No Alter Servers at Mass

[john78]

So I have wondered recently,

when there are no Alter Servers, could a priest if he wanted to carry the crucifix himself , or the deacon ?

 

[JRKH]

If there are no altar servers, the priest simply makes appropriate modifications / simplifications. This most likely would mean - no procession - Altar already set - Missal next to the priest’s chair etc.

That said - the only times that I can think of where there might be NO servers available would be a weekday mass where only a very few people are present. Pretty much any Sunday Mass is going to be well enough attended that there will be someone available and willing to serve…

When I as a child and my family attended early mass on Sunday…If it started getting late and there was no activity - no candles lit…one or more of us boys would head up to see what was up and if no one was there…we “suited up”.

 

[superamazingman]

it would be odd for the priest to carry the cross. If there were no servers, he would simply enter the sanctuary without the processional cross.

 

[waanju]

If there are no altar servers, the priest simply makes appropriate modifications / simplifications. This most likely would mean - no procession - Altar already set - Missal next to the priest’s chair etc.

That said - the only times that I can think of where there might be NO servers available would be a weekday mass where only a very few people are present. Pretty much any Sunday Mass is going to be well enough attended that there will be someone available and willing to serve…

When I as a child and my family attended early mass on Sunday…If it started getting late and there was no activity - no candles lit…one or more of us boys would head up to see what was up and if no one was there…we “suited up”.

Yeah, most of the servers at my parish (including my brothers), stop by the sacristy right before mass to see if any more servers are needed. Even at weekday masses, I’m pretty sure at least ONE server would be willing and able.

That said, I’ve been to masses (at college) with no servers, because we were in a little room without any space and because there were only about ten people (though we DID have an EMHC). Everything was just set up before Mass and the priest lit the candles and things himself.

 

[CalCatholic]

Our Vigil mass on Saturday often does not have alter servers. I or one of the other parishioners will usually step in and serve. Our pastor during this situation will process in by himself.

 

[Anne1964]

Most of the weeday masses I attend do not have altar servers. The priest processes in by himself or just walks out from the sacristy near the altar, depending on how the church is arranged. And no, the priest will not carry the processional cruficix.

 

[ilySHJ]

Our current parish more often than not has no altar servers for Sunday Mass. The priest simply processes alone. The cross is already in place in the sanctuary.

At our previous parish, the priest allowed all who showed up to serve, so he frequently had 2-4 servers at weekday Mass.

 

[fbl9]

in my parish it has always been a member of the congregation carrying the cross followed by the alter server(s) lector then priest.

 

[gh4]

I come from a very tiny parish. Daily mass is packed full when there are 10 people there!
Our current priest has made sure to have servers, he’s got a lot of people trained. And there is always someone to carry the cross on the Vigil and Sunday masses.

Several years ago when we had our other priest, he did daily mass all the time without a server. And sometimes he did Sat. vigil mass or Sunday mass without a server. The cross was in front all the time for this priest and was never ever processed in.