More Re: Altar Servers

[SanctaMommy]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

-We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist.

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?

Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.

 

[JamestheOlder]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

-We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist.
Some parishes still do use patens, but they are definitely in the minority.

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.
We go to four different parishes; three of the four still use bells, but only at the Consecration.

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?
Somebody’s idea of proper attire? It was hard to keep the white surplices cleaned and pressed; most parishes seem to opt for white albs, some with colored cinctures to match the feast/season. Most kids I worked with wore tennis shoes; they didn’t own “dress” shoes.

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?
Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.That seems unusual. In all the parishes I’ve been to lately, even a very small one, the servers had assigned seats in the sanctuary.

Hope this helps! Blessings!

 

[PJD1987]

I am thinking this is a parish issue. I was an altar boy for many years, (appx. f998-2005) at my old parish and there were many responsibilities of the altar boys. We processed in with the crucifix, candles, and incense (when needed), we lit the candles before mass, set up everything, held the book for the Priest for the opening and closing prayer, held the candles on each side of the lectern for the Gospel reading, prepared the altar before the Eucharistic Prayer, received the gifts with the Priest, brought the wine to the Priest for the consecration, and this was standaed procedure for a normal Mass during Ordinary Time. For feasts and memorials and Holy Days, there was much more to do such as processing with the Priest carrying the Holy Water, bringing/assisting/trailing the Priest while he processed with the incense; this is not mentioning baptisms and weddings, confirmations and funerals, where there might be added extra duties as well.

As far as what we wore, the traditional white alb and appropriately colored rope tie. There were no restrictions on what to wear as personal clothing, or style of hair, but of course one should want to look presentable out of a healthy respect for the Lord. The parish I’m at now has the same procedure, so without knowing your particular situation, I would assume that this is done on a Parish level and may be worth speaking to the Pastor about?

In any event, having done the job before I know that there are many responsibilities for altar servers. My philosophy when serving was like that of a good waiter at a nice restaurant, if the waiter is good, the patron barely knows the waiter is even there. Maybe the altar servers are doing their best to stay out of the way in a similar vein? The mass after all is not about the altar servers.

That’s just my 2 cents, hopefully something in it was helpful. God bless!

-Paul

 

[PJD1987]

Hope this helps! Blessings!

Ditto to everything the Elder James said as well. :thumbsup:

 

[TheMc]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.

The normal usage of the bells are:
One ring at the epiclesis
Three rings at each of the two elevations

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?

That’s a very good question. Why in the world are they dressed like that? At my parish, we don’t have a official server dress code, because it would be unheard of if anyone came to serve like that. It would be handled on a case by case basis.

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?

If there is space, they should sit in the sanctuary.

Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.

I’m not sure. It depends on the parish.

 

[curlycool89]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.”

Yep, that’s not odd at all actually. At the chapel on campus (which doubles as a parish actually), most of the alter servers are university students (Oddly enough, mostly and possibly all guys at this point. No particular reason for it, I’ve seen girls the odd time too, but not for a while). So, the 18-25 demographic. Sometimes, it’ll be someone from the “parish” (as in not a student), but I’ve never seen anyone younger then a university student serving.

 

[PA650]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

Traditionally an altar server fills a clerical position and thus males should be given priority over females. In addition, serving at the altar is helpful to produce vocations to the priesthood and perhaps religious life.

-We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist.

Currently, the servers at my parish don’t assist in the distribution of Holy Communion. I hope they will be asked to assist in the future.

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.

The servers at my parish do ring the bells during the consecration.

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?

The servers at my parish wear a cassock and surplice while red cassocks are worn on particular solemnities. In addition, each server is asked to wear formal attire while serving to the best of my knowledge, albeit sometimes that doesn’t happen. The appearance of a server hasn’t been much of issue within my parish.

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?

The servers at my parish are located in the sanctuary during Holy Mass near the altar.

Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.

 

[Cristiano]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

-We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist.

Our servers are supposed to be ready with the patens at every Mass

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.

One ring at the epiklesis
Three rings at consecration ( a different server tolls the Church bells three times too)
One ring when the priest communicates

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?

In our parish they have cassocks (black or red), surplice and white gloves, black pants and black shoes. If you have long hair you are not allowed to serve

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?

In our parish two of them seat next to the priest, the others seat on the other side at the foot of the altar. However, they do seat only during the main part of the Liturgy of the Word.

Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.

Our parish has the privilege of a very strong server program wit at least 200 servers.

 

[oratorymatt]

Really shouldn’t servers wear clerical choir dress i.e. black cassock and and white cotta, as they are acting in the place of clergy?

 

[Phemie]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.”

Strange, isn’t it, that we often forget or even never knew that this ministry properly belongs to an adult male, an Instituted Acolyte. Since most parishes aren’t fortunate enough to have such a person(s), the role is filled by someone else who may be male (or female at the discretion of the Bishop and Celebrant) usually from the age of reason until old age. Dad served continually from the age of 12 to 40 (1925-53). He returned to that ministry after he retired and Mom died. He often served at daily Mass until he was in his 80s.

 

[MissRose73]

At my parents church, they rarely use altar servers.

I have been to many other churches where they are used. Most of the servers are young people appearing in age from about 10 to 18 years old both males & females. They usually wear long white robes also. Most of them were wearing decent shoes, not sure what they had on under the robes if it was appropriate or not. For the most part, they appeared to be decently groomed and well behaved.

The servers sit near the priest at certain times, the other times they are close to the altar but not next to the priest with the exceptions of the hand washing part & bringing up things for Communion to the altar.

I’ve never heard the bells rung during certain times in the Eucharistic portions of the Mass, if they were I never really noticed them. The only time I remember them is the time I attended a Latin Mass, and the servers were males appearing to be of late high school/college age.

 

[oratorymatt]

Am quite saddened to hear about no bells, no servers etc. I’m very lucky where I am!

 

[papa_k]

Really shouldn’t servers wear clerical choir dress i.e. black cassock and and white cotta, as they are acting in the place of clergy?

I think this attire is still officially reserved only to males, and I think the hoody cloaks and rope belts they came out with in the late 80’s when I still served were laying the groundwork for altar girls, making it possible to transition to that, although we didn’t know it back then.

 

[Lord_Timmsey]

In reading the other thread about Mass service, I realized I don’t know much about altar servers. For example, I had no idea that adults could serve as “altar boys.” We have both altar boys and altar girls, and they don’t do a whole lot during the mass aside from process in with the priest and then out again at the end. Then it got me thinking about the “old way” - where only young males were allowed and I realized the following had happened without my even noticing it:

-We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist.

-Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages.

-Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails?

-Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chars in the congregation?

Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar.

I’ve been an altar boy for over nine years now, and my church has always used altar servers for Mass. We have four for each Mass on Sunday, and we: process in with the priest; hold the Sacramentary for the opening prayer; receive the gifts with the priest; prepare the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist - and always use a paten for distribution, incidentally; ring the bells at the elevation of the Bread and Wine; hold the Sacramentary for the closing prayer, and then process out. That’s what always happens on Sunday - for feast days, as PJD1987 said, there are many additional tasks we perform as well.

We also have weekday Masses (at 7:30AM), and we usually have either one or two servers - me, and another server for Tuesdays and Thursdays for when we have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The ceremony is shortened, but the servers still retain a large involvement in the Mass: the only thing we do differently from Sunday is processing in by way of a shorter route. The altar servers, for both Sundays and weekdays, sit in the sanctuary in designated seats.

For every Mass, the servers are attired in a long cassock (red right now for the Easter season, until Pentecost; black, of course, for Ordinary Time) and a white surplice over that. My parish has a dress code that forbids tennis shoes or sandals (except in case of emergency, such as when a server doesn’t show and they need a replacement). We are encouraged to dress in proper Sunday attire to show respect for God and the Mass, but not everyone does so, sadly. Myself, I always wear dress shoes, pants, a tie, and a vest or suit jacket, and there is one other server who does the same (he’s one that serves with me in the mornings sometimes - kind of a regular).

I think my only problem with the altar servers at my parish is their attitude - it seems to me that they aren’t very attentive or serious when serving, which I feel is an important part of the task. I try not to judge, however - I’m just glad that they are there at all, because our numbers seems to have dwindled slightly in recent years. I can’t say that I’ve experienced any of the problems that you list here, however. Then again, I’ve gradually come to the realization that my parish is much more traditional and conservative than many of the others I’ve been to recently, something for which I’m rather grateful - perhaps that is the difference?

Hope that helps, and God bless you.

 

[pinay]

I really have no additional (name removed by moderator)ut to the thread. I just thought I’d mention this cool event:

We had a mass held at my sister’s house for my dad who was so sick he couldn’t go to church. All my family and extended family attended the mass.

My brother-in-law played the piano, his 8-year-old daughter was the cantor, his 12-year-old was the reader…

… and the really amazing thing - for the first time in my life, I served as the altar “boy”. I’ve been Catholic for 30 years, I never had the opportunity to be an altar boy… well, first off, I was a girl, and in my parish in the Philippines, the boys do the altar boy stuff.

But, I’ve been LDS for almost 10 years and I get to serve as an altar “boy”! It was quite interesting. It was family, so they all know I’m LDS, the priest knows very well I’m LDS, and they know I don’t believe in transubstantiation and I don’t get to take communion. I performed the service for my love of God and to show respect for my family and fill a need. I was very reverent. And, amazingly, I still remembered everything an altar boy is supposed to do.

 

[TheMc]

I really have no additional (name removed by moderator)ut to the thread. I just thought I’d mention this cool event:

We had a mass held at my sister’s house for my dad who was so sick he couldn’t go to church. All my family and extended family attended the mass.

My brother-in-law played the piano, his 8-year-old daughter was the cantor, his 12-year-old was the reader…

… and the really amazing thing - for the first time in my life, I served as the altar “boy”. I’ve been Catholic for 30 years, I never had the opportunity to be an altar boy… well, first off, I was a girl, and in my parish in the Philippines, the boys do the altar boy stuff.

But, I’ve been LDS for almost 10 years and I get to serve as an altar “boy”! It was quite interesting. It was family, so they all know I’m LDS, the priest knows very well I’m LDS, and they know I don’t believe in transubstantiation and I don’t get to take communion. I performed the service for my love of God and to show respect for my family and fill a need. I was very reverent. And, amazingly, I still remembered everything an altar boy is supposed to do.

Wait, so you’re a morman, and you are serving Mass?

 

[Cristiano]

Wait, so you’re a morman, and you are serving Mass?

She is simply a Catholic that is not in good standing with the Church.

 

[TheMc]

She is simply a Catholic that is not in good standing with the Church.

Exactly my point. Why are fallen away catholics serving Mass? First, only clergy can enter the sancuary, then because of a lack of clergy, male (catholics) were allowed, now females can enter, and now non-catholics? What are we coming to?

 

[Cristiano]

Exactly my point. Why are fallen away catholics serving Mass?

Maybe because they are not so fallen away and the Mass might bring them back in full communion. I do not think that it is appropriate to discuss here the specifics of that case, it would be hijacking the thread with a different topic. Probably the appropriate thing to do is to post what the Code of Canon Law says and to leave it to that. It was the priest obligation to do what was right and I do not know the details of how things went and of what people said and/or thought.

 

[TrueLight]

Exactly my point. Why are fallen away catholics serving Mass? First, only clergy can enter the sancuary, then because of a lack of clergy, male (catholics) were allowed, now females can enter, and now non-catholics? What are we coming to?

I don’t believe it.

It probably would derail the thread, but a server who doesn’t even believe in the true meaning of the Eucharist, serving? To me that is an abomination.

But I’m just a zealous pre-convert.