Male-only Altar Servers?

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A review of this thread reveals something amazing. Even on a Catholic forum, there are people who place sexist/feminist ideals ahead of fostering priestly vocations.

We still have a long way to come, babies…
 
I have been reading through this post and trying to understand where the idea that if one believe girls can be altar servers than that person is a feminist. I was an active altar server and I do not consider myself a feminist. I do pray for more men in leadership roles. As a youth minister now, I am always joy filled when we get another faith filled male to help out. Why aren’t guys just stepping up to the plate of leadership instead of taking their toys and running away saying they just don’t want to play with the girls.

I’m still waiting for some data on the effects of altar servers. I doubt there is any out there since it hasn’t been around for that long.
 
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picasso_13:
I have been reading through this post and trying to understand where the idea that if one believe girls can be altar servers than that person is a feminist. I was an active altar server and I do not consider myself a feminist. I do pray for more men in leadership roles. As a youth minister now, I am always joy filled when we get another faith filled male to help out. Why aren’t guys just stepping up to the plate of leadership instead of taking their toys and running away saying they just don’t want to play with the girls.

I’m still waiting for some data on the effects of altar servers. I doubt there is any out there since it hasn’t been around for that long.
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Serving at the altar will help to foster priestly vocations. Therefore every altar serving slot should be reserved for those males who just might be given a priestly vocation from God.

Don’t have enough males in your parish who might have a priestly vocation who are willing to serve? Invest more time and effort in your parish’s altar server program until you do.

The only reasons I can see that people would not be willing to do this are sexist/feminism or the rare case of actual need (convent, female college or prison, etc.)
 
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picasso_13:
I have been reading through this post and trying to understand where the idea that if one believe girls can be altar servers than that person is a feminist.
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That’s because you are thinking logically, instead of trying to come up with emotionally-charged labels to justify a preconceived notion.
 
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Crusader:
Many have suggested that Redemptoris Sacramentum initially forbade female altar servers, but it was feared that the uproar from the sexists/feminists would be too great so they softened the language.
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The intent of Redemptionis Sacramentum was to reiterate existing liturgical law, and to clarify that certain practices were definitely abuses. If indeed an early draft of Redemptionis Sacramentum attempted to change the ligurgical law regarding female altar servers, I don’t think we need to posit the existence of feminist uproar and fearful bishops to explain why the final version reflected the Holy Father’s original intent.
 
Serving at the altar helps to foster priestly vocations. Therefore every altar serving “slot” should be reserved for those males who just might receive a priestly vocation from God.

The above statement stands on its own two logical feet. Only when emotion is introduced do we have people trying to argue with its message.
 
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Crusader:
Serving at the altar helps to foster priestly vocations. Therefore every altar serving “slot” should be reserved for those males who just might receive a priestly vocation from God.
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I agree!

I would just like to point out that there are two dioceses that I know of - Arlington, VA and Lincoln, NE - that only use male altar servers. To my knowledge, they do not suffer from a priest shortage and they both have an abundance of new vocations. It is hard to prove cause and effect, but it is something that dioceses with a priest shortage should consider.
 
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Gianna:
I agree!

I would just like to point out that there are two dioceses that I know of - Arlington, VA and Lincoln, NE - that only use male altar servers. To my knowledge, they do not suffer from a priest shortage and they both have an abundance of new vocations. It is hard to prove cause and effect, but it is something that dioceses with a priest shortage should consider.
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In this day of “crisis of vocations” there are some (arch)dioceses that are doing just fine. Why? Because they take priestly vocations seriously.

Lincoln dosen’t use extraordinary ministers of holy communion either. They actually install acolytes after they receive either a year or 18 months of training.
 
I know of a parish that has a mutlitude of girls serving at the altar. They do so, I presume, out of the same desire to participate in the mass as a young boys do. I really don’t think they are trying to get us used to seeing women at the altar to pave the way for female priests. However it is manifestly evident that advocates of the female priesthood heresy hold that first you get in as altar servers then installed to acolyte, then ordained deacons and priests. Clearly the agenda of many has been to push radical change on the Church regardless of what Rome teaches.

These innocent girls, only by their presence, have actually chased the boys from the the altar. If you still believe 11 year old boys wants to be bossed around by 14 year old girls then you really don’t understand adolescent gender dynamics. The problem is so acute that just about every recently written Vatican document about servers stresses the need to build programs to promote this vocation to boys. The Church is silent on building such programs for girls.

A deacon who once used to say that it is God’s will to have altar girls soon changed his tune when a boy came to him and asked why boys can’t serve at the altar? It was a slap in the face to have such innocence show up his arrogance. All the snide modernistic ideas he and his pastor used against the faithful in their parish came home to roost. His words now would lead me to believe he is more reserved about promoting altar girls now.

The Church has powerful allies in heaven we must never be afraid to discern our understandings of Church teachings through the eyes of the Saints. Pray and ask for their intercession especially Padre Pio and Mother Thersea to help us with what The Holy Spirit has in mind for those who serve at the Divine Liturgy. God sent us Saints because He expects us to emulate their thoughts and actions as faithful Catholics.

Regardless in the next few years I will swear a life long oath to my bishop and his succesors. If they want to permit altar girls I will repect it, if they want to reject altar girls I will respect it. Faithful and lawful obedience to your bishop, even though you may not agree, is more vital to your spiritual well-being then fighting a personal crusade.

Peace and God Bless
 
I agree, with you here Deacon2006, you have made several good points. I think that you could take your logic a step further, it helps young boys to have good rolemodels like older boys, deacons priests who take their faith seriously to show them how to live out their faith. Not to say that girls can’t do this but there is a comradery that cant be obtained with a mixed gender group the styles of relation between genders (how they relate to one another) differ to greatly.
 
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Deacon2006:
I know of a parish that has a mutlitude of girls serving at the altar. They do so, I presume, out of the same desire to participate in the mass as a young boys do. I really don’t think they are trying to get us used to seeing women at the altar to pave the way for female priests. However it is manifestly evident that advocates of the female priesthood heresy hold that first you get in as altar servers then installed to acolyte, then ordained deacons and priests. Clearly the agenda of many has been to push radical change on the Church regardless of what Rome teaches.

These innocent girls, only by their presence, have actually chased the boys from the the altar. If you still believe 11 year old boys wants to be bossed around by 14 year old girls then you really don’t understand adolescent gender dynamics. The problem is so acute that just about every recently written Vatican document about servers stresses the need to build programs to promote this vocation to boys. The Church is silent on building such programs for girls.

A deacon who once used to say that it is God’s will to have altar girls soon changed his tune when a boy came to him and asked why boys can’t serve at the altar? It was a slap in the face to have such innocence show up his arrogance. All the snide modernistic ideas he and his pastor used against the faithful in their parish came home to roost. His words now would lead me to believe he is more reserved about promoting altar girls now.

The Church has powerful allies in heaven we must never be afraid to discern our understandings of Church teachings through the eyes of the Saints. Pray and ask for their intercession especially Padre Pio and Mother Thersea to help us with what The Holy Spirit has in mind for those who serve at the Divine Liturgy. God sent us Saints because He expects us to emulate their thoughts and actions as faithful Catholics.

Regardless in the next few years I will swear a life long oath to my bishop and his succesors. If they want to permit altar girls I will repect it, if they want to reject altar girls I will respect it. Faithful and lawful obedience to your bishop, even though you may not agree, is more vital to your spiritual well-being then fighting a personal crusade.

Peace and God Bless
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Very good posting. I never suggested that female altar servers were in any way inferior to male altar servers. I didn’t suggest that female altar servers were considered by some as a gateway to females one day becoming priests (a complete impossibility, but I can see how some would be pushing just this agenda.) Nor did I suggest that females would not enjoy and benefit from serving as altar servers. What I did say was:

"Serving at the altar will help to foster priestly vocations. Therefore every altar serving slot should be reserved for those males who just might be given a priestly vocation from God."

I stand by this comment.
 
My experience in parish liturgy has shown that, on the whole, when girls serve at Mass they are more reverent, more serious about their responsibility, and more willing to get involved. Despite the fact that girls are often the model of what an altar server should be, I have been shown time and time again that it is simply not possible to have a successful program of both boys and girls serving. If you try to have boys and girls, you will invariably get almost all girls. My parish allowed girls to serve starting a few years ago. Now, being an altar server is a “girl thing” that the boys won’t touch with a ten foot pole. The problem here is one that faces the church on many issues; if there’s a job in the church open to both women and men, the men will be more than happy to abdicate any responsibility and let the women do it. Servng Mass used to be a “guy thing” that boys would find “cool” but is becomming more and more a “girl thing.”
 
As far as I know, at least in the Eastern Catholic Church (Byzantine) that there are only to be MALE altar servers.
My pastor told me that as long as you are a male and ABOVE the age of 6, any Male can be an alter server. In the Byzantine Church we have as many at 8 males at one time up at the altar.

I just became an altar server at the age of 43. One of our altar servers is in his late 50’s. It is so interesting to see boys and men of different ages all participating in the Liturgy all at one time.

go with God!
Edwin
 
There used to be only male alter servers, not that long ago. Our parish has about 700 people and has 120 alter boys (the most in the archdiocese). They do not have female alter servers. They have several young menevery year that go to seminary to study for the priesthood.
 
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rayne89:
There used to be only male alter servers, not that long ago. Our parish has about 700 people and has 120 alter boys (the most in the archdiocese). They do not have female alter servers. They have several young menevery year that go to seminary to study for the priesthood.
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It appears that your parish takes altar boys and priestly vocations very seriously. Bravo.
 
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rayne89:
There used to be only male alter servers, not that long ago. Our parish has about 700 people and has 120 alter boys (the most in the archdiocese). They do not have female alter servers. They have several young menevery year that go to seminary to study for the priesthood.
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Which pairsh is this? I have not seen any parish like this in Detroit.Please tell me
 
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katolik:
Which pairsh is this? I have not seen any parish like this in Detroit.Please tell me
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Ss. Cyril & Methodias
41233 Ryan Rd. Sterling Hts. MI

Web Site: saintcyrils.org/index.htm
They also have at least 3 daily Masses (4 on Tues & Thurs) and 7 on Sunday including at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Mass
 
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Fullsizesedan:
Women and girls are currently banned from the catholic priesthood, allowing them to participate as altar girls, lectors, EMHC’s, organists , etc., gives everyone a chance to participate, not just the men.
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every person in the congregation, man woman boy girl should be fully, actively participating in the sacred liturgy. one’s participation is not measured by whether or not one is filling some ministerial role in the celebration. It is not a performance where there needs to be a lot of bit players.
 
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puzzleannie:
every person in the congregation, man woman boy girl should be fully, actively participating in the sacred liturgy. one’s participation is not measured by whether or not one is filling some ministerial role in the celebration. It is not a performance where there needs to be a lot of bit players.
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Very, very well said.
 
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