More Re: Altar Servers

[pinay]

Because… you didn’t pay close attention…

It was a Mass held at my sister’s house. And yes, the Priest and my family treat me as Catholic because I was baptized Catholic at one point in my life, even if they know I attend the LDS church now.

And yes, my family is awesome. What can I say…

 

[TrueLight]

Because… you didn’t pay close attention…

It was a Mass held at my sister’s house. And yes, the Priest and my family treat me as Catholic because I was baptized Catholic at one point in my life, even if they know I attend the LDS church now.

And yes, my family is awesome. What can I say…

Did people receive communion?

And are you under 18? I wouldn’t want come all hard on a minor.

 

[Cristiano]

D…And are you under 18? I wouldn’t want come all hard on a minor.

The age of 18 has no meaning in the Catholic Church in relation to be a minor. The age of reason is well before that, you can even freely marry at the age of 15.

 

[Phemie]

Did people receive communion?

And are you under 18? I wouldn’t want come all hard on a minor.

Since the priest took the trouble to celebrate Mass in someone’s home I’d expect that they would have received Communion. The OP said she’d been Catholic for 30 years but LDS for 10. She’s at least 30, maybe even 40 depending on how she reckons the last 10 years.

 

[TrueLight]

The age of 18 has no meaning in the Catholic Church in relation to be a minor. The age of reason is well before that, you can even freely marry at the age of 15.

I’m not speaking about the age of reason in the Catholic church. Personally, whether she is at the age of reason or not, parents still hold some responsibility for what they allow their children to do or not do. I certainly wouldn’t let my child serve if she doesn’t even believe in the True Presence. Attend mass? Sure. Serve no.

Is this a common thing?

 

[TrueLight]

Since the priest took the trouble to celebrate Mass in someone’s home I’d expect that they would have received Communion. The OP said she’d been Catholic for 30 years but LDS for 10. She’s at least 30, maybe even 40 depending on how she reckons the last 10 years.

Oh! Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Cristiano]

…She’s at least 30, maybe even 40 …

That is the battle call for a catfight! :slapfight:
A woman telling another woman that she might be forty when there is still the possibility that she could be in her thirties!

 

[pinay]

That is the battle call for a catfight! :slapfight:
A woman telling another woman that she might be forty when there is still the possibility that she could be in her thirties!

Yeah, really, right?



Yes, my sister, my mother, and the Priest asked me to do it… I didn’t refuse. For communion, the priest gave the bread and wine. I just held the plate.

Yes, my sister and my mother asked my older brother first (he’s devout Catholic)… he refused. He can’t remember what to do (he’s well into his 40’s and hasn’t been an acolyte since he was 12 or so). So my sister asked if I remember what to do. And I’m like… Yes… but you do know, I’m LDS right? And they said, whatever. So, I said, if you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it.

Yea, it was quite an interesting event. That’s why I thought I had to share it…

 

[oratorymatt]

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.

I’d imagine you’re right, as the type of person who could wear it “for real” is reserved to males.

 

[Florida123]

they should ring the bells at the sanctus as well. Is Cassock and surplice use declining? My local parish uses them as well.

 

[oratorymatt]

they should ring the bells at the sanctus as well. Is Cassock and surplice use declining? My local parish uses them as well.

Thank you for saving a portion of my sanity - good to know such things are not totally defunct.

 

[SanctaMommy]

Thank you for saving a portion of my sanity - good to know such things are not totally defunct.

Yeah… No “old fasioned” cassocks and surplices here. It’s baggy brown albs all around. Most of our servers are young girls about Jr. High age. Although, our church is “in the round” - so there isn’t really a properly delineated sanctuary, the altar servers have seats reserved within the congregation. And, our tabernacle is in a separate chapel - not in the main church - so ushers go out and retrieve the Holy Eucharist and Holy Blood at the appointed time. The servers have zero to do with communion. After being on this site for a while, I am starting to think that our church is extremely unorthodox! We didn’t even have a statue of the Blessed Virgin until recently, and the parish is about 15 years old. In the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the crucifix is made of broken seashells in an EXTREMELY abstract representation of the crucified Savior.

 

[oratorymatt]

Yeah… No “old fasioned” cassocks and surplices here. It’s baggy brown albs all around. Most of our servers are young girls about Jr. High age. Although, our church is “in the round” - so there isn’t really a properly delineated sanctuary, the altar servers have seats reserved within the congregation. And, our tabernacle is in a separate chapel - not in the main church - so ushers go out and retrieve the Holy Eucharist and Holy Blood at the appointed time. The servers have zero to do with communion. After being on this site for a while, I am starting to think that our church is extremely unorthodox! We didn’t even have a statue of the Blessed Virgin until recently, and the parish is about 15 years old. In the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the crucifix is made of broken seashells in an EXTREMELY abstract representation of the crucified Savior.

I often wonder why some churches are so full of abstract art (not that I’ve got anything against abstract art per se by the way) but it makes me why does a parish choose not to have unequivocal representations of our faith? Who do they think they might scare?

Are you from the States btw?

 

[SanctaMommy]

I often wonder why some churches are so full of abstract art (not that I’ve got anything against abstract art per se by the way) but it makes me why does a parish choose not to have unequivocal representations of our faith? Who do they think they might scare?

Are you from the States btw?

Yes - California.

 

[Califman831]

what is LDS?

 

[TimothyH]

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.

Almost the same experience here.

I became an altar server about six months ago at age 47. The ministry is actually the Arimathean Ministry to serve at funerals but we also serve at all masses except for Sunday. We process in with the crucifix, open the sacramentary to the correct page and hold it for the priest, ring the bells at the elevation, (but not eplicisis), bring everything to the priest at the alter as well as remove everything, and administer the bowl and flagon for the priest and EMHC to purify their hands. We use black cassoc and white surplice as well.

I can say that we don’t sit on our hands while we are up there. We are busy and when I do it alone I’m moving almost all the time except during the readings and homily. We serve at funerals, first Friday devotions and serve at the weekly St. Jude novena with benediction.

-Tim-

 

[pinay]

what is LDS?

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. a.k.a. Mormons.

 

[JGMendes4049]

I’m an altar server, so I’ll address these questions as they apply to my parish.

• We no longer use patens for reception of communion. The altar servers do not participate in any way with distribution of the Holy Eucharist. At my church, we usually use the patens unless there is no room for another person next to the minister of Holy Communion, whether ordinary or extraordinary.
• Where did the ringing of the bells go? We haven’t done it in ages. We have two sets of bells. One set is rung when the celebrant first puts his hands over the chalice. Both bells are rung during both elevations and during the Gloria on Easter Vigil.
• Why are our altar servers wearing hideous, ill-fitting brown albs with flip-flop sandals and long stringy hair or sloppy ponytails? Our albs are white, and we wear cords in the liturgical color. Flip–flops are not permitted. As far as hair is concerned, most of our servers have neat hair.
• Why do our altar servers spend 90% of the mass seated in chairs in the congregation? We sit in the sanctuary.
• Is this typical now? I remember when altar servers sat near the altar. We sit when the congregation sits and we have no other task, e.g., the readings before the Gospel and the period of silence or song of praise after Communion is finished.

I hope this clears some things up.

Joseph

 

[oratorymatt]

Yes - California.

I just wondered, don’t get me wrong I’ve seen some stuff at various masses here in the UK that I haven’t been too keen on but a lot of the time since I’ve been reading these boards and someone mentions something is no longer done/the priest does something odd/etc etc the poster seems to be from The US, makes me wonder if it’s a very common experience over there.

All the best

Matt

 

[spellinggirl]

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.

As far as I know, servers shouldn’t participate in distribution of the Holy Eucharist unless they’re old enough to be Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion and have undergone training.

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

Many parishes seem to have discontinued this practice. My parish has never done it.

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

As a seven-year server and leader of the ministry in my parish, that makes me sad. We’ve always had a very strict dress code for servers: dress clothes and shoes, and absolutely no jeans, tennis shoes, or flip flops. Hair must be neatly pulled back if it is past the shoulders. I’ve never seen servers with brown albs before. Reminds me of old-fashioned monks!

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

Strange. I have always seen servers sitting close to the altar in their own pew, if not close to the priest.

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