Installed Acolytes (Non-Seminarian)

[rptolan]

According to Canon Law, the latest GIRM, Vatican II, etc, it appears that the “Ministry” of Acolyte has been (and is now more clearly) open to non-seminarians (those preparing for the Diaconate or the Priesthood). However, while I can find a lot of information around this topic, I can only find instance of it in the Diocese of Lincoln Nebraska. To some extent it seems to be an answer to properly reducing the EMHC count and formalizing the altar servers whilst properly forming men for the Liturgical needs of the Church…

I do not mean for this to become a battle of the sexes, and this is not my intent. Neither I am interested in putting someone out of the running for the Diaconate nor the Priesthood. Therefore, please open your own threads to banter about who belongs and who does not.

My interest is in becoming an Installed Acolyte. There have been many items that have pointed me in this direction, and the call keeps coming. I am happily married and with young children. I already am the de facto server for our daily masses, and an EMHC. I am not in a position to pursue the Diaconate, but I am willing to fulfill formational needs and service as necessary for an Installed Acolyte. It is not the title, but the formation and closeness and service to the Liturgy that I seek.

If there are those out there that have had the same calling, I’d be interested in learning more about your calling, or if someone from Lincoln Nebraska who has already instituted could chime in, I’d appreciate to hear more about your path to installed status. Likewise, if anyone has information on formation coursework, I’d be interested in that information as well. Where would I start on this path?

Let’s try to keep this thread constructive.

Thanks, and God Bless all of you for helping this faith forum.
–Rick
Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO

 

[system]

Is there really coursework needed to do what a grade-schooler can do (serve Mass)? I have also heard of the Acolyte title, but I don’t understand the reasoning behind it.

 

[DrCat]

Can somebody explain exactly what an acolyte is? I have looked it up, but I’m afraid the definition (the highest order below sub-deacon) doesn’t do much for me. I mean, I know what a deacon is, I know what a priest is, I know what a bishop is. But - sub-deacon? Acolyte? Lector? I really do not know the answer to what these are.

The definitions seem to take for granted that the person asking was raised in a Catholic school. Me? while baptised as an infant, I was not raised in the Church.

Thanks to anybody who can help me.

John

 

[akemner]

What are Subdeacons, Acolytes, and Lectors?

Now time for Church history. In the early Church, the number of Deacons was limited to seven (in emulation of the originals). However, if there were a lot of priests concelebrating (at this time, Priests did not typically celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy by themselves-the bishop was the main celebrant, the priests concelebrated). Deacons liturgically assisted the priests in distribution of Communion. If there were more than six Priests, then there needed to be more assisants, and thus the order of Subdeacon was formed. Subdeacon is the highest of the minor orders, but also the lowest order that can actually touch the Holy Table/Altar and sacred vessels (I speak in the present tense because this is still the case in all Eastern Churches-servers do NOT touch any sacred vessel or the Holy Table, and cannot put anything onto it or remove anything). Subdeacon cannot distribute Communion in the East, but could (i think) in the West. This minor order was abolished in the Latin Rite by Paul VI, though perhaps the indult order can have them, as they were a part of the post-Tridentine use of the Mass.

Acolytes (means candle-bearer) is a minor order (in the East, and in the current Latin Rite, and institution along with Lector that were substituted for the minor orders). This basically means an altar server. In the modern Latin Rite (I cannot say for sure pre-Trent) this was the lowest order that could touch sacred vessels and place and remove things from the Altar. In the Byzantine Rite, this is the lowest order of the four minor orders in currency.

Lector means Reader. In the early Church, there were two types of readers in practice, though one had to be able to perform both roles. One roles was to read scripture lessons (Old and New Testament, writings of the Church Fathers), the other was to lead in chanting psalmody-his role in the Eucharistic Liturgy was to read the psalms appointed at the entrance, the Gradual, the Alleluia, and the Communion. His role is much more prominent in the celebration of the Office, where Psalmody is the core and make up of worship. The order of Reader/Lector was considered the first step to the priesthood, though not all readers went on.

There is one more minor order that falls in between Acolyte and Reader, and that is of that of Cantor. This order is suppressed in the contemporary Latin Rite.

There were other minor orders-doorkeeper/sextant, bell-ringer, and a couple of others, but these have mostly fallen into disuse since the Middle Ages.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[S_Corda]

akemner:

What are Subdeacons, Acolytes, and Lectors?

Acolytes (means candle-bearer) is a minor order (in the East, and in the current Latin Rite, and institution along with Lector that were substituted for the minor orders). This basically means an altar server. In the modern Latin Rite (I cannot say for sure pre-Trent) this was the lowest order that could touch sacred vessels and place and remove things from the Altar. In the Byzantine Rite, this is the lowest order of the four minor orders in currency.
…

Acolytes (and lectors) as of Pope Paul VI (Vatican II?) are no longer minor orders.
(The Encyclopedia article stating that they are minor orders is from 1914.)

rptolan,
Good for you!

Regarding your question, there has been so much confusion about acolytes (and lectors) in these forums that I am making a web site about the topic. I am getting tired of posting about the topic here, and I cannot put everything I want in one message here.
For several years I have been a “duly instituted acolyte” in the Diocese of Lincoln. If you have any questions about it, I will be happy to try to respond here and/or in private.

You might want to look at this as well:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=56391#post56391

I’ll try to notify you when I get the web site up.

 

[akemner]

Acolytes (and lectors) as of Pope Paul VI (Vatican II?) are no longer minor orders.
(The Encyclopedia article stating that they are minor orders is from 1914.)

Yes, I am aware of this, hence i described the instituted acolyte and lector as substitutions of the corresponding minor orders (which are no more in the RCC, but still exist and are very much used in Eastern Catholic Churches, ans still fucntion much the same as they have for centuries), which, in essence, they are. FWIW, i did not reference the Catholic Encyclopedia, but was going after a more historical analysis of the institutions, and their minor order counterparts.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[chrystl]

This is what I got from “New Advent” website:

“The chief offices of an acolyte are to light the candles on the altar, to carry them in procession, and during the solemn singing of the Gospel; to prepare wine and water for the sacrifice of the Mass; and to assist the sacred ministers at the Mass, and other public services of the Church. In the ordination of an acolyte the bishop presents him with a candle, extinguished, and an empty cruet, using appropriate words expressive of these duties. Altar boys are often designated as acolytes and perform the duties of such. The duties of the acolyte in Catholic liturgical services are fully described in the manuals of liturgy, e.g. Pio Matinucci, “Manuale Sacrarum Caeremoniarum” (Rome, 1880), VI, 625; and De Herdt, “Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis” (Louvain, 1889), II, 28-39.”

As far as I can tell, my Diocease doesn’t have an Installed Acolyte possition. It may just depend on the Diocease.

In my Diocease, we use “Master’s Of Ceremony”, who are in essance in charge of the flow of the Mass. During special Dioceasan Mass, such as our Chrism Mass, we have one of our Monsiegnor’s in charge of the Order of the Mass, and the Dioceasan MC’s in charge of everything else from the procession of the candles by the altar servers to the flow and distribution of Communion.

And btw, an acolyte is more than a glorified altar server as some altar servers are too young, or unaware of what needs to be done to perform these duties.

As far as classes go, you may want to look into some Liturgical classes which may enrich your understanding of the Liturgy.

Good luck to you.

 

[DrCat]

For all who answered my questions about minor orders. Thank you.

I think I understand these orders a little better (although I still have difficulty with reader/lector - if there is a difference. I think part of my problem with these two is that the word for reader in Spanish is lector. I’ve heard that they are slightly different (although in practice they might be the same).

I would definitely be interested in seeing your web page when you have it up.

John

 

[akemner]

“I think I understand these orders a little better (although I still have difficulty with reader/lector”

There is no difference. Reader is English, and Lector is Latin. However, in my Church, Reader is the term for the minor order, as the Greek or Slavonic terms are difficult to say-- “Reader” in Church Slavonic is “Chtets”, and a psalm-reader is called “Psalomschchik”; in Greek, i know only one of the words for “Reader” and that is “psaltis” or “Psalmist” when rendered into English-however, there is no distinction of order here as far as tonsure is concerned, there is just one. The difference is practical and rooted in ritual function.

 

[S_Corda]

“I think I understand these orders a little better (although I still have difficulty with reader/lector”

There is no difference. Reader is English, and Lector is Latin. However, in my Church, Reader is the term for the minor order, as the Greek or Slavonic terms are difficult to say-- “Reader” in Church Slavonic is “Chtets”, and a psalm-reader is called “Psalomschchik”; in Greek, i know only one of the words for “Reader” and that is “psaltis” or “Psalmist” when rendered into English-however, there is no distinction of order here as far as tonsure is concerned, there is just one. The difference is practical and rooted in ritual function.

The difference is real and stated in Canon Law among other places. For example (emphasis added)
Canon Law:

Can. 1035 1. Before anyone is promoted to the permanent or transitional diaconate, he is required to have received the ministries of lector and acolyte and to have exercised them for a suitable period of time.​

Can. 230 1. Lay men who possess the age and qualifications established by decree of the conference of bishops can be admitted on a stable basis through the prescribed liturgical rite to the ministries of lector and acolyte. …
2. Lay persons can fulfill the **function ** of lector in liturgical actions by temporary designation. …
3. When the need of the Church warrants it **and ministers are lacking **, lay persons, **even if they are not lectors or acolytes **, can also supply certain of their duties, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, …

---

JOHN PAUL II, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Wednesday 5 August 1998
Source: vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1998/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_05081998_en.html
4. … Among the lay ministries we recall those instituted with a liturgical rite: the offices of lector and acolyte. …​

Christifidelis Laici:
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici_en.html
See section 23 on “The Ministries, Offices and Roles of the Lay Faithful”

I didn’t search all GIRM this time, but this might help:
usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter3.htm
under the heading “III. Particular Ministries: The Ministry of the Instituted Acolyte and Lector”