Offered to serve as an Altar boy

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MontChevalier

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Hello everyone,

Today, or yesterday, on the 24th, I became officially a communion-receiving Catholic. But something happened after the event. The priest asked me to serve as an altar boy and I did not think that through enough. I suddenly said yes, but a minute later, a sudden attack of fear fell on me. This is a complicated thing for me, and one of the things that bother me is that if I tell the priest that I changed my mind, it would disappoint him.

I’ll admit it as it is, I’m completely insecure about this all.

I’m not trying to offend anyone who wants to be a priest, and/or plans to, but then there’s the fact I’m moving far from that church to another city, how can I tell the priest I can’t be an altarboy when I’m going to be in another city? That’s not the only thing that bothers me…

I have this friend, a good friend. A man worth more than the eye can see; a true warrior of God. He’s a deacon from the Order of Malta that has been having health problems. I only met him once, but he left an impression on me that is difficult to express. You could say that out of four million people, only one can come close to understanding me, it’s that man. What bothers me is that I’ll never see him again, and so I feel trapped. I can’t stay, but leaving seems painful. And I don’t want to come off to the Priest as a liar either. So I feel guilty no matter where I go.

Satan is one sly, evil EVIL thing. :mad:

I would like some wise counsel. Advice, suggestions?

-MontChevalier
 
Sounds like you know the answer already…go where your heart and conscience leads you…your job is to do God’s will not necessarily to worry about a priest …I am sure the priest will support you on your decision… sometimes we can be oversensitive in trying to do the right thing…remember your Catholic now…you are allowed to make mistakes (well a lot of mistakes)…that is why we have confession 🙂

Take care and do whats you know is your calling…

Bruce Ferguson
Trickster
 
Give it a shot. THe priest will likely see to it you have direction, and you can learn a LOT about the mass from Altar Server training, even if it’s just OJT.
 
MontChevalier said:
Hello everyone,

Today, or yesterday, on the 24th, I became officially a communion-receiving Catholic.
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Congratulations!
I’m not trying to offend anyone who wants to be a priest, and/or plans to, but then there’s the fact I’m moving far from that church to another city, how can I tell the priest I can’t be an altarboy when I’m going to be in another city?
-MontChevalier
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I think it would be a great idea to try it out. Just be honest with the priest and tell him you are moving soon. How soon are you moving?

I find that Churches are happy to have altar boys for any time period. Plus you’ll get some experience and maybe you can be an altar boy at your new parish.
 
Apparently, it seems that it’s harder to leave than I thought. I told the Priest I was moving away, but he just shrugged it off and said that “People come here from other cities all the time.”

I thought that would be a sign that I was leaving. Do I have to be more direct? I was told that I could choose to leave or stay. It’s hard when they’re making it hard to say I’m leaving.

-MontChevalier
 
MontChevalier said:
Apparently, it seems that it’s harder to leave than I thought. I told the Priest I was moving away, but he just shrugged it off and said that “People come here from other cities all the time.”

I thought that would be a sign that I was leaving. Do I have to be more direct? I was told that I could choose to leave or stay. It’s hard when they’re making it hard to say I’m leaving.

-MontChevalier
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Just tell him the truth, friend. It won’t hurt him. “I’m sorry but I have to leave, it was nice knowing you all, I will send a letter some day”.
 
MontChevalier said:
Apparently, it seems that it’s harder to leave than I thought. I told the Priest I was moving away, but he just shrugged it off and said that “People come here from other cities all the time.”

I thought that would be a sign that I was leaving. Do I have to be more direct? I was told that I could choose to leave or stay. It’s hard when they’re making it hard to say I’m leaving.

-MontChevalier
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Are you moving with your family, for school, or for work? If you know the time of your move, just tell the priest. If you are planning to move, but don’t have the details worked out, then you’ll be fine to train with this priest and let him know more as your plans firm up.

I think you’ve said in the past that you need to get rides to church. Let the priest know that also. Altar servers should usually be at church 20 minutes or so before Mass starts.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
Are you moving with your family, for school, or for work? If you know the time of your move, just tell the priest. If you are planning to move, but don’t have the details worked out, then you’ll be fine to train with this priest and let him know more as your plans firm up.

I think you’ve said in the past that you need to get rides to church. Let the priest know that also. Altar servers should usually be at church 20 minutes or so before Mass starts.
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I have my own car. So I’m not worried. And…regarding some issues I’ve had at my local church, I think I’ll wait until AFTER the move that I find another church to try being an Altarboy. I only tried it once, just last Friday; with no training at all. The priest spilled the wine over the altar. 😦 I blame myself for that.

But either way, if I can get the chance, I already know which Church I want to be Altarboy to. There’s a local Tridentine Church in my new city, I think I’ll check it out if the spots are available. If not, then I can at least enjoy the Tridentine Mass.

-MontChevalier
 
When I was younger I was an altar boy. I was convinced by my friend it was no problem. He served every mass at 5:30 pm weekly and Sunday. We were between the age of 9-12. It was somewhere around that time.

Anyhow as a kid i would try not to fall asleep in church i was on automatic. I knew when to get up and get down and the responses and the prayers but nobody was home. That or I was thinking of getting home to play my Nintendo for some Punch Out or Rad Racer. Something exciting that would take me away it could been even thinking about cartoons I would see on Saturday Morning.

So anyways in my school they started to see if anyone wanted to be an Altar Server and I for some it had caught my attention. My friend was an Altar server a grade ahead of me and he served all the time as in weekdays 5:30 pm and morning mass on Sunday. Sometimes he would serve the Portuguese Mass as well as he spoke/understood it very well. He had seen me in the line of kids being interested in being an Altar Boy and came over and told me it wasn’t hard at all. Also that the Sacristan would teach us what to do when we start as that is how he learned.

So I volunteered! (not sure why as i was a daydreamer)

So anyways the Sacristan showed us what to do two times and I still was nervous which made me even more lost. So my friend told me to serve with him and he will show me how to do it so I did. We lived a block away from each other so I started going everyday to the 5:30 pm mass weekdays.

So I have fallen back in a chair that was up a couple steps from falling asleep once my friend had twice. My friend had to hold the bible on his head as it was too heavy for him but we were not allowed so the priest would adjust it.

We had to carry a glass plate and the water to wash the priest’s hands and he accidently poured the water to fast and splashed all over the priest. I had dropped the water as I tripped on a step. We didn’t fill the water high enough and had to go get more. My friend would have a field day with the ringing of the bells once; though it was still timed right he just let them have it.

My friend fell backwards in his chair three times. My friend was allergic to the incense so he thought and would awkwardly swing the incense. We both blew out the candles by standing to close to them while breathing during mass. One of the grand finale was when we got a new strange cassock that had a hood and a rope for a belt. They didn’t have one that fit him right and he was carrying the mic for the priest and he tripped on his cassock with mic in hand and face planted in front of the church as yelling AHHHH over the mic. lol… He apologized the priest when he got to him who broadcasted over the mic. … lol

One time someone for got to put the wine where it suppose to and my friend was told to go put it in there as it was an emergency. So when the priest opened the tabernacle door and it was my friends face on the other side putting the wine in place with this face :eek:

So I am sharing all this with you to let you know there is not much you can do wrong than some of us who have served have done. You surely wont fall backwards in chairs that have a long drop at least.

As for my friend and I we fixed our problems and we assigned each other which task we would do that would fit our quirks. It worked out well and we would get called for the Christmas Mass and Funerals and many other special moments the church had.

In all the trouble we had caused or problems that had happened the priests were never hard on us and would let us know what we did wrong and give us advice. The Sacristan would also help us understanding the protocols and any questions we had too about preparation and such.

My friend really did pray when we had too he told me so. I never did if you remembered the start. Though at some point I really did and it changed me. Though life brought me more changes later.

Haha 🙂 Don’t be afraid you couldn’t do any worse than we did at start. Also reflecting back at those times in which were innocent and more real. I find myself never forgetting the good things about Catholicism and the people who had influenced me in my youth.

I hope this helps when in doubt think of our errors. 👍
 
Aegidius, it’s been a long time since I have laughed that hard. I feel bad for laughing, because, it is Mass after all, but my goodness, I think your post did wonders for anyone with “altar boy” nervousness. I read that thing about five times and laughed just as hard each time.

Thank you for sharing. That made my day. 😃
 
Boulder257 said:
Aegidius, it’s been a long time since I have laughed that hard. I feel bad for laughing, because, it is Mass after all, but my goodness, I think your post did wonders for anyone with “altar boy” nervousness. I read that thing about five times and laughed just as hard each time.

Thank you for sharing. That made my day. 😃
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I really don’t feel so nervous about being an altarboy after reading that mess. :rotfl:
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing either, but all that sounds horrible.

I’m already trying to enlist to be an Altarboy for my Traditional Latin Church.

-MontChevalier
 
😃 Good, I am glad that you guys have enjoyed my experiences as an Altar Boy.I look back and laugh everytime I think of those tough times my friend and I had. It was a rough start and we all make mistakes. We were a couple kids who were out there but we did love doing it. (Even if I did not know at start I would.) I know you will do great! 👍
 
Oh my, I had to read it again this morning and laughed just as hard. That has to be one of my favorite posts of all time!!!
 
Boulder257 said:
Oh my, I had to read it again this morning and laughed just as hard. That has to be one of my favorite posts of all time!!!
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Hahaha 🙂 It was some experiences I will tell you that! 😉

I may not be Catholic now or at most not a good one. When I reflect on these memmories I think of what it was too me as a child. That makes all my objections I have formed as an adult float away shortly and remember what things are like at face value through experience.

The member who started this thread should have a good experience as well.
 
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