Alter Servers Role

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shaka_maka

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Our priest is now having the alter servers set up the altar. What I mean is he’s having them take the pall off the cup and then spread out the corparal and things like that. Is this o.k.?
 
I do not see an issue with it. It is the priest delegating duties. Alter Server procedures do vary a bit from parish to parish.
 
Yup- that’s usually the role of an Acolyte, a head altar server.
 
The priest does not unfold the corporal, he should remain at his chair while this happens.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. above, no. 74).
An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.” (This is from the section “Mass Without a Deacon”).

“178. After the Prayer of the Faithful, while the priest remains at the chair, the deacon prepares the altar, assisted by the acolyte, but it is the deacon’s place to take care of the sacred vessels himself.”

“190. If no deacon is present, after the Prayer of the Faithful is concluded and while the priest remains at the chair, the acolyte places the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar.”

It does not specifically say “the deacon unfolds the corporal”. But this would be my understanding of “arranges the corporal”.
 
Yup- that’s usually the role of an Acolyte, a head altar server.
An acolyte is a man who is permanently instituted to that ministry. Because so few men are instituted as acolytes today (except those on their journey to the priesthood or permanent diaconate) their role during the Mass is often covered by altar servers – a commissioned ministry.

Just like the term lector is often misused to describe a reader, acolyte is often misused to describe an altar server.
 
The priest does not unfold the corporal, he should remain at his chair while this happens.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. above, no. 74).
An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.” (This is from the section “Mass Without a Deacon”).

“178. After the Prayer of the Faithful, while the priest remains at the chair, the deacon prepares the altar, assisted by the acolyte, but it is the deacon’s place to take care of the sacred vessels himself.”

“190. If no deacon is present, after the Prayer of the Faithful is concluded and while the priest remains at the chair, the acolyte places the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar.”

It does not specifically say “the deacon unfolds the corporal”. But this would be my understanding of “arranges the corporal”.
That’s fascinating. EWTN which seems to follow the rubrics very closely with its Daily Mass has the servers “dress the altar” while the deacon sits…
 
This is just fine. I am an altar server myself, and we do this every Mass.
 
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