How Much Traning Do Your Altar Servers Receive?

[ChurchTorch]

How much training do the altar servers receive when they begin serving Mass? How much time in rank do they require until they serve on their own? Is it enough or not enough in your opinion?

 

[jamesdunnaway]

way not enough, MY 3 children recieved 1 training session and had to learn while servinig in Mass after that.

 

[puzzleannie]

they drilled for 2 hours Holy Saturday morning and did beautifully throughout the Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses, God bless them, even the youngest.

many of ours have older brothers who are serving and it is cute to see the older one glaring at the youngster to keep him in line and giving him cues

ours are trained by the deacon and get a good review of the entire Mass & Eucharist before they even start training on the altar. to be allowed to handle the censer is their reward for good performance, I think.

 

[CatholicZ09]

Typically, two sacristans train the incoming 4th graders in the summertime. Then, within a few weeks, they’re serving. I remember when I got trained, that following Sunday I was scheduled to serve. There are usually three servers at each Mass, but there are usually four when a new server is serving at a Mass.

They usually train them for about an hour, go through the whole Mass, and then repeat it over again. You have to pay attention very closely, because every detail is important. If you know you missed a detail, it’s wise to ask them over again, because those details are VERY important.

I know that that training session did help, but I felt like I need more training. Well, I just kept seeing what happened at Mass when I didn’t have to serve, and I got the hang of it and now it’s a breeze.

 

[michaeldaniels]

Judging by the behavior of many I see…not nearly enough. But on the same note, I have seen some outstanding ones as well…I think it comes down to desire. Another thing along with poor training that is really bothersome is their attire, i.e. shoes, pants, etc. and hairstyles and piercings…I really get angered when I see the way some of them look while serving at The Altar…and the parents and priest should be doubly blamed.

 

[Brendan]

In our parish, every boy, from age 5 through High School, is an altar boy.

They are trained by the boys older than themselves.

For example, the 5 year olds are placed near the 7-8 year olds. Their ‘task’ is to learn to process, and most importantly, to sit still with their hands on their laps. It really works out well, as they see all the boys around them doing something ( sitting still) and they want to be like the older boys.

The 6-7 year olds learn simple tasks, like carrying the swing torches in procession, and holding the patens from the 9-10 year olds.

The 9-10 year olds learn when and how to ring the bells and to assist with offetory (escorting the gift up, etc…)

The 10-11 year olds learn the presentation of the cruets and the lavabo procedures. etc…

Finally the High School aged boys will do the readings, offer the prayers of the faithful, and, if a deacon is not present, will turn the pages of the Sacramentary during the Eucharistic prayer, and place and remove the pall over the chalice as necessary.

So generally they learn, on the job, over the course of years, taught by the older boys.

Here is a video from a typical Sunday Mass

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You can see the 5 and 6 year olds following the older boys in procession, with older boys behind them to sheperd.

Yes, this is our average Sunday Mass.

 

[JRKH]

How much training do the altar servers receive when they begin serving Mass? How much time in rank do they require until they serve on their own? Is it enough or not enough in your opinion?

Not enough in my opinion.
I don’t mind mistakes too much during weekday masses as I consider these to be a good oportunity for the kids to “learn on the job” so to speak, but it irks me a bit to see confusion during the Sunday mass.
Right now one of our Deacons is doing the training, and I suspect he is quite busy and maybe just isn’t able to give the time necessary.
I have considered offering my services to help train servers once my time as caregiver to my wife is done. Perhaps God will call me that way.

Peace
James

 

[puzzleannie]

Right now one of our Deacons is doing the training, and I suspect he is quite busy and maybe just isn’t able to give the time necessary.

my guess is that he schedules enough training time but parents don’t bring the boys to all the meetings

 

[JRKH]

my guess is that he schedules enough training time but parents don’t bring the boys to all the meetings

Could well be. Of course that would be “children” since we use both boys and girls as Altar servers.

Peace
James

 

[Brooklyn]

I know the woman who trains the altar servers, and she spends several weeks with them before they serve. The one thing I wish the servers would be trained in is to be more reverent, to realize that they are serving at Calvary. I don’t think they are told this enough, or maybe at all. One time I saw a server who looked like she was sleeping.

I hope this isn’t cruel, but I think that the altar servers at the NO Masses are a bit of a joke. I go to a Latin Mass on Sunday, where the servers are all adults, most of whom were altar boys when they were young. They really serve, knowing all of the responses and prayers in Latin, knowing when to bow, genuflect and kneel, moving the book from side to side on the altar, using the incense, lifting the vestments of the priest at certain times in the Mass, etc. At the NO Masses, I’m hardly even aware of the servers. They usually look like they really don’t care what is going on.

 

[patwolford]

When I started serving in 1995 or 1996, we had at least a couple months worth of one hour sessions every Sunday. The responsibility fell on the senior servers to train the younger ones, I started serving within a couple weeks of being Confirmed.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Our boys have an initial training and then refreshers a couple of times a year. Several years ago one of our PVs made a dvd for the boys that is very helpful. They borrow it from the church for a few weeks and can watch as needed before their first time serving. We have 100+ boys who are scheduled 2 to a weekday Mass and 4 to a Sunday Mass. Very few serve alone although my son does have his ‘own’ 6:15am Mass several times a month.

As another poster said, the younger boys learn from the older ones at on-the-job training also. With 3-5 different priests saying Mass here regularly, they have to because each priest has his own preferences for things like how they do they lavado and of course each has his own cruets, etc.

There is also additional training for major feasts and special liturgies like the Easter Vigil and for weddings and funerals. Boys have to have served for several years before they are trained for that.

 

[cctabb]

The two parishes that my daughter has served at have both had about an hour training then the rest is OTJ.

 

[roadsend]

I know the woman who trains the altar servers, and she spends several weeks with them before they serve. The one thing I wish the servers would be trained in is to be more reverent, to realize that they are serving at Calvary. I don’t think they are told this enough, or maybe at all. One time I saw a server who looked like she was sleeping.

I hope this isn’t cruel, but I think that the altar servers at the NO Masses are a bit of a joke. I go to a Latin Mass on Sunday, where the servers are all adults, most of whom were altar boys when they were young. They really serve, knowing all of the responses and prayers in Latin, knowing when to bow, genuflect and kneel, moving the book from side to side on the altar, using the incense, lifting the vestments of the priest at certain times in the Mass, etc. At the NO Masses, I’m hardly even aware of the servers. They usually look like they really don’t care what is going on.

Yup.
They really don’t do much at the N.O. Mass at my parish either (which is the only kind of Mass we have), so there is not a lot of training required.
They hold the book for the Collects, help out at the Lavabo, and that is about it. No bells to ring.
They wouln’t know what a paten was for, if it was put in their hands.
For the most part, they just hang around in the corner of our small Sanctuary so that they are out of the way of the “Music Ministers” (sort of like a choir), the Lector, and the five “Eucharistic Ministers” (EMHCs).
They are for the most part, girls, who start out at about fifth grade and are pretty much “retired” by the time they are out of grade school.
It is extremely rare to see a server for other than a Sunday Mass.
It would not surprise me if servers eventually disappeared into the dustbin of local Catholic history along with Communion rails, high altars, tabernacle veils, Baptismal fonts, confessionals, patens, bells, organs, Gregorian Chant, other Catholic sacred music, and fiddleback chasubles.

 

[Bluegoat]

In my experience some people have to do a thing like serving to learn it well, no matter how many times they practice they will make mistakes the first few times.

When I served, we first got to do the easier jobs, and over time were given more responsibility. The training session to start wasn’t that long, it was until the prospective server and the sacristan (who trained the servers) were both comfortable that it would go well.

I remember once though there was a problem, there was a need for extra servers because there was a bishop, and there was a flu going around and someone didn’t show up at the last moment. The sacristan nabbed a young fellow from the congregation. It turned out afterward he was Jewish, but didn’t want to be disobliging so he didn’t say anything. Not only did he have no trining, he had never been to a high Mass before.

 

[CatholicZ09]

I also noticed that younger servers get to do the easier jobs, like dressing the altar, and holding the book for Father. The oldest server usually carries the cross or does the incense.

 

[ChurchTorch]

It’s remarkable to see the huge disparity in how much training altar servers receive. In my parish it’s a total of one hour. The newly trained server is then paired with an experienced server (who has at least 2-3 Masses under their belts) for their first few Masses. If they stick to it, they might get updated training of another hour every year or two, or three.

I figured something was amiss when I heard about the formation one of my younger cousins went through at another parish. It’s great to hear how long/in-depth some programs are. I think it’s also an excellent idea to have the older servers help with the training.

 

[ChurchTorch]

…I hope this isn’t cruel, but I think that the altar servers at the NO Masses are a bit of a joke. I go to a Latin Mass on Sunday, where the servers are all adults, most of whom were altar boys when they were young. They really serve, knowing all of the responses and prayers in Latin, knowing when to bow, genuflect and kneel, moving the book from side to side on the altar, using the incense, lifting the vestments of the priest at certain times in the Mass, etc. At the NO Masses, I’m hardly even aware of the servers. They usually look like they really don’t care what is going on.

Yup.
**They really don’t do much at the N.O. Mass at my parish either **(which is the only kind of Mass we have), so there is not a lot of training required.

Really? If a priest was celebrating Mass by himself (VERY common), if not for the servers at the OF Masses who would:

Light the candles before Mass

Carry the thurible, incense boat crucifix or torches in procession?

Help the priest prepare the censer for censing the altar?

Hold the Sacramentary at the opening prayer?

Flank the ambo with torches at the Gospel?

Assist with preparing the censer at the Gospel?

Hold the folder of general intentions?

Dress the altar?

Place the sacred vessels, and Sacramentary on the altar?

Help with the procession of the gifts?

Assist the priest as he accept the gifts at the foot of the sanctuary?

Help the priest prepare the censer for the offertory?

Cense the priest?

Cense the faithful?

Washes the priest’s hands?

Place the ablution cup and purificator on the altar?

Ring the sanctus bell(s)

Provide incense at both major elevations?

Hold the communion paten?

Assist the priest in purifiying the sacred vessels after communion by the pouring of water and handling of fresh purificators?

Clear the altar.

Hold the Sacramentary at the closing prayer?

Carry the thurible, incense boat crucifix or torches in recession?

Extinguish the candles after Mass?

There’s more than that…

I’m curious if some servers don’t receive adequate training because those responsible for training have no real concept about the responsibilities of servers at the OF Mass? In any event that’s really sad.

 

[ChurchTorch]

…Finally the High School aged boys will do the readings, offer the prayers of the faithful…

Are they commissioned readers in this case while dressed as altar servers?

 

[Brooklyn]

Really? If a priest was celebrating Mass by himself (VERY common), if not for the servers at the OF Masses who would:

Light the candles before Mass

Carry the thurible, incense boat crucifix or torches in procession?

Help the priest prepare the censer for censing the altar?

Hold the Sacramentary at the opening prayer?

Flank the ambo with torches at the Gospel?

Assist with preparing the censer at the Gospel?

Hold the folder of general intentions?

Dress the altar?

Place the sacred vessels, and Sacramentary on the altar?

Help with the procession of the gifts?

Assist the priest as he accept the gifts at the foot of the sanctuary?

Help the priest prepare the censer for the offertory?

Cense the priest?

Cense the faithful?

Washes the priest’s hands?

Place the ablution cup and purificator on the altar?

Ring the sanctus bell(s)

Provide incense at both major elevations?

Hold the communion paten?

Assist the priest in purifiying the sacred vessels after communion by the pouring of water and handling of fresh purificators?

Clear the altar.

Hold the Sacramentary at the closing prayer?

Carry the thurible, incense boat crucifix or torches in recession?

Extinguish the candles after Mass?

There’s more than that…

I’m curious if some servers don’t receive adequate training because those responsible for training have no real concept about the responsibilities of servers at the OF Mass? In any event that’s really sad.

Wow, where do you go to Mass? I really doubt very much if the altar servers I see would know how to do half of that list. As mentioned in a previous post, most would have no idea what a paten is or what it is used for. How often do you see a paten anymore? The only time I see it is at the TLM, and a couple of more orthodox churches I attend. Almost no one uses a paten. Most people receive in the hands, so what’s the use?