Altar servers

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Out of curiosity, what is the average number of altar servers at your church? When I was an altar server about 4 years ago there were around 20 per Mass (At one time we had a total of around 140). There has been a significant decline in recent years but there is usually between 8 and 10 at main Sunday Masses.

God Bless

Peter
 
One server is about the average.

I attended one mass recently where they have started to have adult servers and they had two.
 
In our church we have one altar server to carry the cross, one to hold the book for the priest and one to assist at the altar. Is that what you are asking? In which case, we have three.
 
Ah OK so its the norm to have only a few servers then? One server should be doing the work on the altar whereas at mine they split it up between a large number. Is this acceptable?
 
deb1 said:
In our church we have one altar server to carry the cross, one to hold the book for the priest and one to assist at the altar. Is that what you are asking? In which case, we have three.
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Same thing at our parish. For solemnities, we have two more servers to handle the incense duties. We have approximately 100 servers total in the parish which we are blessed since we have a smaller parish, 900 or so families.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a mass with 20 or more servers. What it the world do they do?
 
We usually have 2 at daily Mass and 4 to 6 at a Sunday Mass. On special dates like Christmas when there are more duties (incense, etc.) there may be 6 to 8. I have never seen more than that at a single Mass. I know we just trained 13 new servers and I believe we have 95-100 servers total in the parish.
 
rstegeman said:
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a mass with 20 or more servers. What it the world do they do?
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They had an long entrance procession with torch and candle bearers, eventually they had to start allocating which Masses people would attend, it was getting to the point some of the servers had to sit in the pews.
 
LDNCatholic said:
Out of curiosity, what is the average number of altar servers at your church? When I was an altar server about 4 years ago there were around 20 per Mass (At one time we had a total of around 140). There has been a significant decline in recent years but there is usually between 8 and 10 at main Sunday Masses.
God Bless
Peter
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20, WOW!!! At Sunday mass in my church we have the priest as well as three servers. The priest and another server give communion and one or two servers offer the wine to those who might wish to partake. All of the servers have altar boys or girls assisting them. And yes, one of our servers is a woman.

We also have women who give the readings as well as carry the host and wine up to the altar.

This is a bit odd for me since I was raised in a Catholic Church and school that was rather Traditional and my past locale was a bit traditional as well with only men serving and altar boys assisting.

This past Sunday was actually the first time I was given the host by a woman. I usually prefer the priest but his side of the altar was backed up too far and I was directed to the other side where the woman was serving.

Is this what you were asking?

Lynn-D
 
We have about 16 on the list in our parish. Only 2 are willing to serve at the 8:30 Mass on Sunday mornings, so they alternate weeks. I’m trying to put a few others in there so that those 2 don’t burn out.

At the 2 other weekend Masses, we have 2 or 3 servers per Mass. They serve about every third week, on average.

We were supposed to have 4 at the Easter Vigil, but one of them backed out at the last minute due to respiratory issues and the incense.
 
Wow, thats a lot of servers! My church hasn’t had any at all since I quit, and when I served I was the only one who did. There used to be another boy and girl before that though…I think the most we’ve ever had is about 5 or 6.
 
1 Adult at the 6:30 AM Daily Mass
2 Students at the 9:00 AM Daily Mass
3 Students at Sunday Masses
Holy Days/Special Parish Events- It really depends. The gentleman in charge of the servers has been known to schedule quite a few- Cross, Book, Thurifer, Server, various Torch Holders, EM, and on Confirmation those servers who assist the Bishop.
Since the crew is only about 45 students, you can imagine, they are very dedicated to this ministry.
 
My parish does not have a set schedule for servers but usually it goes like this:
Saturday 4:00 PM - 1 Server
Saturday 5:30 PM - 0 Servers
Sunday 9:00 AM - 1 or 2 Servers
Sunday 10:30 AM -2 Servers
Sunday 12:00 PM - 2 or 3 Servers

In total there are about 9 or 10 servers
On Solemnities and Feasts we have a Thurifier, Crucifer, 2 Candle Bearers, Book Bearer, and MC (I usually MC, unless there is an extra priest that is not concelebrating)
 
We have about 200 servers in the parish. Usually we have at least 10 of them serving during Mass. I think a lot has to do with the training program, the orthodoxy of the parish, and how much the pastor pushes them around. They like when Father bosses them around or gives them “the look” when they mess up.
 
We’re lucky if we have one. I think in the last couple of months I’ve only seen an altar server once. Usually an adult will note that there are no servers and go up to prepare the altar and assist the priest until after the washing of the hands. One woman makes a point of carrying in the cross if there are no servers present.
 
Lovemyfaith said:
1 Adult at the 6:30 AM Daily Mass
2 Students at the 9:00 AM Daily Mass
3 Students at Sunday Masses
Holy Days/Special Parish Events- It really depends. The gentleman in charge of the servers has been known to schedule quite a few- Cross, Book, Thurifer, Server, various Torch Holders, EM, and on Confirmation those servers who assist the Bishop.
Since the crew is only about 45 students, you can imagine, they are very dedicated to this ministry.
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Sorry, I meant MC, not EM. Not to worry, our quite Ordinary Ministers have not crossed over to perform more than one ministry per Mass.
 
LDNCatholic said:
Out of curiosity, what is the average number of altar servers at your church? When I was an altar server about 4 years ago there were around 20 per Mass (At one time we had a total of around 140). There has been a significant decline in recent years but there is usually between 8 and 10 at main Sunday Masses.
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For our weekend Masses, we normally have two, but any server that happens to show up and wants to serve is NEVER denied the opportunity. Right now, we have been getting more servers at our Polish Mass on Sundays, sometimes 3 or 4! I personally love to serve Polish Mass…gives me a chance to learn Polish!
 
I am not sure how many servers they have for the OF of the Mass, but I do know for the EF at my parish. I am in charge of the servers for the EF, and besides myself, four boys are fully trained. There are also three boys in training. I also make the schedule.
I have had to single serve only 2 or 3 times. We have at least the two main servers at each Mass. Often, at least one of the boys in training will vest and serve also. He might ring the bells or go with Fr. at communion with the paten. On the Sundays I am not one of the main servers, I vest and am in the sanctuary.
Of course at the EF we use just males, but I know they use both boys and girls at the OF.
 
rstegeman said:
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a mass with 20 or more servers. What it the world do they do?
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We have about 250 servers in our parish ( of about 1000 families)

Every boy, from age 5 to age 18-19 is personally invited to be an altar server by our pastor. Needless to say, most join.

We have about 60 at our main Sunday Masses, only about 10 or so for the Saturday Vigil.

We have a long procession with the altar boys (they are all boys), carrying swing torches. Then different boys would perform different tasks. Some will hold candels by the pulpit when the Deacon reads the Gospel, others will assist Father in recieving the offetory, others will ring the bells at the correct times, still others will hold patens at Communion time.

The older, senior altar boys will act as EmmCee’s, placing and removing the pall over the chalice at the correct times, and turing the pages of the Sacramentary for Father at the correct times. ( and watching over the younger kids, making sure they are in the correct places doing the correct things.
 
We have 3, sometimes 4. I can’t imagine what 20 would do. When I was a server we tried to have three, but often had two. Even with three the oldest usually just carries the crucifix in procession and supervises the younger ones in the other duties.

I don’t know how many we have total, but probably no more than 30 or so. But we only have (guessing here) 150 or 200 families.
 
Usually two, sometimes one (if someone forgets), as high as four in Holy Week and Christmas.
 
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