We have about 140 of them, boys and girls, aged 922. Altar server instructions revised may, 2012 2 table of contents. This means that you can copy, distribute, record or distribute electronic files with no restrictions and no license whatsoever. To be an acolyte is to serve god by serving as an assistant to the celebrant of the eucharist at gods altar. The other altar servers will go with the priest to receive the gifts. It is an extreme privilege to kneel so close to the altar as our loving savior, jesus. A\er the altar is prepared and the colleckon has begun, the deacon or priest will go to the front of the altar. Manual for altar servers there is no higher dignity than to serve christ. This means that there is a certain way that is appropriate to behave.
Quiz for altar servers english version proprofs quiz. Practice, do the best you can, and god will help you to serve him well. Servers are a very ancient tradition in the liturgical experience of the church. They carry, bring and fetch the things needed at the altar, they carry candles in procession.
After saying that, i have included some theological information found fruitful in aiding trainees with the reasons why they are expected to perform in special liturgical ways. Altar servers should be able to respond appropriately to the parts of the mass, both recited prayers and various. Oct 12, 20 the entire story of the apparitions of our lady of fatima and the angel 100th year anniversary duration. It would be a grave mistake to genuflect to any altar, cross, picture or crucifix. Genuflecting is a form of worship of our god and should only be done to him alone.
Introduction the primary role of the altar server is to assist the priest during the holy sacrifice of the mass. Altar servers should receive holy communion in the masses they serve, so they should go to regular confession. Practice, do the best you can, and god will help you to. I an altar server comes to have three 3 unexcused absences, he or she will not be scheduled to serve after that. The server who is handed the ciboria places them on the altar. Great care has been taken in this manual to bring together the official directions of the liturgy and the best practices of style and technique. Arrive at church at least 15 minutes before mass and sign in on the forms in the ministers vestry. Go to the sacristy, which is the room behind the altar the altar server sacristy is the one closest to sharpley rd, put on your alb, cincture rope and cross. Since the duties of the altar server can be divided among several servers, it is important that the pastor make sure that each server knows the specific duties for a specific liturgy. 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.
Before each mass, agree who will be the crossbook server and candle servers. The determination that women and girls may function as servers in the liturgy should be made by the bishop on the diocesan level so that there might be a uniform diocesan policy. Altar servers are chosen from the faithful who display a desire to participate in a more intimate way during. Roles and responsibilities of altar servers very important.
The entire story of the apparitions of our lady of fatima and the angel 100th year anniversary duration. Sign in on the signin sheet take a moment to say the altar server prayer found on the cork board. This manual is to assist you as a server in doing a good job. The altar servers leave the sacristy and take their positions in the back of the church. Altar in atholic churches the table on which the sacrifice of the mass is offered. Any catholic could be a server at the altar, but this ministry is especially for the youth. Guidelines for altar servers united states conference of.
Being a server means, serving god and gods people, says fr. In some christian denominations, altar servers are known as acolytes. This altar server guide is intended as a general guide. Ambo elevated pulpit or lectern from which the 1st and 2nd readings and the gospel are read. Altar servers guild of the cathedral of christ the king altar servers manual. Servers should be shown how to bow in respect to the altar as it is where jesus offers his body to the. The order for the blessing of altar servers, sacristans, musicians, and ushers book of blessings, nos. Below is the most current schedule for altar servers. Altar servers should be well instructed in what they are called to do, including proper behavior and attire. Altar servers are to arrive at the church promptly 15 minutes before mass begins.
Our altar servers are true leaders amongst their peers and within our parish. Archbishop a bishop who presides over one or more dioceses. Altar servers must have received the sacraments of baptism and eucharist. An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a christian liturgy. It will once again become the standard reference for acolytes, handing on to young servers the disciplines necessary for reverent catholic ceremonies. Accordingly, servers have a solemn responsibility to do their assigned duties with dignity and reverence. Altar servers are assigned a level based on age, grade, competency, and the frequency and duration of serving.
This is an excellent way for you to begin your stewardship, as you give the gift of your time to serve at the. Thank you parents and servers for your continued support to our priests and to christ at the altar at the most holy sacrifice of the mass. Altar servers should you ever need to secure a substitute. Crossbearers should be more experienced altar servers. When you reach the priest and altar servers, walk around the priest to the right and proceed into the sanctuary. Altar, just as he was at the last supper and calvary. Be modest in your dressing no tennis shoes, mens sandals or flipflops no shorts, tshirts, or tops or dresses with plunging necklines. Altar server training manual our lady of perpetual help st. The crucifer joins the priest and other servers, but stands behind the priest. Servers may not distribute holy communion unless they have been mandated for this function by the bishop.
Dear altar server, i would like to take this opportunity to thank you for stepping up and offering your time and talent to serve our parish community as an altar server. Dear altar server, our parish is deeply grateful for your decision to be an altar server. After removing the cruet stoppers, the servers immediately bring the. Through this holy sacrifice the lord is made present in. If young, the server is commonly called an altar boy or altar girl. This ministry is a blessing for both the celebrant and also for the congregation. Jul 23, 2014 father ben green narrator paul stadler producer. Saint ambrose, father and doctor of the church 437 ridge pike lafayette hill, pa 19444 phone. Mar 12, 2020 serving at the altar is a special privilege. Servers should not wander around the altar, uncertain, clumsy, and confused. Altar servers are close to the altar as they serve the priest, they carry the cross, they carry the light of christ as the gospel is proclaimed. This manual is designed to give you direction for our parish masses and to be a guide to help you as you.
The primary mission of this program is designed to foster and encourage vocations to the priesthood. The altar serving program at corpus christi parish is designed to answer the call of our late holy father john paul ii in redemptionis sacramentum chapter ii number 47 to encourage boys to serve at the altar. Your service and dedication are important parts of our parish life. Intentions new altar servers must be able to answer this question, why do you want to be an altar. Altar servers should arrive 15 minutes before the start of mass. Ministry formation altar servers diocese of erie office of worship 8148241270 january 2019 toward full, conscious and active participation what is an altar server. After saying that, i have included some theological information found fruitful in aiding trainees with the reasons why they are. In the history of the church, altar servers were young men who were studying to be priests. Jan 20, 2014 people who visit the bench regularly know that i never tire of gushing about my parishs altar servers.
Thank you for your willingness to volunteer as an altar server at st. Our young altar servers wear the robe of baptism the alb,which is a sign of their position in the community as baptized people. Altar servers are children of registered parishioners and must be currently receiving religious education by attending our ccd program, enrolled in our school or by a catholic home schooling program. Introduction our parish is deeply grateful for your acceptance and commitment to be altar servers. Come here for the schedule, instructions, and more. Once you enter the church, go directly to the altar server vesting room, which is located next to the sacristy where the priests and deacons vest. Altar servers are boys and girls in the fourth grade or higher that want to assist the priests and deacon at our sunday liturgies. The role of an altar server is very important in that, in a very real way, you act as the hands of the priest, ensuring that we celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity and. Holy family catholic church guide for altar servers 5 an altar servers prayer dear lord jesus, thank you for calling me to serve you at your holy altar. It allows your child to be close to the altar, to carry the cross, to carry the light of christ, to hold the book of prayers, and most importantly to understand the rites of our faith. That is why the church said at that time that only boys could be servers, because only men could be priests.
As an altar server, you and your parents are making a commitment. How well prepared are you to become an altar server. Michaels parish hudson, ma altar server manual feb 2012 thank you for your willingness to serve as an altar server. Altar servers, by their skills and knowledge serve the assembly and the priest by help ing the smoothrunning of the liturgy. In some christian denominations, altar servers are known. Altar servers are not ordained, they are commissioned by their parish priest. Yes, baptism is the point of departure of your authentic liturgical service, which places you next to your bishops, priests and deacons see sacrosanctum concilium, no. Meehan is published under the creative commons attributionnoncommercialnoderivs license 3. Cross stands in front followed by the two acolytes and book.
During the celebration of the eucharist i know that the priest takes your place when, together with your people and in the name of the church, he makes present. This manual has been written to promote efficient serving, which can only occur when servers know what they are doing. This manual is intended for the instruction of the altar servers in the ordinary form of the roman rite at st. The priest will hand the cruets and ciboria to the servers. Altar servers are an important part of our parish and they add so much to the celebration. As an altar server you have a special ministry in the church. Altar servers must have a desire to par cipate in the liturgy and be trained to perform their func ons in a correct and orderly manner. It is your privilege to assist the priest and deacon at the altar. Servers must first complete the training, observe other servers as an apprentice, and pass a competency assessment prior to being promoted into one of the 4 server categories listed below. This manual is designed to give you direction for our parish masses and to be a guide to help you as. Servers must actively practice the catholic faith and must have received their first holy communion.
Cross carries the cross and the acolytes carry the acolyte candles. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our altar servers, who honor. How to build an awesome altar serving program in 10 easy. Altar servers perform most of the functions of the former minor order of ordained. The primary role of the altar server is to assist the priest in the celebration of the. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar. Be ready to assist the other altar servers by standing near the credence table. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, among other things. Altar server handbook saint elizabeth ann seton parish. Do not call the rectory, the office, or any parish authority asking them to find a substitute. People who visit the bench regularly know that i never tire of gushing about my parishs altar servers.
They can also help prepare the altar, and credence and offertory tables before mass begins. The deacon accepts the gi\s and hands them to the servers. Altar servers are chosen from among the faithful who display a desire to participate in an intimate way during the holy sacrifice of the mass. I noticed that there was a controversy surrounding the existence of gay altar servers, notably about one such altar server in the canadian province of ontario, who announced he was launching a human rights complaint against the church for having been dismissed while he was living with his male partner. This is an opportunity to learn more about god, to learn more about his church, and to become more confident as a catholic. The ministry of altar server altar servers are a very important part of the liturgy as they assist the priest on the altar during the sunday masses and holy days throughout the year. As written so beautifully by josephine smith wood in her altar guild manual, 1915, before entering upon work about the altar, kneel a few moments at the chancel rail. Altar servers should dress appropriately for our lord and blessed mother mary. When the church bells ring approximately two minutes before mass is scheduled to begin. Includes servers responses for the 1962 latin mass. Altar server s family must be registered members of st. Marys is available to any catholic from the third grade through high school.