Family Altar Servers

[Famule]

Fixed that for you.

Um, actually the servers’ duties in the EF Mass are more meaningful than carrying candles and cross and handing the celebrant things, the servers’ duties in the OF Mass.

 

[Catholicben]

I agree that they have been greatly diminished. Honestly, I don’t see how being an altar server at an OF would help one discern a vocation. However, I can see it with the EF. Let’s see, they carry the crucifix, hold a book, and give the priest the gifts.

Isn’t that what they do in the ordinary form?

 

[WoodyRM]

I may be a fair bit late to this discussion…but here is a post from Korea…on family alter servers…in the Catholic Church

cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=18197

Regards
WoodyRM

 

[ConstantineTG]

Um, actually the servers’ duties in the EF Mass are more meaningful than carrying candles and cross and handing the celebrant things, the servers’ duties in the OF Mass.

Wow, I feel like a joke then in the Byzantine Rite where we’re not allowed to touch the Sacred Vessels including the Book of Gospels so aside from the candles and putting the incense into the censer and handing it to the bishop/priest/deacon, we don’t really do much (I do get to cut the bread for Litya if there is Litya).

 

[rhiannonh]

Hello,

Our parish has just announced they will be having family altar servers (Mom Dad, brother sister etc) all serving together at mass.

Is there any direction about this - is it permitted?

It seems to me to further diminish the special nature of altar servers under the misunderstood directive of “active participation”

I know there is no upper age limit for altar servers, but has anything been written about this?

Thanks for your help.

The priest decides who serves… there is no other special recommendation or anything. Someone can ask to serve… its the priest choice at the end of the day and how the church is organised in such affairs.

I got ‘picked on’ because the priest looking after us in interregnum asked my dad if he would. Knowing my dad I innocently said back, you must be joking or words to that effect. That priest then picked on me and I quickly gave in and agreed. The timing was right etc. I am 43 and this was only a year or so ago and the priest looking after us has known us as a parish for at least 20 years through being Dean of Cathedral and his other duties… I think some people would be quite dissppointed if they found out the mundane life of being a server etc…

Yes, its perfectly okay for a family to be team of servers if the priest is okay with it.

 

[SKWill]

Hello,

Our parish has just announced they will be having family altar servers (Mom Dad, brother sister etc) all serving together at mass.

Is there any direction about this - is it permitted?

It seems to me to further diminish the special nature of altar servers under the misunderstood directive of “active participation”

I know there is no upper age limit for altar servers, but has anything been written about this?

Thanks for your help.

I think family-based altar server assignments can be a good thing. The one parish I have personally seen this at is in a small town in a rural county in the heart of the Bible Belt. There just aren’t enough males in the parish to cover every Mass each weekend without requiring them to serve multiple weekends per month. By having a parent and two children serve a Mass a month – with the parent as cross-bearer, the children as candle-bearers and the children assisting at the preparation of the gifts and the clearing of the altar after communion – this gives each family that participates an opportunity to serve together and strengthen their family bond while living as Catholics in a non-Catholic (if not anti-Catholic) region of the country.

 

[superamazingman]

here just aren’t enough males in the parish to cover every Mass each weekend without requiring them to serve multiple weekends per month.

And that’s a bad thing? We have a rotation of either 2 - 4week rotations at my parish (depending on the Mass), and it works quite well. At my other parish, every boy who can make it early enough serves every week.

By having a parent and two children serve a Mass a month – with the parent as cross-bearer, the children as candle-bearers and the children assisting at the preparation of the gifts and the clearing of the altar after communion – this gives each family that participates an opportunity to serve together and strengthen their family bond while living as Catholics in a non-Catholic (if not anti-Catholic) region of the country.

I serve every week, and I serve with my brothers every third week, but to serve with my parents? That would just be weird.

But to be master of ceremonies “over” my parents? That would just be majorly awkward.

 

[Phemie]

And that’s a bad thing? We have a rotation of either 2 - 4week rotations at my parish (depending on the Mass), and it works quite well. At my other parish, every boy who can make it early enough serves every week.

I serve every week, and I serve with my brothers every third week, but to serve with my parents? That would just be weird.

But to be master of ceremonies “over” my parents? That would just be majorly awkward.

You have to take into consideration that parishes where families are invited to serve are unlikely to be the ones with a multitude of boys or the ones that use a master of ceremonies (something I’ve only ever seen at an ordination). We have a grand total of 6 kids who serve on a semi regular basis. If they show up they’ll serve but as a rule there are no altar servers at the Saturday evening Mass and sometimes none on Sunday morning either. It all depends on the kids’ hockey and swimming schedules which, sadly, usually trump attending Mass.

 

[SKWill]

And that’s a bad thing? We have a rotation of either 2 - 4week rotations at my parish (depending on the Mass), and it works quite well. At my other parish, every boy who can make it early enough serves every week.

I serve every week, and I serve with my brothers every third week, but to serve with my parents? That would just be weird.

But to be master of ceremonies “over” my parents? That would just be majorly awkward.

I didn’t say it was a bad thing for someone to serve at Mass more than once a month; my experience tells me that in most parishes its not a common thing. I congratulate your parish on cultivating a practice of frequent service at the altar.

Also, I didn’t say anything about anyone serving as MC in the example I was citing. Most Sunday Masses in a parish don’t need an MC - if the servers are trained well they don’t really need one. On important Sundays and feasts, they can get their cues from the presider or the deacon if they forget something. And if there bishop is there for confirmations or some other special occasion, usually he brings he own MC.