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MrS
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Here, enjoy the best effort I can … to send a keyboard hug from this grandpa to you and yours.Hi Mr S,
Did I ever tell you how much I love your beautiful Italian heart!FORGIVEN!!! Now forgive me too…
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Annunciata
Guest
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NetNuncio
Guest
A quick note…
There is no such thing as a female acolyte. Only males are installed as acolytes and it is generally done on the way to becoming a priest or a deacon, although laymen are allowed to be installed as acolytes. The boys and girls and some adults who act as “altar servers” are fulfilling the role of the acolyte, which most parishes don’t have.
On a similar note, there are no female lectors either. Those who fulfill the role of lector are most likely not installed as lectors, which only men (again, usually those on their way through Holy Orders) may be installed as. Canon law perscribes that lay persons who are not installed as lectors or acolytes can still fulfill their duties with Canon #230.
Adam
There is no such thing as a female acolyte. Only males are installed as acolytes and it is generally done on the way to becoming a priest or a deacon, although laymen are allowed to be installed as acolytes. The boys and girls and some adults who act as “altar servers” are fulfilling the role of the acolyte, which most parishes don’t have.
On a similar note, there are no female lectors either. Those who fulfill the role of lector are most likely not installed as lectors, which only men (again, usually those on their way through Holy Orders) may be installed as. Canon law perscribes that lay persons who are not installed as lectors or acolytes can still fulfill their duties with Canon #230.
Adam
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netmilsmom
Guest
Thank you Dear Lady! We need all we can get.
I may end up with two teenage girls from one side and a 2 year old from the other.
And I was the one who didn’t want to be a mom.
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MISSMOOHERSELF
Guest
In the “logical” sense, there is nothing wrong with female altar servers. What I object to is that one more thing that had been uniquely Catholic (men only on the altar) has now become just like every other church on the face of the Earth. This started with the radical feminist movement when women DEMANDED absolute equality with their male counterparts, not taking into consideration at all that men and women are NOT the same. One isn’t better than the other; they’re just not the same. I frown on men taking on women’s roles and women taking on men’s roles.
I’m a creature of tradition and I like things to stay as they are. When Vatican II came along, I felt betrayed - like my church was caving in to what was “popular.” Fortunately, the church I attend, while adhering to the new Vatican II protocal (including altar “girls”), continues to be as conservative as possible without going over the line. We don’t have guitars, dancing, clowns or any of the other nonsense some churches insert into their Masses. I’ve adapted to the Novus Ordo Mass because it’s done with respect and reverence at my church. I’ve even gotten acclimated to women on the altar (though I’ll never really LIKE it).
I’m a creature of tradition and I like things to stay as they are. When Vatican II came along, I felt betrayed - like my church was caving in to what was “popular.” Fortunately, the church I attend, while adhering to the new Vatican II protocal (including altar “girls”), continues to be as conservative as possible without going over the line. We don’t have guitars, dancing, clowns or any of the other nonsense some churches insert into their Masses. I’ve adapted to the Novus Ordo Mass because it’s done with respect and reverence at my church. I’ve even gotten acclimated to women on the altar (though I’ll never really LIKE it).
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GoLatin
Guest
I was an altar server(they called it"acolyte") as an Anglican.:tsktsk: I wore a cassock and a short surplice.
I will never do that as a Catholic, since I think that only males should be altar servers!
I will never do that as a Catholic, since I think that only males should be altar servers!
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Dr.Bombay
Guest
This is exactly why, at some point in the future, Holy Mother Church will once again prohibit females serving at the altar, as well as EMHCs and lay people reading. Because these alterations in discipline are just a FAD (for a day). They were instituted in the spirit of the times, a misguided attempt to make the Church conform to the world. These things have nothing to do with doctrine or dogma. They’re just trendy little tweaks that, in the grand history of our Church, will barely register a blip.
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Leeta
Guest
At our old parish in the South, our dear old gruff and stubborn German -heritage pastor, Fr. Albert Joseph Henkel, may he rest in peace, made ALL the sick and communion visits himself and would not allow lay people to do it.
He had gout for many years and could kneel only with great pain, but he still did it during Mass and and at Benediction. He did not skip any of the prescribed genuflections.
There were only two EMHCs (both men) and only one was used at one of the Sunday Masses and there were 4 Holy Masses altogether every Sunday and Holy Day. There were 2 daily Masses every day and at the same time every work day and Saturday. The Mass times are carved in stone so they can’t be changed unless they deface the stone.
I don’t see this dedication to their vocation in the priests around here. Every parish has a massless day because the priest has to have a private Mass and can’t be bothered with distributing Holy Communion in the parish every day of the week.
Meetings, talks, and conferences and concelebrating Masses in other churches all take priority over the parish. Confesssions are canceled almost every week.
We need more Fr. Henkels!
By the way, serving at the altar is not a preparation for becoming a sister, since sisters do not serve at the altar even in the monastary. At my sister-in-law’s monastary, altar boys or seminarians serve. Prayer is their work.
But for boys, serving at the altar could be a preparation for the priesthood since celebrating the Mass is one of the central roles of the priest.
Boys are spiritually disadvantaged and thus the Church saw the need for the boys, who have to be active and do something hands on, in order for them to be more attentive and attracted to God, allowing them to assist the priest at Mass.
I know because I have been given the job of trying to civilize 8 of them (including my husband)!!!
They really learned a lot from serving with Fr. Henkel day in and day out.
He had gout for many years and could kneel only with great pain, but he still did it during Mass and and at Benediction. He did not skip any of the prescribed genuflections.
There were only two EMHCs (both men) and only one was used at one of the Sunday Masses and there were 4 Holy Masses altogether every Sunday and Holy Day. There were 2 daily Masses every day and at the same time every work day and Saturday. The Mass times are carved in stone so they can’t be changed unless they deface the stone.
I don’t see this dedication to their vocation in the priests around here. Every parish has a massless day because the priest has to have a private Mass and can’t be bothered with distributing Holy Communion in the parish every day of the week.
Meetings, talks, and conferences and concelebrating Masses in other churches all take priority over the parish. Confesssions are canceled almost every week.
We need more Fr. Henkels!
By the way, serving at the altar is not a preparation for becoming a sister, since sisters do not serve at the altar even in the monastary. At my sister-in-law’s monastary, altar boys or seminarians serve. Prayer is their work.
But for boys, serving at the altar could be a preparation for the priesthood since celebrating the Mass is one of the central roles of the priest.
Boys are spiritually disadvantaged and thus the Church saw the need for the boys, who have to be active and do something hands on, in order for them to be more attentive and attracted to God, allowing them to assist the priest at Mass.
I know because I have been given the job of trying to civilize 8 of them (including my husband)!!!
They really learned a lot from serving with Fr. Henkel day in and day out.
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mjpk
Guest
There is nothing wrong with altar girls, I think they are brilliant!!! In such a male dominated church we should be very proud of the female influence inside the altar rail 
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paramedicgirl
Guest
Dr. Bombay:
Let’s hope!This is exactly why, at some point in the future, Holy Mother Church will once again prohibit females serving at the altar, as well as EMHCs and lay people reading. Because these alterations in discipline are just a FAD (for a day). They were instituted in the spirit of the times, a misguided attempt to make the Church conform to the world. These things have nothing to do with doctrine or dogma. They’re just trendy little tweaks that, in the grand history of our Church, will barely register a blip.
S
sconea
Guest
Some have touched on this, but years ago in Catholic school the nuns explained to us that girls could not be acolytes (servers) because an acolyte was one of the minor orders (ie acolyte, porter, lector, exorcist) leading to the priesthood. The major orders being subdeacon, deacon, priest, bishop. Therefore since only males were called to the priesthood, females should not be in any of the minor orders.
There is no doubt the girls do a good job and are adorable, but they will not be priests. The whole idea was started by dissidents as a precursor and a push toward the ordination of women. The first little push. Unfortunately, most parents did not understand this and encouraged their girls to be acolytes. And of course some still do in the interest of ‘equality’ of the sexes…and because they do want to see women priests.
Some bishops in this country started allowing it and then told the vatican, it was our ‘custom’. If i had a daughter of that age, I would not allow her to be a ‘server’. We are at a situation today where most ‘catholics’ do not even understand the reason why girls were never allowed in the past…because they were never taught the real reason for the prohibition.
There is no doubt the girls do a good job and are adorable, but they will not be priests. The whole idea was started by dissidents as a precursor and a push toward the ordination of women. The first little push. Unfortunately, most parents did not understand this and encouraged their girls to be acolytes. And of course some still do in the interest of ‘equality’ of the sexes…and because they do want to see women priests.
Some bishops in this country started allowing it and then told the vatican, it was our ‘custom’. If i had a daughter of that age, I would not allow her to be a ‘server’. We are at a situation today where most ‘catholics’ do not even understand the reason why girls were never allowed in the past…because they were never taught the real reason for the prohibition.
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BillyT92679
Guest
The Church isn’t dominated by men… she’s the Bride of Christ. And she is set up hierarchically by the way Christ intended her to be.There is nothing wrong with altar girls, I think they are brilliant!!! In such a male dominated church we should be very proud of the female influence inside the altar rail
K
kleary
Guest
May God help us… “Such a male dominated Church”… Our Lord should have been reprimanded for choosing all male Bishops, and they should have been reprimanded for ordaining all male clergy.There is nothing wrong with altar girls, I think they are brilliant!!! In such a male dominated church we should be very proud of the female influence inside the altar rail
Ken
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kaymart
Guest
It was not an issue with my daughter and baby sister, both 27. There were only Altar Boys then. Now with my sister’s daughter, who is now of age to be an Altar Server and my grandaughter (only 2). Most definately yes, There is something wrong with Altar Girls, I feel this is another way of “Slipping” in the issue of “Women Priest” With my Niece there is no way my brother-in-law (a former Altar Boy himself) will allow it. He says “It just not fitting for a girl to be up there on the Altar” and shares the fact thatthis is a way to push “Women Priests” in the future. Even my cafeteria Catholic Son-in-law say a more secular view “Pony tails and high heels look dumb on the Altar” yes, a silly reason but in his crude way he’s right.
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I_A
Guest
There are virtually no altar-boys at my home parish. My little sister was an altar girl, and she doesn’t intend to be any vangaurd of feminism, or whatever, she just wants to serve the Lord.
Because altar-serving is so female dominated no young boys want to do it at my parish, they think its a girl’s thing, and if all they see is 3 girls up there every week try telling an 8 year old differently.
I read an interesting article about how so much grace flows from the liturgy. It is no suprise that there are so few if any vocations coming out of such a large parish if the young men don’t feel comfortable participating in the liturgy in the way they are traditionally supposed to.
Because altar-serving is so female dominated no young boys want to do it at my parish, they think its a girl’s thing, and if all they see is 3 girls up there every week try telling an 8 year old differently.
I read an interesting article about how so much grace flows from the liturgy. It is no suprise that there are so few if any vocations coming out of such a large parish if the young men don’t feel comfortable participating in the liturgy in the way they are traditionally supposed to.
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forest_maiden
Guest
What bothered me about altar girls is that it was going on before the Vatican said it was ok. Anyone who has ever taught knows that if you have rules, and the students break them, so you do away with them, then the students are going to break other rules so that you willl do away with them. The problem here is that a lot of people don’t know the difference between a rule (or discipline) and a teaching that can’t be changed. If someone says the Catholic Church has too many rules, and you ask them to name some, they’ll almost invariably mention one or more of the Church’s teachings re sexuality, ie, contraception, divorce, homosexuality. People have been ignoring these teachings, now they’ll think the Church can change those too.
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turtleoompa
Guest
I’m out in California, and our altar servers are 90% female!
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cyberwolf001
Guest
Well first off. I’ve found and started attending a great Church.
However it does the alter girl thing. Now I’m not a Catholic (yet) but during the Teen Life ministry they had a girl doing the readings…
I think my jaw was firmly glued to the floor. It… IT’S JUST NOT RIGHT I TELLS YA!!!
Maybe there is somthing wrong with me, but I don’t think a girl should be that close to the alter during Mass unless she is taking communion.
Also whats with all the people skipping on the wine???
I got a pamplet from my Church that has St. Micheal’s prayer on it.
Along with my Rosary and Three Hail Marys. I’m going to say this one each night before going to bed, and each morning when I awake.
-Rusty
However it does the alter girl thing. Now I’m not a Catholic (yet) but during the Teen Life ministry they had a girl doing the readings…
I think my jaw was firmly glued to the floor. It… IT’S JUST NOT RIGHT I TELLS YA!!!
Maybe there is somthing wrong with me, but I don’t think a girl should be that close to the alter during Mass unless she is taking communion.
Also whats with all the people skipping on the wine???
I got a pamplet from my Church that has St. Micheal’s prayer on it.
Along with my Rosary and Three Hail Marys. I’m going to say this one each night before going to bed, and each morning when I awake.
-Rusty
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mommyaprilj
Guest
Because everyone who is against them is obviously so much more intelligent than the devout and educated people in charge who have allowed it.
Kind of like being more Catholic than the Pope.
Some people always have to have something to hold up as “this is what’s wrong with the Church today”.
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fullofzeal
Guest
Boys identify with boys, as far as groups or club type things go and with older men as far as vocation goes. (ie Religious- married life-single life) and these are filled as models in the way of priests, fathers and older brothers or other type role models. It’s the way God set the complimentary aspect of vocation as it holds for boys and girls. In marriage men and women are called to make the other whole or complete, for instance, but as the pre-cursor to vocation, girls do not need male role models, per se, in regards to which vocation they will choose. Now I for one encourage my children and my daughter to consider the religious vocation, so she respects my leadership as a father and considers this appropriately thru prayer and my counsel, but my being male or her serving at the alter with a priest is not going to be the determination of her becoming a nun, as I see it. Now boys look to males differently than do girls because they are made different by God for a specific calling, a unique responsibility in the plan of salvation. So a boy will look to a priest and admire his giving his life as a sacrifice of charity to God and so on down the line, father who is married, single man devoted, etc.
Girls are called too to vocation but characteristically different.
The sacrafice of mom at home, the beauty of sister so and so (habit wearing) and her marriage to Jesus, or the single life consecrated. Both alike in dignity but given distinct paths to holiness by way of sexual compliment, and difference. One giant body of holiness working for God’s will in all things. Boys like to be with boys…girls will always jump at the chance to “help” (nurture), so we have girls doing what they do best in the wrong venue and boys not being able to be boys “first” ie the club thing and as it would then lead to boys being drawn out of the elementary aspect of serving to guidance as regards vocation. There would be more priests if we had only boys as alter servers and we would have more nuns if girls saw them in habits. A boy looks to the priesthood as vocation if he has the chance to be a boy (masculine) with other boys, and a girl will be called to her vocation to be married, either to another man, as she sees her mom as a proper feminine role model or as a nun as she seesthe clothing that shows this marriage to Jesus. Finally, all of this in a way falls to the homily on Sunday and a priests willingness to be counter-cutural, for we as christians are called to this, and our young people aren’t seeing or hearing it as a viable battle to be fought.
peace
Girls are called too to vocation but characteristically different.
The sacrafice of mom at home, the beauty of sister so and so (habit wearing) and her marriage to Jesus, or the single life consecrated. Both alike in dignity but given distinct paths to holiness by way of sexual compliment, and difference. One giant body of holiness working for God’s will in all things. Boys like to be with boys…girls will always jump at the chance to “help” (nurture), so we have girls doing what they do best in the wrong venue and boys not being able to be boys “first” ie the club thing and as it would then lead to boys being drawn out of the elementary aspect of serving to guidance as regards vocation. There would be more priests if we had only boys as alter servers and we would have more nuns if girls saw them in habits. A boy looks to the priesthood as vocation if he has the chance to be a boy (masculine) with other boys, and a girl will be called to her vocation to be married, either to another man, as she sees her mom as a proper feminine role model or as a nun as she seesthe clothing that shows this marriage to Jesus. Finally, all of this in a way falls to the homily on Sunday and a priests willingness to be counter-cutural, for we as christians are called to this, and our young people aren’t seeing or hearing it as a viable battle to be fought.
peace
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