W
WhiteDove
Guest
Where I live, there are two small parishes that share one priest. One of them has the 8 AM Mass, is extremely traditional, and has altar boys that are extrememly well trained, wear the old fashioned black and white outfits (I don’t know the name), and are like choreographed soldiers in assisting the priest.
The 10 o’clock Mass, which I don’t attend anymore, is more loosly run, the alter servers are male or female, adult or child, or parents serving with their youngsters.
The Vigil Mass will have an adult, an altarboy from the 8 AM Mass, or sometimes no altar server. That’s the one I usually attend.
Last night, though, there were a bunch of kids with their parents at the Vigil Mass for their little cub scouts to receive some award. They sat in front of me and were a restless, noisy bunch. One of the older brothers was serving as an altar server. I noticed that he looked extrememly bored, slouching on one foot, not folding his hands, and was sporting a modified mohawk haircut.
When I was attending a Mass at another parish, one of the altar boys kept figgiting with the rope on his robe, or whatever that white garment is called. He must have looked at his watch 10 times during the Mass. It was distracting!
I know it’s a sign of the times, but I’m sick of impertinent, ill mannered kids! Are parishes desperate for altar help? Another thing that detracts from the Mass are old tennis shoes showing under their robe.
Am I turing into a crotchity old lady already? I’m almost 47, maybe I’m just over the hill.
The 10 o’clock Mass, which I don’t attend anymore, is more loosly run, the alter servers are male or female, adult or child, or parents serving with their youngsters.
The Vigil Mass will have an adult, an altarboy from the 8 AM Mass, or sometimes no altar server. That’s the one I usually attend.
Last night, though, there were a bunch of kids with their parents at the Vigil Mass for their little cub scouts to receive some award. They sat in front of me and were a restless, noisy bunch. One of the older brothers was serving as an altar server. I noticed that he looked extrememly bored, slouching on one foot, not folding his hands, and was sporting a modified mohawk haircut.
When I was attending a Mass at another parish, one of the altar boys kept figgiting with the rope on his robe, or whatever that white garment is called. He must have looked at his watch 10 times during the Mass. It was distracting!
I know it’s a sign of the times, but I’m sick of impertinent, ill mannered kids! Are parishes desperate for altar help? Another thing that detracts from the Mass are old tennis shoes showing under their robe.
Am I turing into a crotchity old lady already? I’m almost 47, maybe I’m just over the hill.
).
). They knew what to do without prompting, moved in silence, and added to the reverence that mass deserves. The kids I see now (for the most part, sadly) can hardly be bothered to show up. When they do, I often see the sneakers showing from beneath the robes, but what’s worse, is when they don’t know what to do and the priest has to stop what he’s doing to instruct them. Also, more than once I’ve seen ushers canvasing people entering the narthex, looking for altar servers. How sad.
