Instituted acolyte?

[Formosus]

So does anyone have any recommendation as to how someone requests their bishop to become one of those? Is there anywhere that talks more in detail about them?

 

[Marian_Carroll]

By doing a titles only search on the word “acolyte” various threads discussing this will come up.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

So does anyone have any recommendation as to how someone requests their bishop to become one of those? Is there anywhere that talks more in detail about them?

I understand that only one Bishop in the US institutes men into the ministries of Acolyte or Lector outside of preparation for being ordained a Deacon.

 

[CRW]

So does anyone have any recommendation as to how someone requests their bishop to become one of those? Is there anywhere that talks more in detail about them?

Just address your desire to your priest. He will discuss the bishops policies that apply and the process, if any, in your area. Wishing you well and Merry Christmas.

 

[Cristiano]

I understand that only one Bishop in the US institutes men into the ministries of Acolyte or Lector outside of preparation for being ordained a Deacon.

I seriously doubt that we are the only dioceses where it happens, but our Bishop instituted a group of Acolytes for our parish a few weeks ago at a special service. However, I think (I am not sure) that the Readers (men and women) are just commissioned by the priest.

 

[Formosus]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Spirithound]

I thought acolyte was just a fancy word for altar server. If that’s the case, ask the priest. If it’s not, ask the bishop.

 

[John_Lilburne]

So does anyone have any recommendation as to how someone requests their bishop to become one of those? Is there anywhere that talks more in detail about them?

I successfully applied to become an instituted lector, while I was a seminarian.

The text of the letter was:
“I hereby freely apply for the Ministry of Lector. I appreciate that this step obliges me to nourish my life constantly with the Word of God, so that I may proclaim Jesus Christ effectively to others.
Yours sincerely,
John Lilburne”

According to the Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam the requirements are:
“8. The following are requirements for admission to the ministries:
a.the presentation of a petition that has been freely made out and signed by the aspirant to the Ordinary (the bishop and, in clerical institutes, the major superior) who has the right to accept the petition;
b.a suitable age and special qualities to be determined by the conference of bishops;
c.a firm will to give faithful service to God and the Christian people.”

The full document is at romanrite.com/Churchdoc.html .

I am aware of two bishops in the United States of America institute acolytes who are not seminarians or preparing to become permanent deacons. They are Bishop Bruskewitz and Bishop Vasa. There could be others I am not aware of.

Bishop Vasa has been particularly articulate about the importance of doing this, writing an article on the topic dated 22 September 2006 which concludes:

"In my view, the fact that these esteemed “offices” and not only the “functions” are, since 1973, open and available to lay men, is a marvelous step forward in the full and orderly implementation of the Second Vatican Council.

“One would be inclined to believe, in light of the opposition to this implementation, that some in the Church truly do not desire an implementation of the Second Vatican Council but rather only an incomplete, politically correct, implementation of what they believe should be implemented and any other “interpretation” is simply rejected as a “giant leap backward.””

The full article is at sentinel.org/articles/2006-38/14947.html .

 

[decn2b]

I thought acolyte was just a fancy word for altar server. If that’s the case, ask the priest. If it’s not, ask the bishop.

You are incorrect. An acolyte and Lector are two of the minor orders of the priesthood. Usually these two orders are reserved to seminarians. Women cannot become an Acolyte or of Lector becuase they are orders of the priesthood. If a there was a ceremony to “institute” lectors that included women it was wrong. I know for fact that Bishop Bruskewitz in Lincoln, NE institutes Acolytes and Lectors. As best I know it is a rarity in the U.S. to have such an order of the priesthood betowed upon a non seminarian. To the best of my knowledge very few dioceses and Archdioceses have them.

 

[John_Lilburne]

You are incorrect. An acolyte and Lector are two of the minor orders of the priesthood. Usually these two orders are reserved to seminarians. Women cannot become an Acolyte or of Lector becuase they are orders of the priesthood…

From Pope Paul VI’s 1972 Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam:
“2. What up to now were called minor orders are henceforth to be called ministries.”
“7. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader and acolyte is reserved to men.”
The full Motu Proprio is at romanrite.com/Churchdoc.html .

 

[Mattapoisett64]

You are incorrect. An acolyte and Lector are two of the minor orders of the priesthood. Usually these two orders are reserved to seminarians. Women cannot become an Acolyte or of Lector becuase they are orders of the priesthood. If a there was a ceremony to “institute” lectors that included women it was wrong. I know for fact that Bishop Bruskewitz in Lincoln, NE institutes Acolytes and Lectors. As best I know it is a rarity in the U.S. to have such an order of the priesthood betowed upon a non seminarian. To the best of my knowledge very few dioceses and Archdioceses have them.

I believe Paul VI supressed, in the West, the traditional “minor orders” of porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte, as well as the former major order of sub-deacon. Lector and Acolyte became “ministries” reserved, in their formal “instituted” sense, to men. I also think it may be fairly common for men in their final year of diaconate formation to be instituted as Lectors and Acolytes.

 

[ComradeAndrei]

Having instituted acolytes works well in Lincoln. I think many of them are better trained that some permanent deacons around.

The problem seems to be that some people (the usual suspects) don’t want instituted acolytes and lectors because women can’t be instituted. Instead, we use lots of “extraordinary” minsters so women can join in the fun. Yay!

 

[G_S]

All candidates for Holy Orders must exercise the office of Lector and Acolyte for a suitable period of time – generally one year for each. A man who is not eventually ordained, if already instituted in one of the above, may exercise that office for life unless otherwise impeded.

 

[bellesjoy]

I successfully applied to become an instituted lector, while I was a seminarian.

I am aware of two bishops in the United States of America institute acolytes who are not seminarians or preparing to become permanent deacons. They are Bishop Bruskewitz and Bishop Vasa. There could be others I am not aware of.

Bishop Vasa has been particularly articulate about the importance of doing this, writing an article on the topic dated 22 September 2006 which concludes:

"In my view, the fact that these esteemed “offices” and not only the “functions” are, since 1973, open and available to lay men, is a marvelous step forward in the full and orderly implementation of the Second Vatican Council.

“One would be inclined to believe, in light of the opposition to this implementation, that some in the Church truly do not desire an implementation of the Second Vatican Council but rather only an incomplete, politically correct, implementation of what they believe should be implemented and any other “interpretation” is simply rejected as a “giant leap backward.””

The full article is at sentinel.org/articles/2006-38/14947.html .

Bishop Vasa is wonderful and always articulate and orthodox in his approach. He institued 30 men as acolytes earlier this year. The above column that you refer to was in response to Call to Action radicals in our community who saw it as a threatening rejection of women by him and a horrible step backward for the Church. As he points out it is truely a fulfillment of the true intent of Vactian II. I hope we have more acolytes instituted each year…and by the way, we are seeing a greater interest in vocations under his prayerful leadership.

 

[decn2b]

From Pope Paul VI’s 1972 Motu Proprio Ministeria Quaedam:
“2. What up to now were called minor orders are henceforth to be called ministries.”
“7. In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, institution to the ministries of reader and acolyte is reserved to men.”
The full Motu Proprio is at romanrite.com/Churchdoc.html .

yes they are called ministries. I and yes this motu Proprio is from the same source that gave us the current Mass unfortunately (not the mass the results) that has mislead some into thinking that worhip is an exclusively horizontal experience. I wonder if those who were instituted before the Motu Proprio had to change or were they grandfatherd into calling themselves with the minor orders.

Pope Paul VI did give us Humanae VItae:thumbsup: