Female Altar Servers in Arlington Diocese

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And then there was one.

The diocese of Arlington, Virginia is now allowing altar girls, leaving the diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska the only holdout in the U.S.
After months of reflection and consultation during the Year of the Eucharist, which concluded in October of 2005, Bishop Paul S. Loverde has announced an expansion of the Diocese of Arlington’s policy permitting women and girls to serve at the altar during Mass. “Since 1994, our diocese has permitted girls and women to serve at the altar in several settings: university campuses, convents, nursing homes, retreat houses, hospitals, and home Masses,” Bishop Loverde wrote in a March 21 letter. “In desiring to make available those legitimate options endorsed by our Church, I am expanding our previous permission to include our parish communities and high schools.”
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The weird thing is that the same Bishop gave two indults for the Tridentine Mass in Arlington.
 
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SummaTheo:
The weird thing is that the same Bishop gave two indults for the Tridentine Mass in Arlington.
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Is that also new? I don’t see them listed anywhere.
 
Let us pray that Bishop Bruskewitz holds out, and that all will properly understand the role of the laity in the Church Militant, namely that of girls and women.
 
I hope that I am not getting off the thread, but I am a member of the Diocese of Arlington who is living in Israel. Could any of you who live in Arlington tell us how this situation is being accepted in the parishes? I know that the use of altar girls has been discussed for years, and I was told by priest friends that for the most part it was the older priests who wanted them, and not the younger. We also were told that no priest can be forced to use female altar servers, even by his pastor. Practically though, how will our priests who are trying so hard to foster vocations, be able to resist the angry mothers of girls who want to serve? I hope that this new development doesn’t rip parishes apart. I have friends who have said that if the bishop ever allowed female altar servers, that they would never contribute another cent to the diocese. I hope that I am not rambling, but I am worried about my beloved diocese. Thanks, everybody.
 
I had always thought it an odd tension that His Excellency would not allow female altar servers but would also not grant any indults. There was no logical disconnect, but they are an odd pair of positions nonetheless. Now he’s eliminated that glitch, but I wish the new indults (Deo gratias!) did not have to come at the cost of new norms on servers.
 
What exactly is the altar server? There are females in robbed dress at my church.
 
According to what I read at www.wtop.com, the Bishop of Arlington has given consent to the parishes in his diocese to have female altar servers. The pastor of the parish must make a written request to have female altar servers. So, you see, it is up to the parish priests.

Bishop Loverde must be congratulated for giving consent to the Tridentine Latin Mass in the Arlington Diocese.
 
Why is this such a big deal for people?

There is now one diocese in the whole country that doesn’t allow female altar servers…

So…is this one of those famous situations where one man is right and every other bishop is wrong?

I don’t think this is a liberal/conservative thing…its just a way to open up ministries to people who have the ordinary capability to execute that minstry.
 
Did you guys read the comments…boy talking about people with axes to grind…
I think we should all leave encouraging messages for him!
 
Marysann

This does not make for fun in my house. My wife supports the change I do not. I could barely read the article in the Washington Post. I told my wife I might have to withhold my money for the BLA and the capital campaign. I figure the pre-VII masses were a bone thrown to the orthodox. They are at the end of the article which ran yesterday.

I’ll talk to the CCD teachers and aides on Monday to see what they think. I know I’m supposed to follow but this irks me. Lincoln remember the Alamo or was it arlington.

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032100948.html
 
I just got my copy of the “Arlington Catholic Herald” in the mail and was heartsick to see the first page. Tickled, of course, to see the Latin Mass indults, but … I think it’s a mistake to have girls serve as altar servers. I’ve been to Masses in many places. When you see girls serving (not that they are doing it incorrectly or irreverently, mind you), you also tend to see other innovations – no kneelers, wandering priests, excessive extraordinary ministers of Holy Communiongt, inclusive language … .

Bp. Loverde says it should be the decision of the “pastor, parochial vicars, deacons and parish pastoral councils.” It will be very interesting to see how the various parishes fall out. I also wonder if I would like living in Lincoln, Nebraska!
 
I’ve heard people say the dioceses w/ male only altar servers have the most vocations. (not sure if it’s true or not) It will be interesting to see if male vocations start to drop in Arlington. —KCT
 
Kate I hope my parish doesn’t change. I have only once seen a mass at which no alterboy was present at a Saturday 9am mass. We certainly seem to have plenty of alterboys at St Leo’s.
 
Kirk I’m with you as I have never had the chance to even see a preVII mass as I joined the RCCseveral years ago. And I consider myself orthodox.
 
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KCT:
I’ve heard people say the dioceses w/ male only altar servers have the most vocations. (not sure if it’s true or not) It will be interesting to see if male vocations start to drop in Arlington. —KCT
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Well…there’s only one diocese with no female alatar servers…

So…does Lincoln have the most vocations in the country?

And, let’s be careful here…just because there is a corrleation between the two does not mean there is causation.
 
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