Have you noticed a drop in altar servers in your parish?

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My dad is in charge of altar servers at our parish. We are finding the exact same problem. My brother and I serve, and there are 27 active servers on the roster, but it is simply not enough for our needs. We have 4 Masses, and there are supposed to be 3 servers at each Mass.

This morning, I served at 2 consecutive Masses. At each Mass, there was one server who did not come. I served at the Mass I was scheduled for, and when I went to see how they were doing for servers at the next Mass, there I found two servers (one is quite new) who were very nervous. It was a complicated Mass, and if the kid who was scheduled had showed up, I could have gone home. I didn’t mind helping out, but since I am the head server, I would have felt obligated to do it anyway.

My dad recently sent an email to the entire team, telling them that many people are not performing to our priest’s standards. Hopefully, it will get the point across. We are planning a party in the coming months, but I’m not sure some of the altar servers deserve it…
 
I’ve noticed a drop in competency in both male and female. Reverence too. Sometimes the Sacristan will have to cover for the missing servers. When they show, they do not kneel when Christ is out. They do not sing. I have seen eating at the altar–m&m’s. I have seen wheelies used to carry the alterserver across the stage(as they see it). I have seen giggling through the homily. In general, if this is the quality of server, I am glad the number is declining. I don’t want that type of priest/nun.(let’s pretend that it forms altargirls)
 
We have large numbers of altar servers – some girls, mostly boys. The ages range from the minimum (3rd grade) to young adults (and older adults for weekday Masses). We had 18 servers at Mass today – a typical number. If anything, the numbers are growing. We must be doing something right! 🙂
 
We have 4 at each weekend Mass, 5 at the main Mass. The boys are arranged in ranks; apprentice, server, squire, knight (and thurifer at the main mass). Boys can start in 4th grade, and often serve through high school. We are now missing one apprentice (boys usually serve twice a month) so the 7:30 has only three boys, twice a month. Several parish boys are now serving at the TLM at a neighboring parish, though; is that the problem for you?

Higher-ranked boys are tasked with making sure that the lower-ranked boys fulfill their duties (all have specific duties), and boys who show up and perform well are trained for the next level. Both of the thurifers (one is my oldest son) are graduating from high school this month, so there will be a chance for others to move up soon! Do all servers have specific duties? (Knights carry the cross and ring the bell at the Consecration, squires ‘set the table*’ while the priest accepts the gifts, eg) In my experience, this helps kids take it seriously. If they’re ‘potted plants’, they know it.

Does the priest help recruit boys (and girls for you)? My son got started because the then-pastor asked him to, right after we joined the parish.

*I bet this has a special name.
 
We have a good crowd of altar servers at every Sunday Mass; both boys and girls. Our priest uses good old fashioned bribery - they get candy after Mass if they do a good job. 🙂
 
I think we have 4 altar servers left. 2 girls and 2 boys. Those in charge stopped scheduling them because it was pointless, nobody showed up when scheduled; now whoever shows up vests and serves. The norm is that we have no altar servers and that one of 3 or 4 adults will get up at the Offertory, prepare the altar and accept the gifts with Fr. then return to his/her pew.

A pitch was made after First Communion on Mothers’ Day but as the catechist and I looked over the list we figured that probably 1/3 would never be in Mass again until Christmas and probably another quarter to half of the class will only be at Mass occasionally.

I’ve found that parents don’t particularly care to have their kids serve at the altar. In cases where the kid volunteers to do so, it quickly becomes obvious that hockey and soccer are the priority, not Mass, since the parents are spending thousands on hockey equipment and travel.
 
Phemie said:
I think we have 4 altar servers left. 2 girls and 2 boys. Those in charge stopped scheduling them because it was pointless, nobody showed up when scheduled; now whoever shows up vests and serves. The norm is that we have no altar servers and that one of 3 or 4 adults will get up at the Offertory, prepare the altar and accept the gifts with Fr. then return to his/her pew.

A pitch was made after First Communion on Mothers’ Day but as the catechist and I looked over the list we figured that probably 1/3 would never be in Mass again until Christmas and probably another quarter to half of the class will only be at Mass occasionally.

I’ve found that parents don’t particularly care to have their kids serve at the altar. In cases where the kid volunteers to do so, it quickly becomes obvious that hockey and soccer are the priority, not Mass, since the parents are spending thousands on hockey equipment and travel.
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That is a real shame, Phemie. Our church could not even function without altar servers and if this happened to us, I don’t know what we would do. Sports are, unfortunately, losing churches altar servers everywhere. My dad, the altar server leader, has a real time scheduling servers in the fall, since so many of them play soccer and basketball.
 
Make an all boy alterboy program, with emphasis on orthodoxy and reverence and solid Catholic teachings, and you will probably have a successful program in no time.
 
spellinggirl said:
My dad is in charge of altar servers at our parish. We are finding the exact same problem. My brother and I serve, and there are 27 active servers on the roster, but it is simply not enough for our needs. We have 4 Masses, and there are supposed to be 3 servers at each Mass.

This morning, I served at 2 consecutive Masses. At each Mass, there was one server who did not come. I served at the Mass I was scheduled for, and when I went to see how they were doing for servers at the next Mass, there I found two servers (one is quite new) who were very nervous. It was a complicated Mass, and if the kid who was scheduled had showed up, I could have gone home. I didn’t mind helping out, but since I am the head server, I would have felt obligated to do it anyway.

My dad recently sent an email to the entire team, telling them that many people are not performing to our priest’s standards. Hopefully, it will get the point across. We are planning a party in the coming months, but I’m not sure some of the altar servers deserve it…
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Why 3 servers at every Mass? I routinely serve Mass and I do it ALL…
 
We never had a server for the early morning Mass (ZERO kids) so I volunteered. Two other adult males subsequently volunteered. Two more adult males are being trained. Adult male servers do a great job. We take it seriously.

There is only one reason why there are not enough servers. The lay adults (as parents or servers themselves) and the pastor don’t give it enough priority. It really boils down to that.
 
Purring_Lion said:
I’ve noticed a drop in competency in both male and female. Reverence too. Sometimes the Sacristan will have to cover for the missing servers. When they show, they do not kneel when Christ is out. They do not sing. I have seen eating at the altar–m&m’s. I have seen wheelies used to carry the alterserver across the stage(as they see it). I have seen giggling through the homily. In general, if this is the quality of server, I am glad the number is declining. I don’t want that type of priest/nun.(let’s pretend that it forms altargirls)
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Purring Lion:

I think you’ll find the drop in reverence and awe for the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament preceded the drop in the number of Acolytes (sorry, TLM usage) at your parish. The Acolytes got their attitude someone - It didn’t come out of thin air, and this problem just didn’t start on its own.

Where is the Lord laid in repose in your parish? Is He prominently displayed up front for all to worship and adore? or, Is He hidden in a side chapel? Does your parish do the 40 Hours Devotion? Frequent Adoration of the Holy Sacrament? or, Have they been abandoned in favor of more “community centered” forms of prayer?

Do the CLERGY treat the Divine Liturgy as a participation in the Heavenly Liturgy in which the Angels and Saints participate? or, Do they treat it as a community worship service? Do the Clergy treat the Canon of the Mass as a participation in the Lord’s Final Seder (and Institution of the Holy Eucharist) combined with the Sacrifice at Calvary? or, Do they treat it as a memorial meal? Do you believe that the clergy spends time trying to convey the great MYSTERY of the sacrament to the Congregation? or, Do they seem to be more concerned with other things?

I think your answers to these questions will tell you the roots of the problems you described, and how solvable they will be at your parish with its current leadership (as long as they keep their current attitudes).

You might want to talk with your Rector and try to see if he’s interested in improving the situation. If not, you might want to find another parish. You might also want to document the conversation and inform your Bishop of the situation and your attempt to correct it.

We all need to learn to deal with things we disagree with, but I can’t see why we have to accept irreverently done Divine Liturgies.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
Praxis said:
We never had a server for the early morning Mass (ZERO kids) so I volunteered. Two other adult males subsequently volunteered. Two more adult males are being trained. Adult male servers do a great job. We take it seriously.

There is only one reason why there are not enough servers. The lay adults (as parents or servers themselves) and the pastor don’t give it enough priority. It really boils down to that.
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Praxis:

I belong to a small parish (total of about 10 members attend during 2 Divine Liturgies on Sunday, 20 @ 8:30 am Low Mass & 80 @ 10 am Solemn High Mass). I attend the 10 am Solemn High, and of the 80, 12 will be in the Schola/Choir Loft, 9 will be in the Sanctuary (Including 3 Sacred Ministers), 10 downstairs for most of the Mass (except for the Canon) in “Child Care”, and 3 in the kitchen preparing lunch for the parish. At least 3 of the Acolytes have started in the last 2 years…

We have an "Acolytes’ guild, and it’s advertised. If the average Catholic parish had even 1/2 of the percentage of Acolytes we do, that parish would have at least 50 Acolytes…

I think the questions I asked in my previous post need to be posted to every parish which is having a problem recruiting Acolytes to serve at the Sunday Liturgies.

Sports are fun, but early Christians told their captors they’d DIE if they didn’t receive the Eucharist (“The Medicine of Immortality”). If we don’t get the same type of attitude, we won’t get kids and their parents to go to Mass instead of sports on Sunday.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
Its like trying to pull teeth to get kids to altar serve. I’ve been serving since I was seven years old (now 19) and I’m still serving.
 
Traditonal Ang,
If 12 1/2 % of your congregation is in ‘child care’ every Sunday, then you aren’t conveying the importance of Mass attendance to children either, are you? It says that convenience takes precedence over their duty and right to be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
 
Traditional_Ang said:
Praxis:

I belong to a small parish (total of about 10 members attend during 2 Divine Liturgies on Sunday, 20 @ 8:30 am Low Mass & 80 @ 10 am Solemn High Mass). I attend the 10 am Solemn High, and of the 80, 12 will be in the Schola/Choir Loft, 9 will be in the Sanctuary (Including 3 Sacred Ministers), 10 downstairs for most of the Mass (except for the Canon) in “Child Care”, and 3 in the kitchen preparing lunch for the parish. At least 3 of the Acolytes have started in the last 2 years…

We have an "Acolytes’ guild, and it’s advertised. If the average Catholic parish had even 1/2 of the percentage of Acolytes we do, that parish would have at least 50 Acolytes…

I think the questions I asked in my previous post need to be posted to every parish which is having a problem recruiting Acolytes to serve at the Sunday Liturgies.

Sports are fun, but early Christians told their captors they’d DIE if they didn’t receive the Eucharist (“The Medicine of Immortality”). If we don’t get the same type of attitude, we won’t get kids and their parents to go to Mass instead of sports on Sunday.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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Since acolytes are permanently instituted adult males in the Catholic Church I will confine my comments to altar servers/altar boys.

I too attend the DL (Byzantine-Ruthenian) in a tiny parish (maybe 110 members) and we have a large and well trained altar server corps! If you extrapolated it out, my Latin Rite parish should have about 500 servers at the same rate.

It’s all about commitment…
 
Praxis said:
Why 3 servers at every Mass? I routinely serve Mass and I do it ALL…
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We have (or are supposed to) three altar servers at ever Mass because our church is huge and kind of oddly shaped… we have to walk quite a ways to get from the Credence Table to the altar, which is on a tall wooden platform with steps.

On feast days or special days like Christmas and Easter, we really need four servers to accomodate the extra chalices and such for the extra people who come to Mass.

When the bishop comes to visit, we require FIVE servers. Two of them only hold his large hat and crook. The other three perform the regular altar server duties.
 
JKS said:
Traditonal Ang,
If 12 1/2 % of your congregation is in ‘child care’ every Sunday, then you aren’t conveying the importance of Mass attendance to children either, are you? It says that convenience takes precedence over their duty and right to be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
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JKS:

An Anglican Solemn High Mass can require 2+ hours, and we don’t have a soundproof room off at the side. Young children are taken in and out of the Assembly by their parents according to their ability to understand the Divine Liturgy - You’ll see the same thing being done by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics whose Divine Liturgies can go as long as 3 hours.

We also have a mandatory 3 hour fast before receiving the Lord’s Body and Blood, and many fast from midnight of the night before (that’s what my family did until I was 18). That’s completely different from the situation in Roman parishes where you have a 1 hour obligatory fast before receiving communion… A hungry kid will squirm more than a full one - Remember, I lived it…

Young children receive instruction and worship in the undercroft when not with their parents in the Eklesia, and, as I said, are present in the Assembly with their parents during the Sacrifice of the Mass (that’s what the Canon of the Mass is, BTW). and, Unlike the present practice at many Roman parishes, even the youngest children come (or are taken) to the alter to receive blessings from the priest (We don’t have EMHE).

The fact is that the parents and their kids who worship at St. Mary’s gladly drive by at least two or three other parishes (Roman, Episcopalian and even Continuing Anglican) to celebrate the Holy and Sacred Mysteries of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ at St. Mary’s. And, Many drive 10 or more miles to do so…

When Roman parishes give the Lord more than the 45 min. to 1 hour of Divine Liturgy on Sunday most Roman Parishes give, when you demolish the soundproof rooms many Roman Parishes seem to have, when the Obligatory Pre-Communion Fast is re-expanded back to 3 hours from 1 hour, when you have 2 priests and 2 deacons serving a TOTAL congregation of 200 (including EXTREME irregulars) and when you have 25% of your REGULAR congregation either in the Sanctuary or in the Choir Loft, then you can comment on the little bit we do to accommodate the youngest in our Gathering.

Take care of the BEAM before your deal with the Speck.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
spellinggirl said:
On feast days or special days like Christmas and Easter, we really need four servers to accomodate the extra chalices and such for the extra people who come to Mass.

When the bishop comes to visit, we require FIVE servers. Two of them only hold his large hat and crook. The other three perform the regular altar server duties.
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Spelling Girl:

On Feast Days, your parish should have Deacons, or, if enough Deacons aren’t available, those dreaded EHME’s (they aren’t Alter Servers - They’re Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist/Communion).

And, the “Large Hat” is called a “Mitre”, while the “Crook” is called a “Crozier”. They’re both symbols of the Bishop’s Authority, along with his Ring, and should be treated with a certain amount of reverence.

You’re actually lucky your Bishop comes to your parish - Many Roman parishes don’t have the “privilege”. I was at one for 2 years and never saw mine and heard that he never came.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
Praxis said:
Since acolytes are permanently instituted adult males in the Catholic Church I will confine my comments to altar servers/altar boys.

I too attend the DL (Byzantine-Ruthenian) in a tiny parish (maybe 110 members) and we have a large and well trained altar server corps! If you extrapolated it out, my Latin Rite parish should have about 500 servers at the same rate.

It’s all about commitment…
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Praxis:

Amen!

It’s also about how committed the people in that parish are to the Lord, to the Sacraments, and to that parish!

I think it’s a lot easier to pull that off in a smaller parish (100-200 regular members) than a “Megaparish”. People know they have to volunteer, or it just isn’t going to work.

I’ve also seen that in the even smaller (maybe 50 members) parish headed by a priest friend of mine (also TAC).

If the Lord manages to work it out, we’ll be able to receive communion in each other’s parishes… Please keep us in your prayers.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
 
Traditional_Ang said:
JKS:

An Anglican Solemn High Mass can require 2+ hours, and we don’t have a soundproof room off at the side. Young children are taken in and out of the Assembly by their parents according to their ability to understand the Divine Liturgy - You’ll see the same thing being done by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics whose Divine Liturgies can go as long as 3 hours.

We also have a mandatory 3 hour fast before receiving the Lord’s Body and Blood, and many fast from midnight of the night before (that’s what my family did until I was 18). That’s completely different from the situation in Roman parishes where you have a 1 hour obligatory fast before receiving communion… A hungry kid will squirm more than a full one - Remember, I lived it…

Young children receive instruction and worship in the undercroft when not with their parents in the Eklesia, and, as I said, are present in the Assembly with their parents during the Sacrifice of the Mass (that’s what the Canon of the Mass is, BTW). and, Unlike the present practice at many Roman parishes, even the youngest children come (or are taken) to the alter to receive blessings from the priest (We don’t have EMHE).

The fact is that the parents and their kids who worship at St. Mary’s gladly drive by at least two or three other parishes (Roman, Episcopalian and even Continuing Anglican) to celebrate the Holy and Sacred Mysteries of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ at St. Mary’s. And, Many drive 10 or more miles to do so…

When Roman parishes give the Lord more than the 45 min. to 1 hour of Divine Liturgy on Sunday most Roman Parishes give, when you demolish the soundproof rooms many Roman Parishes seem to have, when the Obligatory Pre-Communion Fast is re-expanded back to 3 hours from 1 hour, **when you have 2 priests and 2 deacons serving a TOTAL congregation of 200 **(including EXTREME irregulars) and when you have 25% of your REGULAR congregation either in the Sanctuary or in the Choir Loft, then you can comment on the little bit we do to accommodate the youngest in our Gathering.

Take care of the BEAM before your deal with the Speck.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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It sounds like you need to take a sip of your own medicine and study Luke6:42:

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

I attend the Pauline Mass and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom every week. Rarely does the Mass last less than 75 mins. Divine Liturgies are never 2 hours – not even the DL of St. James. Three hours? No way.

Very few kids are moved in and out of the church either – they listen.

I’m not sure why you mentioned your three hour fast but it’s certainly no better than the Catholic Church’s mandate of at least one hour. I’m also not sure why you would suggest infants in the Latin Rite are not routinely taken up for blessings during communion – they are.

I’m not sure why you mention the 2 priests/2 deacons/200 faithful…
 
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