How to encourage altar serving?

[ChemicalBean]

If there cannot be a priest this is exactly how it should be done. My diocese just had an “installation” Mass of a pastoral life administrator (woman). She even got all dolled up in an Alb for her ordin…I mean installation Mass.

The picture was on the front page of the diocesan newspaper. It caused much confusion.

Wow - I don’t wish to derail this thread, but I do wish to rebuke you for tone.

“Dolled up”? If a man donned the proper ceremonial/liturgical attire, symbolic of his function within the community, and adding solemnity to the occasion of his recognition, would you say he was dolled up, or would you say he was just appropriately vested? But a woman does the same thing and she is “dolled up.” Hmm…

The alb (“white”), symbolic of our baptismal challenge to put on Christ and bring our garment unstained to the everlasting banquet, is proper to all baptized Christians. It would be awesome if we all wore one every time we went to Mass! However, since that is impractical, we usually just have the presider, servers, and sometimes other visible liturgical ministers wearing an alb. In a way they characterize how the rest of us are participating anyway through their processions and service.

She was being installed as a lay spiritual and business leader of the parish. She wore the garment proper to her state and function in the Church. It’s really no different than wearing the academic cap and gown to a graduation ceremony. Sure, any scholar or graduate attending the ceremony could wear one (it used to be the normal university attire), but customarily, only the graduates being recognized and the faculty and administration conferring the degrees wear the gown.

 

[THurifer2]

Wow - I don’t wish to derail this thread, but I do wish to rebuke you for tone.

"
The alb (“white”), symbolic of our baptismal challenge to put on Christ and bring our garment unstained to the everlasting banquet, is proper to all baptized Christians. It would be awesome if we all wore one every time we went to Mass! However, since that is impractical, we usually just have the presider, servers, and sometimes other visible liturgical ministers wearing an alb. In a way they characterize how the rest of us are participating anyway through their processions and service.

She was being installed as a lay spiritual and business leader of the parish. She wore the garment proper to her state and function in the Church. It’s really no different than wearing the academic cap and gown to a graduation ceremony. Sure, any scholar or graduate attending the ceremony could wear one (it used to be the normal university attire), but customarily, only the graduates being recognized and the faculty and administration conferring the degrees wear the gown.

No Bean (by the way welcome back…isn’t there an ISU game tonight?)

You are wrong… An alb is a Litrugical Garment. A PLA is not a litrugical role and the ceremony for her was contrived… (even the bishop admitted this and actually was quite perturbed that it happened.) You are wrong about her vestents sorry to say. The alb is a Liturgical garment. This Woman (I know her very personally) has never taken a litrugical class…and her function is in NO WAY liturgical. Nice try…but you are incorrect.

There is nothing in canon law that pertains to the installaton Mass of a layperson. It doesn’t exist and it was a made up fairy tale event that seriously P.O.ed the Bishop…(it was done behind his back then put in the diocesan paper)

 

[Pong]

The picture was on the front page of the diocesan newspaper. It caused much confusion.

Why? People in your diocese aren’t bright enough to figure out that it wasn’t an ordination?