Is the female altar server at my parish sinning?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GerardAubyn
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
is it possible that she posts things to show that they are wrong or disagree with them?

I do that on facebook sometimes, depending on the topic and so does just about everyone else I know.

or does it seem more like she is in support and showing it in a positive light?
 
You have never seen a 19 yo girl altar server before because it is not a prudent choice. I have been in close contact with many young girls and it is very easy at that age not to be very mature and to easily get crushes. My 2 cents.
 
If there is a risk that the faith and morals of the faithful were in danger because of an individual ‘s beliefs, then the parish priest would seem to be the one to alert and to leave the matter with, trusting him to deal with anything that might need to be addressed.
 
In many parishes there are female altar servers. In my parish (and in many other parishes I have been in the past) there are female altar servers pretty young (I would say after First Communion to roughly until Confirmation). Usually female readers, at least in this area, are from the time to Confirmation to retirement age. Keep in mind that my Diocese was in the US news as one of the most affected by the sexual abuse scandal. That’s why I say prudence is very very important.
 
I withdrew/ edited my original post, because I had asked why you were reading her Facebook and I see you answered it, that she had sent you a friend request.

If I were in a position where an acquaintance - not a good friend, but an acquaintance - was posting stuff I strongly disagreed with on Facebook, I would do one of the following:
  1. Unfriend them quietly. If they happened to ask me why I did that, I would nicely explain we don’t see eye to eye on such and such important issues.
  2. Alternatively, I would express to them on one of their posts that I don’t agree with it and they would either discuss it with me or we’d end up no longer being “Facebook friends”.
In addition, you mention she’s a catechism teacher. If you’re concerned her positions will adversely affect her teaching, mention it to the pastor. If he decides to do nothing then you would have to live with that.
 
Last edited:
? Women were allowed to serve at the altar for quite a long time. It’s up to the bishops though, they’re allowed to forbid girls. My country for example doesn’t allow us to serve, but many states in America, countries in Asia etc allow this.
 
GerardAubyn said:
She occasionally posts on Facebook things that promote LGBTQ+ and even pro-choice policies.
Click to expand...
What are these posts?

Some can be misinterpreted. I know some people assumed I supported certain things because I repost stuff that criticises some Christians for being homophobic. So maybe it depends on the context?

I know many pro life Christians who are against pro life policies, but it’s more to do with ignorance (“I’m personally pro life but i feel uncomfortable with telling people what to do”). I was exactly like that at 19.
 
VanitasVanitatum said:
No, that’s not how vocations work.
Click to expand...
Yeah. One can say that not allowing girls take the opportunity away from being close to God in this manner. I tend to question why some seem to value the spiritual growth of boys more than girls. Anyway, if God wants someone to be a priest, he will make that known even if the boy isn’t a server imo.
 
Altar serving is mostly just actions and the same spiritual benefit can be got from other pious exercises. Sometimes the latter is better since it is easy to go through the motions.
 
Every diocese I’ve been in has girls and women serving at OF Masses. If it’s a parish with a school, there will be “altar girls” along with the altar boys. If it’s a parish with adult servers, there are frequently women, and often Sisters, serving the Masses. I have been to parishes where almost all daily Masses are served by one or two Sisters.

I’ve been seeing female altar servers since about the 1970s, when they were rare enough to have pictures in the local Catholic newspaper if a parish was using an “altar girl”, but they got progressively more and more common.

Obviously EF Masses won’t have girl or women servers.
 
Last edited:
People can lament the social changes that inhibit modern day Catholics from pointing out the splinters in others’ eyes, but that’s really entirely beside the point here.

As the father of a 20 year old young woman, I would most certainly disapprove of a 36 year old man taking such an interest.

If he is compelled to get all up in her business, he should speak to his priest.
 
Is she posting things PROMOTING LGBT lifestyle or posting things to encourage loving the LGBT people themselves? There’s a difference. You can love someone without agreeing with their lifestyle
 
If she’s giving approval to sin, then yes, that’s the sin of scandal.

If she’s making comments that could come across a certain way, then she might innocently be a stumbling block to others.

Especially because she’s in a teaching ministry.

Her supervisor needs to talk to her.
 
Scrap this. I just read the age dynamic. If you have a concern perhaps tell the Priest who can then judge what is the next step. As a significantly older male, it might not be very appropriate to be on her fb page and attempting to classify the posts there.
 
Last edited:
It’s not really proper since he’s significantly older.
 
Last edited:
If he were just creeping on her Facebook and trying to police it, that would bother me too.

But she requested him to be a Facebook friend, based on the fact that they know each other from church work. He accepted. This isn’t a terribly unusual “Facebook friendship” especially since it doesn’t seem like there’s any sort of interest other than platonic acquaintance going on. “Facebook friendships” cut across ages and genders. Furthermore, the young woman seems to be his children’s catechist, so I can see why the concern about her posts seemingly rejecting Catholic teaching.

It would be like if your child’s teacher requested your Facebook friendship based on the fact that you volunteer at the school, and then you became aware that the teacher was posting things that seemed off, such as endorsements of Communism or something.
 
Last edited:
Thank you. I was starting to get worried that no one knew how Facebook worked.
 
I think that maybe she does not understand what she is doing. I would probably tell my vicar and ask if something could be done.

However, I think that for you in this situation it may be best to leave it. You have seen liberal posts on Facebook. She has decided to post this, it was her decision. I really do not think it is necessarily any of your business.

But, if she is a catechist and is active in the parish, it may be necessary to report her.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top