A good altar server should always be ready to lead a prayer. Hang up your vestments after using them. To create this article, 57 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. In the history of the Church there have been many characters who could represent the ideal model for Altar Servers, like Saint Tarcisius, who lived in the era of the first Christian communities in Rome and was killed by his pagan peers because he had made himself available to carry the Blessed Sacrament to Christians prisoners, or Saint Dominic Savio, who had Saint John Bosco as a teacher and guide, and devoted his (unfortunately short) life to his brothers and the community. The Holy Eucharist calls us to love like Jesus. Proper Decorum means maintaining a dignified external appearance. The Altar Server retains a genuine and vital role in the liturgical assembly. Sure, swinging the censer (the smelly incense thing) is kind of fun but why is it that we do it? After the Collect (opening prayer) you will sit down, as will the congregation. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. a mature Christian - qualities that transcend chronological age. 0000040441 00000 n In the procession, move at a stately pace. It is my prayer for you to seek holiness in life as you serve at the Altar and beyond the Altar. These are the candle holders who bear the candles. Some heeded the call to volunteer for the Social Communications Ministry to livestream our liturgical celebrations. No dangly earrings pleasethat means you too boys! Some of the servers are in charge of dealing with the liturgical books the priest needs during the ceremony. n|x]'j VMntVE"_I m"c~^fs!]+>U@"; J5Q^s!?kT >uKzsmdx9{ HWr6}W`RNo$4M They love to see you serving. The server must be able to understand the Mass as well the server's role in the celebration. 0000002125 00000 n By becoming an altar server youll be meeting up with many of the same people every time you serve at Mass. He must recognize that he moves within the atmosphere of prayer. 3 0 obj They know to step in when an item is misplaced and smooth out any rough edges during the Mass. A good altar server must recognize that the Holy Mass should be translated into action as a way of offering up our lives in real life. A good altar server attends practices before serving. It's okay if you don't know the words, few servers sing at church, and Jesus and the people you serve with are the only ones who will hear it. (. By focusing and understanding whats going on, the Mass can then lead you into a much deeper relationship with God and you feel the impact of Mass far greater! 12 0 obj A national survey of men being ordained priests found that three-quarters of new priests were at one time altar servers. Try to wear it at around the same length as the other servers, but if you are unsure, again, ask a member of the clergy. Theres no specific name for them, its usually a task performed by one acolyte, whos assigned to the missal and the lectionary the book containing passages from Holy Scriptures that are read during liturgical celebrations throughout the year, as well as the prayer books, and books of hymns, etc. The procession is the royal triumph of the king going into his city. <> There are lots of reasons for becoming an Altar Server. Your commitment to the altar is not only a duty but a great honor, a true holy service. It can be found at usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/frequently-asked-questions/guidelines-for-altar-servers.cfm. . Read these other ninethings to find out what they are. This means offering up ones life. \TI\Y@*;*- >WB *yt mmf^o2 Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Never wear shoes with flashing lights. Flip Flops?? He is the patron saint of Altar Servers, bricklayers, casket makers and deacons and his feast day is celebrated on December 26. Altar service is an important step in a young persons contribution to the work of the liturgy, Dawson says. My parish priest then at . One needs to appear clean because as the saying goes, cleanliness is next to godliness. a `u"F-s{30/ncPc`jQfb K endstream endobj 27 0 obj 117 endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 9 0 R /Resources 15 0 R /Contents 21 0 R /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /Rotate 0 >> endobj 15 0 obj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text ] /Font << /TT2 17 0 R /TT4 16 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 23 0 R >> /ColorSpace << /Cs6 20 0 R >> >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 86 /Widths [ 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 722 667 722 722 667 611 778 778 389 0 0 667 0 722 778 0 0 722 556 667 722 722 ] /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding /BaseFont /PLPLOM+TimesNewRoman,Bold /FontDescriptor 19 0 R >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 122 /Widths [ 250 0 408 500 0 0 0 180 333 333 0 0 250 333 250 278 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 0 278 0 0 0 0 0 0 722 667 667 0 611 556 722 722 333 0 0 611 889 722 722 556 0 667 556 611 722 722 944 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 444 500 444 500 444 333 500 500 278 278 500 278 778 500 500 500 500 333 389 278 500 500 722 500 500 444 ] /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding /BaseFont /PLPLNL+TimesNewRoman /FontDescriptor 18 0 R >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 891 /CapHeight 656 /Descent -216 /Flags 34 /FontBBox [ -568 -307 2000 1007 ] /FontName /PLPLNL+TimesNewRoman /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 94 /XHeight 0 /FontFile2 22 0 R >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 891 /CapHeight 656 /Descent -216 /Flags 34 /FontBBox [ -558 -307 2000 1026 ] /FontName /PLPLOM+TimesNewRoman,Bold /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 160 /FontFile2 24 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj [ /ICCBased 25 0 R ] endobj 21 0 obj << /Length 1917 /Filter /FlateDecode >> stream In fact, besides cooperating with the Divine Server by helping him arrange what is required for the Eucharist, placing the liturgical objects on the altar and bringing the Missal, the Altar Servers also have to pray together with the believers, accompany them with hymns and, in general, operate as the priests servants and guides for the congregation. Celebration of the Catholic Mass is like an intricate dance, with the priest leading a flawless performance that can have few or many co-celebrants, including deacons, altar servers, liturgical ministers, Eucharistic ministers and more. The altar server role is a development of the order of acolyte which was a minor order for priest held only by males. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Although institution into the ministry of acolyte is reserved to lay men, the diocesan bishop may permit the liturgical functions of the instituted acolyte to be carried out by altar servers, men and women, boys and girls. kERUuv\DtChm 0qK. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Why a Former Evangelical Loves the Rosary. Sometimes robes simply go on over your head. s> \]9P 6 xrK7oE?q) %PDF-1.7 Communication, teamwork, perceiving what needs to be done and doing it, punctuality, self-confidence, and the list goes on. No distinction should be made between the functions carried out in the sanctuary by men and boys and those carried out by women and girls. The candles are used at the Gospel reading. SENIOR SERVERS:Senior Servers are recommended by the Altar Server Coordinator and appointed by the Pastor. Candidates can be of any gender as long as their church agrees with the practice of including altar servers of another gender. *$!kOhQh~6!`(/ =W*KUM!Oc5w('mN g&/WEDf"Z7+-194ns}ZMF#dahU]niY^ soS\y\+| x/rC`A.`F:%)M)|/; You may know it all but you are not good if you are not willing to learn. news, news about Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic prayers, Catholic Mass Times and a church directory for These are fruits of my reflections as an alumnus of the Ministry of Altar Servers of our Parish, a former pontifical server of San Carlos Seminary, and now, an ordained priest presiding the liturgy at the altar. Participating as altar servers allows boys and girls the satisfaction of functioning as part of the liturgical team, explains Katie Dawson, director of faith formation for the Diocese of Orange. The Eucharistic Prayer states This is my body which will be given up for you This is my blood which will be shed for you These words are meant to be translated into action by serving beyond the liturgical celebrations. You may bow your head, however). Here are seven reasons why becoming an altar server might be one of the best things you could choose to do. Their age ranges from sevenupwards and theyre normally wearing robes which look very similar to that of the priests, but have you ever considered doing the same? Hes in it for the long run. The following is a list of specific responsibilities that the altar . And many more forms of serving beyond the altar. Since my mom serves as the Worship Commission head at our parish, she volunteered myself to become an altar server of our parish to which my parish priest accepted. S mile. They are movements of prayer. Such persons may carry out all the functions listed in no. 193 of the. My parish priest then at Sacred Heart of Jesus Morning Breeze, Caloocan City was Fr. stream Its important to prepare for Mass reverently. His fingernails must be well trimmed. INTRODUCTION These guidelines are intended to assist both new and experienced altar servers in understanding the important role that the altar server plays in the holy celebraon of the Mass.The dues and responsibilies of the server must be taken seriously. An Altar Server is a member of the Church who participates in the celebration with the understanding that they are leaders of the assembly. Proper Decorum means maintaining a dignified external appearance. Wearing smart clothes is not imperative as the congregation cannot see what you are wearing. Sometimes they dont seem to take pride in their job because maybe no one has told them why theyre so important. rdBV\ID_fs5m~\l]vM~]~.H HX35hO\-=W>@eDu3vjo/>wUhj Q, This pandemic has given our parish, San Roque Cathedral Parish, a chance to start a SERVING AT HOME program for our young altar servers who are not yet permitted to serve within the parish due to quarantine restrictions. 2. The missal should never be placed on a chair or on a pew while the priest speaks. endobj endobj Maverick De Vera is also an altar server who desires to translate the Holy Eucharist in his life through social action activities. 0000000667 00000 n If you will be serving, you should be prepared in knowing what to do.". ",#(7),01444'9=82. Nothing about your appearance should draw attention to itself. 714.282.3000, Editorial Council Chair This goes back to the Old Testament when they used to go into procession up the hill to Jerusalem and into the temple of God. Serving at the altar, the pope told the young people, is a privileged way to draw closer to Jesus, which in turn enables you to open yourselves to others, to journey together, to set demanding goals and to find the strength to achieve them.. He is a member of Team Saint Pedro Calungsod, a group of young people whose mission is to serve the poorest of the poor in the urban and rural areas. Candidates should know how to make the sign of the Cross. Servers should be mature enough to understand their responsibilities and to carry them out well and with appropriate reverence. Youve most likely seen them at Mass, up by the altar, helping the priest to keep the Mass running smoothly. Do you aspire to become an Altar Server? You Are Un-necessary Whoa! First, a good altar server is willing to learn. Actions Speak Louder Than Words You should should look good for Mass. Serving at the Altar of God is to serve Jesus Himself. It is a concrete way of participating in the community of faith.. 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