Alter Boys

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Montie_Claunch

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I was attending a service one Saterday afternoon and I noticed that one of the alterboys was a rather large…Boy (?). He looked to be either extremely late teens or twenties. And I was wondering, What is the age limit for an alter boy? At some point they cease to be boys (as much as some mothers might hate to admit it). What all goes into the qualifations of an alter boy?
 
Too my knowledge, there is no standard age limit to be an altar boy… Though, I believe, one would be considered an acolyte after a certain age…

An acolyte is in charge of the objects used in worship and is the assistant at the Altar, basically a grown-up altar boy.

and my Parish has ‘Altar boys’ about the same age, but they are more so from the local seminary
 
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CatholicCid:
Too my knowledge, there is no standard age limit to be an altar boy… Though, I believe, one would be considered an acolyte after a certain age…

An acolyte is in charge of the objects used in worship and is the assistant at the Altar, basically a grown-up altar boy.

and my Parish has ‘Altar boys’ about the same age, but they are more so from the local seminary
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Acolytes are an instituted ministry. Most are priests on the way to ordination. Hardly any lay people.

Altar boys are called altar boys for as long as they serve. The Guinness Book 2000 listed someone who served for 81 years.
 
My late 60 something y/o Uncle served at my father’s funeral mass.
~ Kathy ~
 
At my parish, at the 11.15 mass, the altar boys dont look quite so much like altar boys, but rather altar men. One of them is atleast mid 40’s, I would’nt be suprised if he were in his 50’s.
 
We have some older men, senior age, that serve for the daily 8 am mass when the kids are in school. They just refer to them as “altar servers” instead of boys then. 🙂
 
My church also has many older men who serve funerals, etc.

It’s quite a sight to see on Holy Thursday when they all participate in the procession, dressed in Cassocks and surplices.

And although we do have girl servers, the adults are restricted to men only.
 
I too have seen older men serve. I think that the oldest may have been around 63.🙂
 
Our Altar boys range in age from 4 to about 60. Usually it is men serving the daily mass, as most of the kids are at school.
 
I do not think there are any age restrictions for being a altar boy.

My Dad still serves mass occassionally and he is 72.

The only restriction is they can be an altar boy once they have received communion.
 
The PC way to say this is now “Alter Servers”!!! I was the first Alter GIRL at our parish. Hooray. It was actually me and my brother and another girl and her brother.

Alter BOYS is so offensive! 😃 Merry Christmas!!! (j/k seriously, I don’t care, The preist even called us all Alter Boys)

With that said, we have a few older guys that serve every once in a while. Normally its the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from the school.
 
We have an altar server that is probably 70 years old. He used to serve at sat. nite Mass, (When we used to have one) all the time. I believe he retired now.
 
I serve every weekend. I will be 58 soon. I will always be an altar boy. In my parish, my wife and I are still considered kids. I volunteered because I did not feel that father should be on the altar alone when there were many men who could be assisting him. I have asked others if they would be interested and they pass on the opportunity. Parishoners and visitors sometimes comment that they appreciate hearing the bells rung 3 x at the consecration-something that they do not experience when attending other churches. It was the way that I was taught and that is the way that I do it. I also enjoy serving and look forward to it.
 
Usually we have 3 Alter servers 2 youth and one adult. SOmetimes its only Youth and often times its 2 men in their 60s. We do have one woman in her 40s serve as an altar (lady?) It doesn’t really matter which mass it is either. I know for a fact there is NO AGE LIMIT. I would guess the average age for Altar servers in mY church is around 35 years old.
 
Church documents certainly allow men to the be altar servers. Generally the preference seems to be for men, instituted acolytes, but also encouraging boys.

Only men can be instituted acolytes, not women. According to the Motu Proprio of 1972 “Ministeria Quaedam” by Pope Paul VI:

“7. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader and acolyte is reserved to men.” (From Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1982, pages 908-911).

And in 8b it requires: “a suitable age and special qualities to be determined by the conference of bishops;”.

So a country’s Conference of Bishops will determine the exact age, but there is an indication that it is for men, not boys.

In the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):

“100. In the absence of an instituted acolyte, lay ministers may be deputed to serve at the altar and assist the priest and the deacon; they may carry the cross, the candles, the thurible, the bread, the wine, and the water, and they may also be deputed to distribute Holy Communion as extraordinary ministers.”

This seems to be saying do not use altar boys if you have instituted acolytes.

But in the 2004 Instruction “Redemptionis Sacramentum” we are told:

“[47.] It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension.”

My opinion is that there should be clearer encouragement to use adult altar servers, rather than children.
 
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AJV:
Acolytes are an instituted ministry. Most are priests on the way to ordination. Hardly any lay people.
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We have one instituted Acolyte in the parish. He was training for the permenant diaconate and instituted in the 2nd year of formation. Then the archbishop dropped the diaconate program.

I serve when no server is available (50’s) and when a new one wants company 'till he learns the ropes (and bells 🙂 ).
 
Can a man, not interested in the priesthood, but wants to serve mass be instituted as an acolyte?

Stephen
 
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slewi:
Can a man, not interested in the priesthood, but wants to serve mass be instituted as an acolyte?

Stephen
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Good question, Stephen. I’ve been told by some priests that the ministry of acolyte is a “transitional” order similar to that of the transitional deacon.

But, I’ve had another priest tell me that a person can become an acolyte and stay there. He said this occurs exclusively in monastic orders.
 
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