What is an Acolyte?

[AharonSebastian]

I grew up going through several different diocese and then joined the military. While stationed at my last base I attended at a parish from the Diocese of Lincoln, which I am sad not to be a part of anymore. However, during my time there I noticed that along with the altar-servers, there too were grown men called Acolytes serving during the mass right next to the priest. I knew they did not have the same duty, only due to what I thought would make that position redundant. And just prior to being stationed elsewhere the priest brought it up to me, and said I’d have to take a class for it, but otherwise it wasn’t fully explained to me. I was wondering; what is the difference between and Acolyte and Altar-server, apart from age, and are there any other dioceses that still have Acolytes serving?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The role of an Acolyte is spelled out in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Among the functions of the acolyte are:

• Carrying the cross in the procession
• Bringing the liturgical books to the celebrant at the proper times
• Sets up the vessels on the altar
• Present the incense to the celebrant
• May act as an EMHC
• May purify the sacred vessels after communoin

As you can see, altars servers essentially do what Acolytes do (with the exception of being able to act as an EMHC and purification of vessels). Acolytes are an official ministry in the church . The general guidelines, as well as the rite of installation, can be found in volume II of Rites.

Altar servers and EMHC basically are substitutes for actual acolytes at Mass. It is very rare for someone who is not in formation to be a deacon or priest to receive the official ministry of Acolyte.

I think what is going on in the church you reference is that there are adults who basically act as Master of Ceremony (guiding the altar servers) and rather than use the same title as little kids have (altar server) the priest is calling the Acolytes.