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An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, etc.
[edit] Altar Servers in the Roman Catholic ChurchFormally, and still in traditional catholic orders (FSSP, ICTK, SSPX, etc) only young men, among whom the Church hoped to recruit for the priesthood, and seminarians, who need the training, are altar servers; and thus altar boy was the usual term until Canon 230 was changed with the promulgation the code of Canon Law in 1983 which provided the option for females to serve at the altar. The term altar server is now widely used and accepted due to this. An Acolyte is one of the minor orders which is ordained by a Bishop. The title of Acolyte is still only given to men as it is an ordained minor order. This term is now usually reserved for the ministry that all who are to be promoted to the diaconate, whether permanent or transitory, must receive at least six months beforehand (canon 1035 of the Code of Canon Law). [edit] Duties of the Acolyte  The Roman Rite of the celebration of Mass, Acolytes have the following responsibilities (depending which type of mass) during
[edit] In the Ordinary FormIn the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite of the celebration of Mass, Acolytes have the following responsibilities during
At a solemn Mass, four or more Acolytes is ideal. A weekday Mass usually only requires a single Acolyte. If a bishop celebrates Mass solemnly, two vimpas, so as to take care of mitre and crosier, as well as other functions. [edit] VestmentsAcolytes formally wear a cassock and surplice during a liturgy. According to the general rule of the Latin Rite a surplice should always be worn over a cassock. Traditionally, an Acolyte wore the same colour as the church's pastor or rector. Thus, a red cassock would be worn if the pastor had that privilege. Black and red are the most common colours for an Acolyte cassock. Another common vestment is the alb. Acolytes do not wear a clerical collar or rabat (clothing). In English-speaking countries that collar is traditionally worn from ordination as a subdeacon onward, but in others it was worn by all seminarians. [edit] Female altar serversMain article: Female altar servers Once prohibited in the Catholic Church, female altar servers are now allowed provided that the diocesan bishop and the parish priest allow the practice. [edit] Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches In the Eastern Orthodox Church, altar servers assist the higher clergy during services. They might carry the cross, candles or liturgical fans in processions and entrances; maintain the censer, ensuring it has enough live charcoal, loading it with incense and handing it to the priest or deacon when required; preparing the hot water (zeon) in time for it to be added to the chalice at the Divine Liturgy; prepare the antidoron for the people to receive after Holy Communion; and any other necessary tasks so that the celebrant need not be distracted during the service. An altar server is vested in the sticharion only. In the early Church, before someone could be a server he had to be tonsured. Nowadays, in many places it is not necessary to be tonsured before one is allowed to serve (since the tonsure must be done by a bishop or higher-ranking priest). The rites of "Setting Aside a Taper-bearer" and "Tonsuring a Reader" have now been combined into one service. It is the custom in some traditions, such as the Greek Orthodox or Melkite Catholic, to allow tonsured altar servers to also vest in the orarion, worn crossed over the back like that of a subdeacon but with the ends hanging parallel in front. Among the Russians, however, the orarion is never worn by servers, but only by duly ordained subeacons and deacons. Before vesting, the server must fold his sticharion and bring it to the priest for him to bless. The priest blesses and lays his hand on the folded sticharion. The server kisses the priest's hand and then withdraws to vest. Any server who has not been tonsured must remove the sticharion when he receives Holy Communion, because only tonsured Readers may do this while vested in the sticharion. Before unvesting at the end of the service, the server must receive the priest's blessing. The minimum age varies by local circumstance, but boys must be mature enough to carry out their duties without disrupting the sanctity of the altar. Although it is common in North America for boys to act as altar servers, in some places this practice is virtually unknown and these duties are always carried out by adult men. In other places where altar servers are normally boys, adult men will not vest if called upon to serve. In yet other places, boys are not permitted to serve in the Altar on reaching their teens on the grounds that the young man is no longer innocent enough to serve in the altar. Altar servers, regardless of age, are subject to all the normal restrictions for those not of higher clerical position. Anyone who is bleeding, or has an open sore, is not permitted to enter the altar. They may not touch the altar table or anything on it under any circumstances, nor the prothesis without a blessing. They may not touch the sacred vessels, the chalice and diskos (paten) at any time. They may not stand directly in front of the altar table or pass between the front of it and the iconostasis, but must cross between the altar and the High Place if they need to move to the opposite side. Women may not serve in the altar except in women's monasteries. In that case they do not receive the clerical tonsure (though they must be tonsured nuns), and do not vest in the sticharion, but wear their normal religious habit for attending services, and serve at a certain distance from the actual altar table. Normally, only older nuns may serve in the altar; but the Hegumenia (Abbess) is permitted to enter even if she is younger. [edit] Other ChurchesMain article: Acolyte In lower Anglican churches, most Lutheran Churches, and in the Methodist Church, all who serve in the above positions are called acolytes. In Anglo-Catholic and some Episcopal Churches however, the vast majority of roles associated with an Altar server are the same as those in the Catholic Church, and the same titles for each individual role are retained from Catholic tradition - mostly restored during the Oxford Movement in the 19th century. [edit] Referencesan altar server [edit] External links
[edit] External links
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