Girls as Altar Servers

[teachccd]

You are correct. In my church, we appear to have more girl altar servers than boys. I think the girls more readily offer to serve than the boys now days.

If one takes a look at all of the ministries in most parishes they will see females taking the roles as well as any catechetical session. I am a guy and there are only about 4 men out of 40+ catechists. I guess with altar servers it just starts sooner.

 

[angell1]

digitalpapist;11457085:

Nope they don’t. The FSSP seminaries are hard to get in to from what I understand. All of what “angell1” mentions stems back to our loss of the Latin mass which brought us closer to God and further away from worldly aspirations.

i got closer to god through altar serving, and i’m a girl.

 

[angell1]

If one takes a look at all of the ministries in most parishes they will see females taking the roles as well as any catechetical session. I am a guy and there are only about 4 men out of 40+ catechists. I guess with altar servers it just starts sooner.

why do so many people on CAF act like that this is a bad thing? it’s not like women have been sitting around for the last 1950 years until vatican II…

 

[angell1]

That’s good. What can the girls consider?

they can consider bringing their faith, and knowledge with them wherever they go after.

 

[johnmann]

The norm is for men. Not even boys. Men at least 21 years old.

Acolytes are the ordinary ministers serving at the altar. They can only be adult males at least 21 years old and are usually on their way to ordination. Bishops may permit others to substitute for acolytes. There is no legal gender preference for the substitution.

As jarring as it was for me to see altar girls, I can offer no good reason against it. Some say it creates confusion. But then the solution is better catechesis. Banning girls is the lazy solution. Others say it’s a road to the priesthood. And it can still be a road to the priesthood but even better since it can also be a road to religious life for girls. Others say allowing girls makes boys less willing to serve. We’re going to devise church policy around the irrational temporary feelings of little boys? If they really think that way, maybe they’re too immature to serve yet.

 

[GPGT]

GPGT;11457096:

i got closer to god through altar serving, and i’m a girl.

Glad to hear. I did it with the Latin mass. How they could consciously try to destroy something so beautiful and how not much of a fuss was made when they did it is completely beyond me. Thank God it’s here again to stay. Altar serving did make me consider the priesthood when I was young. Thanks to God again that I never went into the local diocesan seminary.

 

[angell1]

angell1;11457120:

Glad to hear. I did it with the Latin mass. How they could consciously try to destroy something so beautiful and how not much of a fuss was made when they did it is completely beyond me. Thank God it’s here again to stay. Altar serving did make me consider the priesthood when I was young. Thanks to God again that I never went into the local diocesan seminary.

to each their own i guess. i personally don’t know if i would be able to appreciate the latin mass like other people. what are the particulars for you? to be fair though, the NO masses in my city are pretty good and not as crazy as a lot people on here describe them to be.

 

[ProVobis]

Glad to hear. I did it with the Latin mass.

As you’re probably aware, altar serving in the EF has different functions. One is taught to make the Latin responses for the congregation as well as moving the book, ringing the bells, lifting the chasuble at consecration, etc. One also never sits except for the sermon and alongside the priest perhaps when the choir sings the Gloria and Credo. At daily Masses I never sat. It’s unfair IMO to compare the roles at the two forms.

 

[Brendan]

why do so many people on CAF act like that this is a bad thing? it’s not like women have been sitting around for the last 1950 years until vatican II…

It’s not just a bad idea, but it’s not the Church’s preference.

Here is the Vatican document that permitted altar girls

adoremus.org/CDW-AltarServers.html

There are a couple of key passages

In accord with the above cited instructions of the Holy See such an authorization may not, in any way, exclude men or, in particular, boys from service at the altar, nor require that priests of the diocese would make use of female altar servers, since “it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar” (Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conference, March 15, 1994, no. 2). Indeed, the obligation to support groups of altar boys will always remain, not least of all due to the well known assistance that such programs have provided since time immemorial in encouraging future priestly vocations (cf. ibid.)

Note that the Vatican has determined that there is a strong correlation between service as an altar boy and priestly vocations.

And that there is an obligation to support groups of altar boys.

That is a task quite a number of parishes are failing at.

 

[Brendan]

That’s good. What can the girls consider?

For girls, there is always the religious life.

Religious Life for women has had two traditional modes, Mendicant and Contemplative, with a third, Education, having been developed.

Therefore, the process of encouraging religious vocations in young women would entail exposing them to Care for the sick and poor (Mendicant), Prayer and Adoration ( Contemplative) or assisting with Catechism classes or other educational opportunities (Education)

 

[Brendan]

Two boy altar servers in the parish I attend are considering the priesthood.

This is a mainstream parish in suburban USA which celebrates the Ordinary Form of the Mass with plenty of girls and boys serving together.

-Tim-

Great to hear. Our parish (see my video from earlier in the thread) has had 12 men Ordained in the last 10 years, and 4 more in seminary currently (3 diocesan and 1 for a religious order)

We are mostly an OF parish, but we do have a weekend EF Mass.

No girls serving though, we do have an incredible children’s choir that is all female ( 3 of my girls sing in it )

 

[Kelfa28]

Our parish has a boys only rule for alter servers.
When our Priest took over about 6 years ago he stopped allowing girl alter servers…along with Eucharistic Ministers and a few other things too.

This definitely caused an uproar in our Parish and several families left. But our Priest said: how am I supposed to find new priests?

The girls are allowed to be Sacristans. We have almost 40 alter servers now. Some are discerning Holy Orders and we have one in Seminary right now. What our Parish couldn’t do in a couple of decades…our new Priest did within a couple of years…sending someone to Seminary.

 

[MorEphrem]

it’s a church discipline.
…
also, the tradition of altar boys is just that, a tradition. started around the 16 century.

Untrue, it was never a tradition that started around the 16th century. Since the beginning, at least in the East, one had to have at least minor orders to enter the sanctuary. This is still retained (any Eastern parish that has altar servers is latinized in this regard).

The idea that deaconesses existed in the Orient is deceitful. Where there women called deaconesses? Yes, no doubt about it. Were they an equivalent of female deacons? No. They did not receive ordination and were not permitted to enter the sanctuary. It’s the same as when we call the wife of a priest (khouri) a khouria. The fact that we call her the female name of a priest doesn’t mean she’s a priestess, it means she’s the wife of a priest with usually obligations pertaining to the maintenance of the parish.

Apart from the idea I believe it is necessary that one have some ordination to enter the sanctuary, on a practical level having female servers just deters male servers. I’ve seen it in Latin parishes and I’ve dealt with it as I was in charge of the altar servers at the largest parish in a Latin diocese by me. It’s simply the gender dynamic - if girls take over, boys want to dissociate. That’s counterproductive if altar serving is supposed to be a conduit to the priesthood.

 

[GPGT]

As you’re probably aware, altar serving in the EF has different functions…

You misunderstood; I never altar severed in a Latin mass which is undoubtedly more involved. What I was saying is I feel closer to God at the Latin mass.

For girls, there is always the religious life.

I’ve never seen a girl or woman altar serve after becoming a nun. Gives the idea that female altar servers should be wearing a vail. I have seen male adults (permanent deacon?) alter serve at the Latin mass though.

 

[Lapey]

The word I used is the proper translation. I didn’t imply anything that you are referring to.

Hopefully your evening is better than your day has been.

My day went quite well. Thanks though!

 

[pnewton]

why do so many people on CAF act like that this is a bad thing? it’s not like women have been sitting around for the last 1950 years until vatican II…

Not at all. I think it is wonderful that anyone desires to serve the altar of God. Obviously girls can serve as well as boys at that age, and as adults can still find many areas of service in the Church.

 

[ProVobis]

I’ve never seen a girl or woman altar serve after becoming a nun.

To be fair, I have heard that in the nun’s chapel(s), the nuns did give server responses (such as those at the Foot of the Altar) and rang the bells. This occurred prior to VII, btw.

 

[Brendan]

To be fair, I have heard that in the nun’s chapel(s), the nuns did give server responses (such as those at the Foot of the Altar) and rang the bells. This occurred prior to VII, btw.

That is correct. My mother attended an all girls convent boarding school in Ireland.

At the daily low Mass, girls were chosen to give the responses that the altar boys would normally give, and ring the bells.

They did so from OUTSIDE the sanctuary though, generally kneeling at the communion rail.

(Because of that my mother knows all those responses just as well as my father does )

Father would also come over to those girls ta the communion rail to receive assistance on the Lavabo and the Purification of the vessels. The girls would pour the water over the priests fingers for the Lavabo, and likewise, the wine and water for the purifications.

But even then, the priest never left the sanctuary, and the girls never entered it.

For Sunday Mass and Holy Days, the priest would bring boys with him to assist at Mass.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

Choosing boys for altar servers, as others have said, encourages boys to think about the priesthood. When boys are young and growing up into manhood they look to what they see other men doing and relate to it and at times want to imitate them and if they see girls doing it, then typically they are going to shy away from it.

We had both altar boys and girls at our parish until recently our new priest wants mostly only boys for altar serving. Where as before when there were a lot of girls up there the boys wouldn’t serve, now none to fewer girls, boys are suddenly agreeing to serve.

I am not sure if I am convince that a girl serving would make her want to be a priest but a girl serving would more than likely make a young boy think that serving or religion itself, is a girl thing, not want to be teased and so stay away. It is hard enough for youth today to stand up for Christ in our growing world of paganism, let a lone take a job that was typically for boys and men and allow girls or women.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

That is correct. My mother attended an all girls convent boarding school in Ireland.

At the daily low Mass, girls were chosen to give the responses that the altar boys would normally give, and ring the bells.

They did so from OUTSIDE the sanctuary though, generally kneeling at the communion rail.

(Because of that my mother knows all those responses just as well as my father does )

Father would also come over to those girls ta the communion rail to receive assistance on the Lavabo and the Purification of the vessels. The girls would pour the water over the priests fingers for the Lavabo, and likewise, the wine and water for the purifications.

But even then, the priest never left the sanctuary, and the girls never entered it.

For Sunday Mass and Holy Days, the priest would bring boys with him to assist at Mass.

I think that sounds like there was great respect for the sanctuary and is good.