Can an Alter Server Also be Lector at the Same Mass?

[TimothyH]

Can an altar server read the first reading and serving as an altar server at same Mass?

I mean, I know it can physically be done D), but is it OK to do?

Assume that the server/lector is an adult who has gone through the requisite training and has been doing both for some time.

What about an altar server also serving as an EMHC?

What about being an altar server and an usher at the same time?

Just kidding on that last one.

-Tim-

 

[Corki]

Lay people who serve at Mass are only supposed to do one role (EMHC, reader, altar server). I think there can be exceptions, for example when a seminarian is assigned to a parish, but that’s the general rule.

 

[Vico]

Can an altar server read the first reading and serving as an altar server at same Mass?

I mean, I know it can physically be done D), but is it OK to do?

Assume that the server/lector is an adult who has gone through the requisite training and has been doing both for some time.

What about an altar server also serving as an EMHC?

What about being an altar server and an usher at the same time?

Just kidding on that last one.

-Tim-

From General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2003)

The Ministry of the Instituted Acolyte and Lector

1. The acolyte is instituted to serve at the altar and to assist the priest and deacon. In particular, it is his responsibility to prepare the altar and the sacred vessels and, if it is necessary, as an extraordinary minister, to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful.84

In the ministry of the altar, the acolyte has his own functions (cf. below, nos. 187-193), which he must perform personally.

1. The lector is instituted to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, with the exception of the Gospel. He may also announce the intentions for the Prayer of the Faithful and, in the absence of a psalmist, proclaim the Psalm between the readings.

In the Eucharistic Celebration, the lector has his own proper office (cf. below, nos. 194-198), which he must exercise personally.

Other Ministries

1. 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.85
2. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture. They should be truly suited to perform this function and should receive careful preparation, so that the faithful by listening to the readings from the sacred texts may develop in their hearts a warm and living love for Sacred Scripture.86
3. The psalmist’s role is to sing the Psalm or other biblical canticle that comes between the readings. To fulfill this function correctly, it is necessary that the psalmist have the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction.
4. Among the faithful, the schola cantorum or choir exercises its own liturgical function, ensuring that the parts proper to it, in keeping with the different types of chants, are properly carried out and fostering the active participation of the faithful through the singing.87 What is said about the choir also applies, in accordance with the relevant norms, to other musicians, especially the organist.
5. It is fitting that there be a cantor or a choir director to lead and sustain the people’s singing. When in fact there is no choir, it is up to the cantor to lead the different chants, with the people taking part.88
6. The following also exercise a liturgical function:

1. 
   *]The sacristan, who carefully arranges the liturgical books, the vestments, and other things necessary in the celebration of Mass.
   *]The commentator, who provides the faithful, when appropriate, with brief explanations and commentaries with the purpose of introducing them to the celebration and preparing them to understand it better. The commentator’s remarks must be meticulously prepared and clear though brief. In performing this function the commentator stands in an appropriate place facing the faithful, but not at the ambo.
   *]Those who take up the collection in the church.
   *]Those who, in some places, meet the faithful at the church entrance, lead them to appropriate places, and direct processions.
   1. It is appropriate, at least in cathedrals and in larger churches, to have some competent minister, that is to say a master of ceremonies, to oversee the proper planning of sacred actions and their being carried out by the sacred ministers and the lay faithful with decorum, order, and devotion.
   2. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.89 All should observe the norms established by the Bishop for his diocese regarding the office of those who serve the priest at the altar.

 

[Phemie]

Ideally, nobody should have more than one ministry during a Mass, so there should be a lector AND an altar server. That said, if there is no one else available/willling to do the reading there is no reason the altar server can’t do it if he/she is trained. Otherwise the priest would have to do it which definitely not the ideal.

When it comes to EMHCs, an Instituted Acolyte would be the first on the list to be an EMCH if one was required, but few parishes have such a person. An altar server who is also commissioned to be an EMHC could do both ministries at one Mass if no other EMHC was available. OTOH, if that altar server is not already a commissioned EMHC, it would be better for the priest to appoint someone else to be the EMHC just for that Mass to avoid having one person do two ministries.

 

[TheMc]

There’s no reason why you can’t, especially at smaller Masses (I occasionally do this on weekdays when there’s only about 10 people at Mass), but it is not ideal.

 

[Brendan]

In our parish, the senior ( high school aged) altar boys are the ones who lector. But they are assigned that duty prior to Mass and do not serve as an altar boy at that Mass.

In other words, the lector for a particular Mass is chosen from the ranks of the young men who serve as altar boys.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Say there is one person who has been instituted both as an acolyte and as a lector. This is required before ordination.

At the same Mass there are 100 people who have the skills to do the reading, be altar servers and do task of an EMHC. But they have not been instituted as lectors or readers.

My reading of the GIRM quoted above is that the instituted minister should do the reading, serve at the altar and be EMHC, if one is needed.

The important part is: “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.85
101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture.”

The instituted minister is not absent, so other laypersons should not do his jobs.

Also:
“187. The duties that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and several may coincide. Hence, it is desirable that these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, however, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several ministers.”

 

[Phemie]

Say there is one person who has been instituted both as an acolyte and as a lector. This is required before ordination.

At the same Mass there are 100 people who have the skills to do the reading, be altar servers and do task of an EMHC. But they have not been instituted as lectors or readers.

My reading of the GIRM quoted above is that the instituted minister should do the reading, serve at the altar and be EMHC, if one is needed.

The important part is: “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.85
101. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture.”

The instituted minister is not absent, so other laypersons should not do his jobs.

Also:
“187. The duties that the acolyte may carry out are of various kinds and several may coincide. Hence, it is desirable that these duties be suitably distributed among several acolytes. If, however, only one acolyte is present, he should perform the more important duties while the rest are to be distributed among several ministers.”

A moot point for most of us since most parishes have neither Instituted Lectors nor Instituted Acolytes.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Lay people who serve at Mass are only supposed to do one role (EMHC, reader, altar server). I think there can be exceptions, for example when a seminarian is assigned to a parish, but that’s the general rule.

Is there are official preference here?

The Ceremonial of Bishops(Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9) has for the Stational Mass of the Diocesan Bishop, in the entrance procession:

"128. … censerbearer carrying a censer with burning incense;

• an acolyte carrying the cross, with the image to the front, walks between seven other acolytes, or at least two, carrying candlesticks with lighted candles;"

So for this Mass there is encouragement for lots of lay ministers. The point is also made in this book:

"19. In every liturgical assembly, and especially one at which the bishop presides, all those present have the right and duty to carry out their parts in the different ways corresponding to their differences in order and office. Each one, therefore, minister or layperson, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy. [footnote 25: See Sacrosanctum Concilium, art. 28 …] This way of celebration manifests the Church in its variety of orders and ministries as a body whose individual members form a unity. [footnote 26: See Sacrosanctum Concilium, art. 26].

Another official document encouraging lots of people doing lots of ministries in the Mass is the 1973 Directory for Masses with Children, in Chapter 3 “Masses with Children in Which Only a Few Adults Participate”:

“Offices and Ministries in the Celebration
22. The principle of active and conscious participation are in a sense even more significant for Masses celebrated with children. Every effort should therefore be made to increase this participation and to make it more intense. For this reason as many children as possible should have special parts in the celebration: for example, preparing the place and the altar (see no. 29), acting as cantor (see no. 24), singing in a choir, playing musical instruments (see no. 32), proclaiming the readings (see nos. 24 and 47), responding during the homily (see no. 48), reciting the intentions of the general intercessions, bringing the gifts to the altar, and performing similar activities in accord with the usage of various peoples (see no. 34).”

So, at least for some Masses, there is an ideal of lots of lay ministers doing lots of things. On the other hand, there are specialists, the instituted ministers whose ministry is to be respected. As expressed in the General Introduction to the Lectionary, n. 51:
“The ministry of reader, conferred through a liturgical rite, must be held in respect. When there are instituted readers available, they are to carry out their office at least on Sundays and festive days, especially at the principal Mass of the day.”

Another aspect is the practicalities. Lots of people doing lots of ministries requires a lot of training, assessment of skills, assessment of the suitability of individuals, and coordination. Decisions about whether this is worthwhile are up to the parish priest.

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

"107. The liturgical duties that are not proper to the priest or the deacon and are listed above (cf. nos. 100-106) may also be entrusted by a liturgical blessing or a temporary deputation to suitable lay persons chosen by the pastor or rector of the church.89 All should observe the norms established by the Bishop for his diocese regarding the office of those who serve the priest at the altar. …

1. If there are several persons present who are able to exercise the same ministry, nothing forbids their distributing among themselves and performing different parts of the same ministry or duty. For example, one deacon may be assigned to take the sung parts, another to serve at the altar; if there are several readings, it is well to distribute them among a number of lectors. The same applies for the other ministries. But it is not at all appropriate that several persons divide a single element of the celebration among themselves, e.g., that the same reading be proclaimed by two lectors, one after the other, except as far as the Passion of the Lord is concerned.
2. If only one minister is present at a Mass with a congregation, that minister may exercise several different duties."