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CyrilSebastian
Guest
If a church does not have enough boys, both grade school and teenage boys, perhaps the men could be graciously asked if they want to be altar servers.
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shawnbm
Guest
I have noticed that in a Maronite parish I often attend in addition to my Roman rite parish that they only have boy alter servers. When I inquired about this, I was told the Maronites view alter service as a hopeful first step in an eventual call to Holy Orders. They believe boys grow into their faith with more maturity, wonder and awe when they are exposed to the intricacies of the Divine Liturgy and assist the clergy in properly celebrating the mass and giving honor to the Almighty. I like the concept myself, but our parish has more girls than boys assisting at the various masses each weekend.
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adrift
Guest
Last summer we had a seminarian who is an installed acolyte. He trained our parish acolyte a gentleman in his 60’s. Our parish has very few children altar servers. We have adult servers to make up for it.
I have seen other parishes with adult servers as well. So I guess it is never to late to become an altar server.
I have seen other parishes with adult servers as well. So I guess it is never to late to become an altar server.
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adrift
Guest
Redemptionis Sacramentum
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Aunt_Raven
Guest
At our Anglican Ordinariate Parish in Houston, every year the very holy pastor held a meeting in church just for boys to acquaint them with the wonders of serving at the altar. He trained all of them, even though not all wanted to be on the roster; but most were enthusiastic.
The Pastor also had a yearly meeting for girls in the sacristy (under the supervision of expert women sacristans) in which he showed them the holy vessels, the vestments, and the way the altar was prepared and vestments laid out according to the calendar. He emphasized that other than the priest, sacristans were the only ones privileged to handle the consecrated vessels, bread & wine. All the girls were trained (again, under supervision of an older woman) to care for the vessels, and prayerfully prepare them and the vestments for Mass.
Not all the girls wanted to become junior sacristans, but many did; so the girls had “a special role in the church” and the boys had “a special role in the church,” each of which was honorable, but not open to the other sex.
We have MANY young vocations of both sexes in our parish, thanks to the spiritual leadership of our pastor who understands at a deep level that boys and girls must each have something special reserved for them in worship. At the same time he has made clear that altar serving is the first step towards the priesthood.
I should add that we have many mature men in the parish who love to serve at the altar at weekday and weekend masses; and this is great role-modeling for young boys.
The Pastor also had a yearly meeting for girls in the sacristy (under the supervision of expert women sacristans) in which he showed them the holy vessels, the vestments, and the way the altar was prepared and vestments laid out according to the calendar. He emphasized that other than the priest, sacristans were the only ones privileged to handle the consecrated vessels, bread & wine. All the girls were trained (again, under supervision of an older woman) to care for the vessels, and prayerfully prepare them and the vestments for Mass.
Not all the girls wanted to become junior sacristans, but many did; so the girls had “a special role in the church” and the boys had “a special role in the church,” each of which was honorable, but not open to the other sex.
We have MANY young vocations of both sexes in our parish, thanks to the spiritual leadership of our pastor who understands at a deep level that boys and girls must each have something special reserved for them in worship. At the same time he has made clear that altar serving is the first step towards the priesthood.
I should add that we have many mature men in the parish who love to serve at the altar at weekday and weekend masses; and this is great role-modeling for young boys.
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Unam_Ecclesiam
Guest
Sounds awesome! Yes, it definitely put me off as a young boy that girls were also altar serving. It made the entire priesthood look feminine. The liturgy practiced seriously and reverently is the most profound of all sermons.At our Anglican Ordinariate Parish in Houston, every year the very holy pastor held a meeting in church just for boys to acquaint them with the wonders of serving at the altar. He trained all of them, even though not all wanted to be on the roster; but most were enthusiastic.
The Pastor also had a yearly meeting for girls in the sacristy (under the supervision of expert women sacristans) in which he showed them the holy vessels, the vestments, and the way the altar was prepared and vestments laid out according to the calendar. He emphasized that other than the priest, sacristans were the only ones privileged to handle the consecrated vessels, bread & wine. All the girls were trained (again, under supervision of an older woman) to care for the vessels, and prayerfully prepare them and the vestments for Mass.
Not all the girls wanted to become junior sacristans, but many did; so the girls had “a special role in the church” and the boys had “a special role in the church,” each of which was honorable, but not open to the other sex.
We have MANY young vocations of both sexes in our parish, thanks to the spiritual leadership of our pastor who understands at a deep level that boys and girls must each have something special reserved for them in worship. At the same time he has made clear that altar serving is the first step towards the priesthood.
I should add that we have many mature men in the parish who love to serve at the altar at weekday and weekend masses; and this is great role-modeling for young boys.
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adawgj
Guest
My parish has both boys and girls, and I had no problem serving with girls.
I too am discerning priesthood, so having girl altar servers was never a distraction for me.
I too am discerning priesthood, so having girl altar servers was never a distraction for me.
K
kozlosap
Guest
Your priest would do well to sit down and ponder the reality that instructing young girls that being “little flowers” and taking care of the housework type odd jobs around the alter is in anyway comparable to being an alter server. He needs to look up some statistics on the proven fact that more young women are becoming physicians and attorneys than men and that maybe, just maybe, slapping (rhetorically speaking) a 12 year old female with gender specific roles might be doing more harm to future vocations than he imagines.My dear Daughter ( now aged 30, and an attorney), loved being an AS. Her entire 6th grade class served and I certainly don’t remember any of the boys refusing to serve because of the girls. when I inquired if the experience made her want to be a priest, she just laughed. Having taught High school for 35 years, I just do not see the great divide when it comes to this subject.At our Anglican Ordinariate Parish in Houston, every year the very holy pastor held a meeting in church just for boys to acquaint them with the wonders of serving at the altar. He trained all of them, even though not all wanted to be on the roster; but most were enthusiastic.
The Pastor also had a yearly meeting for girls in the sacristy (under the supervision of expert women sacristans) in which he showed them the holy vessels, the vestments, and the way the altar was prepared and vestments laid out according to the calendar. He emphasized that other than the priest, sacristans were the only ones privileged to handle the consecrated vessels, bread & wine. All the girls were trained (again, under supervision of an older woman) to care for the vessels, and prayerfully prepare them and the vestments for Mass.
Not all the girls wanted to become junior sacristans, but many did; so the girls had “a special role in the church” and the boys had “a special role in the church,” each of which was honorable, but not open to the other sex.
We have MANY young vocations of both sexes in our parish, thanks to tI he spiritual leadership of our pastor who understands at a deep level that boys and girls must each have something special reserved for them in worship. At the same time he has made clear that altar serving is the first step towards the priesthood.
I should add that we have many mature men in the parish who love to serve at the altar at weekday and weekend masses; and this is great role-modeling for young boys.
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ialsop
Guest
Again, not so much the gender as the age. I mean, im 14 and I would have to serve with 7-9 year olds. Would THAT be distracting for you?
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adawgj
Guest
Not really, I’ve been serving for 9 years and I would have to serve with 7 and 9 year old girls when I was 14. Never found it distracting.
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hwriggles4
Guest
I was an altar server (I’m not old - I’m a man in my mid-40s) and although our parish seemed to have a shortage of servers, (my older brother and I often did the Saturday evening Mass week after week after week and we looked forward to it) it was unfortunately because serving at the altar in the late 70’s through the 80’s was sometimes seen as “nerdy” or “geeky”. I think that’s more of the problem than anything else.
Personally, I was initially glad to see altar girls “officially approved” circa 1994. Why? Mostly, because I was a socially awkward child in my teens, particularly around girls, and I didn’t have any sisters. I think if I would have had some more “sisterly” roles in my teens I would have had an easier time around girls - I was never comfortable around women until I was in my later teens and early 20’s in college - some of us are late bloomers.
However, within the last 10-15 years as my Catholic faith grew, I have realized that having girls at the altar is a “deterrent” to priestly vocations. I notice at the parish I am registered at and the other parishes that I attend, when boys are present on the altar more boys “step up”. I cringe these days when I see three or four girls on the altar at once, particularly when they are the only servers (no, I am not being judgmental - the girls can do other things, such as choir, gift bearers, or being a sacristan). I also find that more boys will “step up” if the pastor and the parochial vicar command more of a “manly” presence. A priest who has a personality that comes across as “geeky” or “wimpy” does not sit well with me as a man, and I will attend a parish where the pastor and the parochial vicars do have a more “manly” presence.
I have mentioned to my pastor that I would like to see more “altar boys”, and it seems like more boys have been “stepping up”. One thing my older brother and I witnessed as an altar boy (other than getting to go to a professional baseball game once a year as an appreciation) was that we witnessed more of the “day-to-day” exposure of what a priest does, which is a help in witnessing a vocation.
I also know of two parishes in my diocese (the TLM parish staffed by the FSSP, which exclusively has altar boys is the third) where the pastors forbid altar girls. If I was an ordained priest, I would do the same, but I would explain tactfully and charitably to the altar girls that they were not being discriminated against, and they could be gift bearers, lectors, or sacristans.
I believe the Lincoln diocese still holds the policy of “no altar girls” that was put in place by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. Lincoln is one place saying “what priest shortage?” The Arlington (Virginia) diocese did this under the previous ordinary (Bishop Keating, who is now deceased), and the Arlington diocese was ordaining several priests per year (thank you Bishop Keating and then vocations director Fr. Jim Gould) between 1988 and 1999. Unfortunately, Arlington (Virginia) today is not as well known as a “seedbed” for vocations anymore.
Personally, I was initially glad to see altar girls “officially approved” circa 1994. Why? Mostly, because I was a socially awkward child in my teens, particularly around girls, and I didn’t have any sisters. I think if I would have had some more “sisterly” roles in my teens I would have had an easier time around girls - I was never comfortable around women until I was in my later teens and early 20’s in college - some of us are late bloomers.
However, within the last 10-15 years as my Catholic faith grew, I have realized that having girls at the altar is a “deterrent” to priestly vocations. I notice at the parish I am registered at and the other parishes that I attend, when boys are present on the altar more boys “step up”. I cringe these days when I see three or four girls on the altar at once, particularly when they are the only servers (no, I am not being judgmental - the girls can do other things, such as choir, gift bearers, or being a sacristan). I also find that more boys will “step up” if the pastor and the parochial vicar command more of a “manly” presence. A priest who has a personality that comes across as “geeky” or “wimpy” does not sit well with me as a man, and I will attend a parish where the pastor and the parochial vicars do have a more “manly” presence.
I have mentioned to my pastor that I would like to see more “altar boys”, and it seems like more boys have been “stepping up”. One thing my older brother and I witnessed as an altar boy (other than getting to go to a professional baseball game once a year as an appreciation) was that we witnessed more of the “day-to-day” exposure of what a priest does, which is a help in witnessing a vocation.
I also know of two parishes in my diocese (the TLM parish staffed by the FSSP, which exclusively has altar boys is the third) where the pastors forbid altar girls. If I was an ordained priest, I would do the same, but I would explain tactfully and charitably to the altar girls that they were not being discriminated against, and they could be gift bearers, lectors, or sacristans.
I believe the Lincoln diocese still holds the policy of “no altar girls” that was put in place by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. Lincoln is one place saying “what priest shortage?” The Arlington (Virginia) diocese did this under the previous ordinary (Bishop Keating, who is now deceased), and the Arlington diocese was ordaining several priests per year (thank you Bishop Keating and then vocations director Fr. Jim Gould) between 1988 and 1999. Unfortunately, Arlington (Virginia) today is not as well known as a “seedbed” for vocations anymore.
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ialsop
Guest
Well…its hard to discern vocation for me when the people around me see altar serving treat it as a social club, do it because their friends are there, talk through the whole mass, giggle, act immature, and dont take it seriously at all. nice to know YOU have mature altar servers in your parish…
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adawgj
Guest
Maybe you should take a leadership role among the altar servers as I have done.
Even during Mass it is good to show some leadership like saying shhh if they are giggling.
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ialsop
Guest
Maybe you are right. I guess I cant argue about it. I better man up and do it…
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adawgj
Guest
Lead by example as they old say goes.
May God keep us strong as we serve on his altar.
By the way you discerning any religious orders or diocesan?
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ialsop
Guest
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adawgj
Guest
That makes two of us I’m discerning a Jesuit calling. I’m on hold right now though.Indeed.
And yep! I am wanting to become either a Jesuit priest or a Diocesan priest.
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ialsop
Guest
Awesome!!!That makes two of us I’m discerning a Jesuit calling. I’m on hold right now though.
What do you mean, on hold, though?
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Bagpiper513
Guest
I was an altar server for four and a half years (and a pretty darn good one). There were girls in the program, which did not bother me. I had already knew that for most of the Church’s history, only boys were allowed to be an altar server. I am discerning the priesthood. Here’s my opinion: Boys and girls can be altar servers. Traditionally it has been boys only, which is fine, but girls are okay to serve as well.
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Bagpiper513
Guest
I’m discerning a Dominican vocation as a priest.Indeed.
And yep! I am wanting to become either a Jesuit priest or a Diocesan priest.
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