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FuzzyBunny116
Guest
Why does everyone seem to be against them so much?
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netmilsmom
Guest
Male Altar girls would be just plain silly. 
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Benediction
Guest
The Catholic Church has approved their use so nothing is “wrong” with the use of female altar servers. (Whether or not female serve at any given Mass is up to the local bishop and the actual priestly celebrant for said Mass.)
A great many however see serving at the altar as an extremely important means to foster possible vocations to the priesthood and permanent diaconate.
Because the priesthood and permanent diaconate is closed to females, it is argued that those positions for altar servers should go exclusively to males.
Before anyone suggests that too female males exist to serve Mass (outside of a women’s prison or convent), said people should find-out just how other parishes have thriving, well-trained legions of male altar servers.
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msproule
Guest
It must be something in the (holy) water!
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Namid
Guest
I am one of those that don’t see a problem with it. My daughter was so excited to do this. Her brother is a senior server which only the high school boys are allowed to do. We also have jr. servers which are only boys. The young girls can still participate for a while but maybe long enough to get interested in serving God and go on to maybe being a nun.
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CarolAnnSFO
Guest
My church does – have plenty of male altar servers, that is. We also have female altar servers, but not as many as the males. Maybe the fact that we can maintain so many boys in this ministry is due to the presence of the older altar servers – these are the older teenage boys and the young men who are still altar servers. They serve as guides and mentors for the younger ones, and I think this could go a long way towards alleviating the problem of young boys thinking that serving at the altar is becoming just a “girl’s” ministry.
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Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
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msproule
Guest
That is the argument one often hears in support of female atar servers. Coincidentally, it usually comes in response to the opposing side’s point that young men who serve at Mass may be inspired to enter the priesthood.
I think it is safe to say that in the last few decades there have been diminishing numbers of both men and women entering into consecrated life; we have both fewer priests and fewer nuns than we did in ages past. Is this perhaps indication that such an argument (for female altar servers) has little basis? There are undoubtedly some recent examples of women who have entered the monastery subsequent to and as a result of serving at Mass, but are these few instances enough to support the practice?
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Lumancer
Guest
As a Catholic in a very liberal state, I can understand the argument against female servers. It can be scary for traditionals when women appear to “invade” the altar, to the extent in some parishes of lay women taking the priest’s place durring portions of the mass! (no joke)
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Brain
Guest
i dont think you are joking! blessed sacrament just northwest of the university of washington does this all the time. when the grown women serve, they walk beside the priest in the procession, and sit next to him in the sanctuary (child-servers dont do this) and tend to stand and not kneel during the concecration. (not only do i think grown women are innapropriate as servers in a parish setting, no server should be doing the actions proper to the priest alone)
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Dr.Bombay
Guest
Because it began as an abuse and, after nearly two decades, Rome finally caved and approved them. Something that starts as a “thumb your nose at Rome” statement should not then be blessed by Rome. I understand why Rome did it, for the same reason they caved on Communion in the hand. But it still began as prideful, willful disobedience.
Back in the late 70s, our progressive priest started this nonsense but only with one girl. Unfortunately, she was a cute little thing who happened to be a classmate of mine and I had a terrible crush on her. So, when she served alongside me, my mind was anywhere but on the Mass. Now, do 11,12, 13 year old boys get distracted easily? Yes. But let me tell you. At that age pretty girls tend to distract us a lot more than the pretty sunlight streaming thru the stained glass window. I’m sure this scenario has been repeated countless times over the past decade or so. An altar boy’s mind should be on Christ at Mass, not the cute babe next to him.
Bottom line…this is pride and disobedience now mixed with pubescent sexual tension. Do we really need this in our sanctuaries?
And there’s clearly an agenda behind girl altar boys. Anyone who can’t see it needs to wake up.
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MrS
Guest
Dr. Bombay:
Thanks Dr B
WOW, two posts today which I have read that really hit the nail on the head.
Thanks Dr B
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Kielbasi
Guest
I don’t know, but I think its a plea for the past, nostalgic urges at work. A little short sighted.
The Magesterium has o.k.'ed the altar service of girls, and I think they realize that this work might help at least some of the girls discern a calling to serve as adult women as readers or Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion.
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MrS
Guest
ain’t gonna happen. gotta be ordained.
Extraordinary Ministers… now that we already have (too many of)
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Kielbasi
Guest
There are a lot of older women doing EMHC work, many are going to have to be replaced sooner than we think.
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Philomeena
Guest
Do any of the people who posted who believe that there are too many EMHCs realize that this ministry encompasses bringing the Eucharist to the homebound and hospitalized?
There is no way a parish with one Priest could ever accomplish that alone.
At the parishes I have belonged to, the EMHCs who do this sick and homebound ministry are women. It would be very sad to see these numbers diminish for any reason.
There is no way a parish with one Priest could ever accomplish that alone.
At the parishes I have belonged to, the EMHCs who do this sick and homebound ministry are women. It would be very sad to see these numbers diminish for any reason.
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Dr.Bombay
Guest
God does not call women or men to be readers or EMHCs. People choose to do these things of their own free will. They are not vocations.
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CarolAnnSFO
Guest
Excellent point. This is especially important in areas with large populations where in addition to the hospitals and nursing homes, you have entire high-rise apartment buildings full of senior citizens – many homebound.
**Crazy Internet Junkies Society
**Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
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Dr.Bombay
Guest
Then let them stick to hospitals and the homebound. Why must they prance around the sanctuary like they’re co-priests?
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Dr.Bombay
Guest
No prob, Mr. S. :tiphat:
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netmilsmom
Guest
Well, when I was in a Catholic Hospital having my second child, a nun brought me Communion.
Maybe we should be praying for vocations all the way around.
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