Altar Servers -- What type?

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Edwin1961:
In the Byzantine Catholic Church, an alter server is a male over the age of 6. Today, I just told my Pastor that I want to become an altar server. My Pastor thinks I can do the work because when he was in Minnesota, he had a visually impaired man as an altar server, who actually did quite well. I sure will appreciate any prayers for me.

go with God!
Edwin
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About a dozen Eastern Catholic Churches fall under the Byzantine Rite. Which Church do you belong to? (I belong to the Ruthenian Catholic Church.)

I’m curious where it says that only males can be altar servers in your Church…
 
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Crusader:
A.) It’s too bad some dads don’t make the effort to form a true alter boy corps like the “knights of the altar” that were once so popular. Takes commitment though, and it also ruins the #1 excuse for altar girls.
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Sort of like the Boy Scouts, right? How would that prove that boys make better altar servers than girls? Why not institute more rigorous training for both sexes? This was tried at my parish but they have such a hard time getting servers for all the Masses anyway, that recruitment fell 70% after they required more thorough training.
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Crusader:
Most of the altar girls I know of have hardcore sexist/feminista mothers who are wanna-be priests.
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Then you obviously live in a very sheltered, confined world. You need to get out more. I have never met a Catholic mother who was “sexist/feminista” as you describe. The most “sexist” thing a mother I know did was sue her employer after he fired her for being a “broad.”

I have nieces and nephews who are altar servers and my sister and brother did not push them into it. In fact, my sister tried to keep her kids out of altar serving - mostly for the time requirement.
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Crusader:
C.) All slots should go to males who might just possibly be fostering a priestly vocation.
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My sixteen year old niece is seriously investigating a religious vocation as a result of her time as an altar server. There is no other role in the Church that can foster religious vocations in young women than altar servers.
 
Here is something for y’all to chew on! I was asked by our Pastor to be an altar server/eucharistic minister when I was 45 years old, and I am a woman. Our parish is constantly in need of new servers as it is a very large parish with several Masses offered each day. Most of the young boys and girls simply do not want to serve, even when they are offered the chance. Most of the adults don’t want to serve either. So for a long time we had more women serving at Mass than boys or men, because the boys and men simply did not want to serve. There were constant ads asking for servers in our bulletin, for years! This is a Dominican parish with up to ten resident priests living there at any given time. I served on and off for two years until I moved out of that area. It was a great honor and I did the best job I could for Our Lord. And that is who it was for: Our Lord. And our priests were deeply grateful to all of us who served. They were just so glad we were willing, man or woman.
 
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NightRider:
Here is something for y’all to chew on! I was asked by our Pastor to be an altar server/eucharistic minister when I was 45 years old, and I am a woman. Our parish is constantly in need of new servers as it is a very large parish with several Masses offered each day. Most of the young boys and girls simply do not want to serve, even when they are offered the chance. Most of the adults don’t want to serve either. So for a long time we had more women serving at Mass than boys or men, because the boys and men simply did not want to serve. There were constant ads asking for servers in our bulletin, for years! This is a Dominican parish with up to ten resident priests living there at any given time. I served on and off for two years until I moved out of that area. It was a great honor and I did the best job I could for Our Lord. And that is who it was for: Our Lord. And our priests were deeply grateful to all of us who served. They were just so glad we were willing, man or woman.
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Rather than list excuses for not having a corps of altar servers, why not do something about it?

Instead of the passive ads in the bulletin, why not recruit boys from the nearest Catholic school. I know there’s not one closeby, right? Recuit the boys directly out of CCD. Once you build enough espirit de corps, you’ll get enough volunteers.

The best story I ever heard was the new pastor who was dismayed at a situation similar to the one you describe. He talked to the physical education instructor at the nearest Catholic middle school. He addressed the 8th grade boys and told them it was their duty to serve. He then followed-up with letters and calls to the parents of the most promising young men.

He created a group called the “Knights of the Altar.” They actually got together outside of Mass for various activities. After a while there was a waiting list to get into this “fraternity.”

Thank goodness this priest did not give-up when faced with a “difficult” situation.
 
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Crusader:
Rather than list excuses for not having a corps of altar servers, why not do something about it?
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NightRider’s parish did try to recruit. The use of the word “excuses” is prejudicial rhetoric. The Catholic Church also allows girls and women to act as altar servers. It may not be preferential, but it is allowed. We all must acknowledge that the Church has the authority in such matters.
 
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pnewton:
NightRider’s parish did try to recruit. The use of the word “excuses” is prejudicial rhetoric. The Catholic Church also allows girls and women to act as altar servers. It may not be preferential, but it is allowed. We all must acknowledge that the Church has the authority in such matters.
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ahem,

Inaestimable Donum
Altae Sunt

Women serving is always an abuse.
 
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Agomemnon:
ahem,

Women serving is always an abuse.
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Then why does the church allow girls as altar servers, are is this your personal agenda?

The following guidelines were prepared by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy and presented to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops for discussion at the June 1994 Special Assembly on Thursday, June 16, 1994. The suggested guidelines may be used as a basis for developing diocesan guidelines.


  1. *]Although institution into the ministry of acolyte is reserved to lay men, the diocesan bishop may permit the liturgical functions of the instituted acolyte to be carried out by altar servers, men and women, boys and girls. Such persons may carry out all the functions listed in no. 100 and nos. 189-193 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

    The determination that women and girls may function as servers in the liturgy should be made by the bishop on the diocesan level so that there might be a uniform diocesan policy.
 
Also let me quote from Redemptionis Sacramentum,

" Girls or women may also be admitted to this service of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop and in observance of the established norms.[122]"

Not that boys are not to be prefered or anyone may have a personal opinion that girls should not serve. I think it is important to clarify that the postition of Rome is not that boys alone should be altar servers.
 
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pnewton:
NightRider’s parish did try to recruit. The use of the word “excuses” is prejudicial rhetoric. The Catholic Church also allows girls and women to act as altar servers. It may not be preferential, but it is allowed. We all must acknowledge that the Church has the authority in such matters.
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They didn’t try to recuit. They ran an ad. Just more excuses, but I’ll bet she’s secretly THRILLED to be a server once more.
 
I do have to wonder if one day the Catholic Church will one day say “no” once more to female altar servers?
 
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Crusader:
I do have to wonder if one day the Catholic Church will one day say “no” once more to female altar servers?
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Pope John Paul II has only changed canon law once since it was promulgated in 1983, so don’t hold your breath.

The best that you can realistically hope for is that more individual bishops and priests will decide not to allow altar girls.
 
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pnewton:
The determination that women and girls may function as servers in the liturgy should be made by the bishop on the diocesan level so that there might be a uniform diocesan policy.
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This was changed by a July 27, 2001 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to allow parish priests to decide not to use altar girls even when diocesan policy is to allow altar girls.
 
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Catholic2003:
Pope John Paul II has only changed canon law once since it was promulgated in 1983, so don’t hold your breath.

The best that you can realistically hope for is that more individual bishops and priests will decide not to allow altar girls.
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Allowing or disallowing female altar servers is not a matter of “canon law.”
 
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Crusader:
Allowing or disallowing female altar servers is not a matter of “canon law.”
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Female altar servers were allowed by the new 1983 canon law, specifically canon 230 §2, which removed the “male only” requirement that was present in the 1917 canon law.
 
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Crusader:
They didn’t try to recuit. They ran an ad. Just more excuses, but I’ll bet she’s secretly THRILLED to be a server once more.
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Excuse me, Crusader, but our pastor *did *try to recruit. He went to families of the parish all the time. He *did *ask all over the place, nearby Catholic schools included. I didn’t think I needed to defend his efforts on this forum, but perhaps I should have. He did everything he could, along with all the other responsibilities he had to attend to. And as for me, Crusader, I was *not *secretly thrilled to be a server. I was actually mortified, because I find it very difficult personally to serve at Mass. I would much rather just be in the pews, which is what I do now. But I must allow that I was very honored to be asked to serve and I fulfilled my obligation with solemnity, even though I was scared stiff. Scared stiff of mean-spirited people who believe women have no place at the altar; people like you.
 
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NightRider:
Ahem. That statement is misogynistic.
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I realize the Church is allowing some leeway on such issues at this time to which I will of course submit but I honestly don’t believe it is the right course of action based upon my study of scripture, tradition and practical experience. I fail to see how such a belief makes me a “misogynist” or “mean spirited.” Far from being a misogynist, I love my wife, my daughters and of course our Blessed Mother Mary. If only Adam had shown the full devotion to his bride and led when he should have.

It’s okay to have differences of opinion, but resorting to name calling doesn’t solve much. Don’t you think so?
 
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Stu:
I realize the Church is allowing some leeway on such issues at this time to which I will of course submit but I honestly don’t believe it is the right course of action based upon my study of scripture, tradition and practical experience.
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I disagree with you, but I respect your right to this opinion. I believe that one can think that allowing female altar servers is unwise, or imprudent, and still be a faithful Catholic.

However, to call female altar servers an abuse, or an abomination, or a desecration of the sanctuary, is to dissent from authentic Church teachings. And calling someone’s licit and generous service to the Church “an abuse” merely because that person is female is at the very least sexual discrimination, and in fact it does meet the definition of misogyny given here.
 
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Catholic2003:
I disagree with you, but I respect your right to this opinion. I believe that one can think that allowing female altar servers is unwise, or imprudent, and still be a faithful Catholic.

However, to call female altar servers an abuse, or an abomination, or a desecration of the sanctuary, is to dissent from authentic Church teachings. And calling someone’s licit and generous service to the Church “an abuse” merely because that person is female is at the very least sexual discrimination, and in fact it does meet the definition of misogyny given here.
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Code: 
I believe that one can think that allowing female altar servers is wise, or prudent, and still be a faithful Catholic.
I’m not going to entertain the misogyny bit. I think continuing to use the term in this context is patently absurd. Women on the altar is an abuse in practice because the overall intent is to use only males on the altar which is why only duly instituted Acolytes and Lectors are to be males. (Similar to the overuse of Extraordinary Ministers. Authorized but abused in practice.) Females in such capacity are to be utilized when enough males cannot be found due to extenuating circumstances not because the more likely reason of the male population abdicating its responsibility which I admit is all too often (thus my reference to Adam as old habits die hard). But if the men are lackluster in their support, I just don’t think the response should be the easy way out which is to rely on the women. Instead, we should compel the men and boys to do their part. And when women do serve, their service is valued and should be commended. I just think we can do better and meet the intent of the Church. As I said before, there are plenty of other activities/responsibilities that women can take part in that have considerable impact. Men and women have different gifts, I think we should recognize that and celebrate how we complement each other. Afterall, I don’t use a hammer to drive a screw.
 
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NightRider:
Excuse me, Crusader, but our pastor *did *try to recruit. He went to families of the parish all the time. He *did *ask all over the place, nearby Catholic schools included. I didn’t think I needed to defend his efforts on this forum, but perhaps I should have. He did everything he could, along with all the other responsibilities he had to attend to. And as for me, Crusader, I was *not *secretly thrilled to be a server. I was actually mortified, because I find it very difficult personally to serve at Mass. I would much rather just be in the pews, which is what I do now. But I must allow that I was very honored to be asked to serve and I fulfilled my obligation with solemnity, even though I was scared stiff. Scared stiff of mean-spirited people who believe women have no place at the altar; people like you.
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You may judge all you want but it’s always preferable to have those males that might just be possibly fostering a priestly vocation serving at the altar. Always.

And outside of an isolated convent or woman’s prison it’s always possible to build a team of male altar servers. Always. It may indeed take a lot of work and ingenuity, bit it certainly is possible.
 
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