that light-up as kids walk in them?
How about 4" stilettos on little girls?
You don’t like the shorts that end mid-calf exposing a tatoo or two?
How about ultra-baggy pants that fall down altogether during mass?
How about the “cell phone dig” that takes place when a phone goes off and one of the kids has to dig through their alb to answer it?
How about the little waves and smiles during the Mass to friends and classmates?
Or the "special scarf worn like a priest’s stole over little girl’s albs in some cases?
What about the deer-in-the-headlights look when the celebrant is looking for the sacramentary (the job of the server) that’s still sitting in the sanctuary?
Seems are though you are not “progressive” enough!
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hydrochief
Guest
Alright y’all, what’s the deal here? Seems most everyone is against girls being Altar Servers. Why is that? And please try to educate - not just go off…
I had opportunity to train Altar Servers a while back. In the Military ArchDiocese girls are quite accepted; and if I’m not mistaken that is in keeping with Vatican II…
As a matter of fact (and IMO), getting children to serve IS the point (not just trying to get them into religious vocations - let God do that)! How are we going to teach todays children to be leaders in tomorrows Church if we aren’t getting them involved now?
For that matter, how are we going to keep them in the Church if we say ‘no, you can’t do that because you aren’t a boy’? (this is NOT me making a case for women Priests)
Now, if there’s something in writing from the Church, then please fill me in. Otherwise, I’m looking for some edification as to why most everyone is against girls serving…
I had opportunity to train Altar Servers a while back. In the Military ArchDiocese girls are quite accepted; and if I’m not mistaken that is in keeping with Vatican II…
As a matter of fact (and IMO), getting children to serve IS the point (not just trying to get them into religious vocations - let God do that)! How are we going to teach todays children to be leaders in tomorrows Church if we aren’t getting them involved now?
For that matter, how are we going to keep them in the Church if we say ‘no, you can’t do that because you aren’t a boy’? (this is NOT me making a case for women Priests)
Now, if there’s something in writing from the Church, then please fill me in. Otherwise, I’m looking for some edification as to why most everyone is against girls serving…
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Catholic2003
Guest
Misogyny. A desire to perpetuate a tradition of misogyny.
Anger against feminism combined with an inability to stop it in society at large, resulting in an attempt to keep the Church as the last sanctuary for female discrimination.
A deep-seated personal agenda that leads them to read Vatican calls for “promoting altar boys” as calls for “prohibiting altar girls”.
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Irish_Catholic
Guest
I’m an altar server (girl) (don’t stone me!!!)… and I’ve been serving for a few years now. After reading threads like this though, I’m seriously considering “retiring.” I desire to be in accord with EVERYTHING the Church teaches, but it seems that by serving, I’m “outta line” …in another thread (http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=11695) people were quoting all sorts of Church documents on why girls shouldn’t be altar servers. I had always felt that by serving I was helping, not hindering… So, I’m just kind of confused now. Our parish (which I had previously considered to be orthodox) allows both male and female altar servers between the ages of 8-18…is this wrong?
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Audrey
Guest
I kind of like the idea of including girls as alter servers. I was away from the Church for 17 years - imagine my surprise after I reconciled with the church and saw female alter servers. I think promoting vocations is a worthy goal of alter servers, be it priestly vocations for boys or religious vocations for girls. The most important things to me are that they are attentive and participate and that they are well groomed.
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Crusader
Guest
No one is questioning if females can be altar servers. The Church most certainly does allow females to be altar servers and I recognize and follow that.
That said, my strong preference is for male altar servers who might just possibly be fostering a priestly vocation. Don’t have enough such boys/men in your parish? Then you need to work harder to identify them. God didn’t stop giving us priestly vocations. We stopped identifying and fostering them.
A good beginning might be to build some espirit de corps within your altar server group so young men won’t feel out of place in serving at the altar.
The argument that serving at the altar also fosters female religious vocations dosen’t ring true. Maybe young women could volunteer as tutors, in hospitals, soup kitchens, etc. if they want to help build their own possible vocations as sisters or nuns.
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Crusader
Guest
Irish Catholic:
My personal question to you is are you taking a slot of a young man who might just possibly have a priestly vocation? Few things foster priestly vocations better than serving at the altar.
If you’re not taking the slot of such a young man, then your parish needs to take steps to ensure such young men become altar servers…
As a female, you are most certainly allowed to serve at the altar. There is no question about that.
My personal question to you is are you taking a slot of a young man who might just possibly have a priestly vocation? Few things foster priestly vocations better than serving at the altar.
If you’re not taking the slot of such a young man, then your parish needs to take steps to ensure such young men become altar servers…
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Crusader
Guest
Audrey said:
I like the idea of using the experience of serving at the altar to foster possible priestly vocations…
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KathyT
Guest
My pet peeve about alter server is they are in front of everyone and yawn all thru Mass. They don’t even bother to try to cover their mouths.
As to the original question, I think males are the prefered norm and I think I read somewhere that females are only to be used if there is a necessity. Of course not too many parishes practice that, just as they use EM’s even if there are priests available. We have 3 priests and 2 deacons in our parish however only 1 priest per Mass distributes communion.
As to the original question, I think males are the prefered norm and I think I read somewhere that females are only to be used if there is a necessity. Of course not too many parishes practice that, just as they use EM’s even if there are priests available. We have 3 priests and 2 deacons in our parish however only 1 priest per Mass distributes communion.
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Crusader
Guest
It’s been my experience that words like “misogyny” are typically used by misandrists.
Further, the idea of “feminism” typically renders itself as sexism in daily life.
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Catholic2003
Guest
This is an “ecclesiastical legend” that was made up by people who feel that the truth takes second place behind doing whatever it takes to prevent females from serving at the altar. This putative rule has been used to intimidate altar girls and potential altar girls alike. Maybe I’m not using the word right, but this sure looks like misogyny to me.
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Crusader
Guest
Still, you would have a difficult time finding many “feminists” who would underscore the Vatican’s position that the tradition of young men serving as altar boys is a “noble custom” that’s to be preserved.
Like it or not, the ministry of altar servers is a hot button for most sexist/feminists – actually all misandrists.
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mjdonnelly
Guest
The biggest reason, I see, for the current population of girl altar servers is the laziness of young catholic boys. Different parishes I’ve talked to have said they are just unable to get enough male altar servers. When I went through catholic school it was almost a requirement to be an altar server. We thought there was something wrong with a boy if he wasn’t a server.
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Crusader
Guest
mjdonnelly said:
I don’t see it that way. Here is what I believe are the biggest reasons:
1.) Quite a few mothers push their daughters into being altar servers. I have seen altar server training sessions were some moms were acting as if their daughers were entered in a beauty paegent. Scary.
2.) Once the altar server ranks were infiltrated by females, young males have far less interest in serving.
3.) Apathy on the part of parents and clergy to build a strong altar boy program where espirit de corps would eventually attact all the young men needed for the ministry.
4.) Few nuns or sisters available these days to train and groom young males into being altar boys par excellence.
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Catholic2003
Guest
Actually, for feminists, female altar servers is a done deal. The hot button of today is ordaining female deacons.
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Crusader
Guest
How I wish that were the case. It would be wonderful if the sexist/feminists were focused on trying to become deacons because that’s certainly not going to happen.
There is a wonderful book that touches this subject. Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of Catholic Feminism by Donna Steichen. It’s printed by Ignatius and it’s a good read.
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JNB
Guest
The book isint closed on altar girls just yet, many of the clergy and those in chancery offices that have most heavily back female altar servers are getting close to retirement age. As for female deacons, that wont happen, and as for Catholic feminists themselves, like the liberal clergy and chancery officals, time is not on their side. I give it untill 2010 or so untill the progressives grip on power in many parishes and dicoese' finally gives way to a restoration movment.
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Stu
Guest
Bingo. Very similar to the fact that the United States Marine Corps never has a recruiting problem. They are and advertise as a male group and have plenty of young men ready to join. The same is true for altar boys.
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