St. Mary's Altar Server Manual
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ABOUT SERVING St. Mary’s By serving at the altar, you are participating in the greatest mystery of our faith: that God would come to dwell among us and offer his divine Son as a sacrifice for our redemption. Serving well allows everyone to pray reverently and maintains the dignity of the Mass. A good server is attentive Cathedral to the liturgy and able to move when needed without drawing attention to him/herself. Serving at the altar is an honor that is not open to everyone. Always conduct yourself in a way that commands respect, maintaining an attitude of honor and respect. Altar servers help everyone pray and worship God, but especially assist the priest in the celebration of the sacred mysteries. Everything in the liturgy is directed to manifesting the glory of God. Servers should be mature enough to understand their responsibilities and to carry them out well in a graceful and reverent way. They should ordinarily have already been admitted to receiving Holy Communion. Servers should receive proper formation before they begin to function. The formation should include instruction on the Mass and its parts and their meaning, the various objects used in the liturgy (their names and use), and the various functions of the server during the Mass and other liturgical celebrations. Servers should also receive appropriate guidance on maintaining proper decorum and attire when serving Mass and other functions. Since the role of server is integral to the normal celebration of the Mass, at least one server should assist the priest. On Sundays and other more important occasions, two or more servers should be employed to carry out the various functions normally entrusted to these ministers. Acolytes, altar servers, readers, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate or dignified clothing ( General Instruction of the Roman Missal , no. 339). All servers should wear the same liturgical vesture. Altar Server Servers carry the cross, the processional candles, hold the book for the priest celebrant when he is not at the altar, carry the incense and censer, present the bread, wine, and water to the priest during the preparation of Manual the gifts or assist him when he receives the gifts from the people, wash the hands of the priest, assist the priest celebrant and deacon as necessary. Servers respond to the prayers and dialogues of the priest along with the HOW TO CARRY ONESELF congregation. They also join in singing the hymns and other chants of the liturgy. In order to promote and encourage the faith of the people, the altar servers must move in a way that is graceful. This reduces the attention that they Servers should be seated in a place from which they can easily assist the draw to themselves, and allows the faithful to remain focused on the priest celebrant and deacon. The places next to the priest are normally liturgy. reserved for the deacons. Do not draw attention to yourself by unnecessary talking, fidgeting, sloppy Servers may not distribute Holy Communion unless they have been posture, or unnecessary movement. A good altar server should move only mandated for this function by the bishop. when necessary to complete a specific function. Remain reverent at all times, do not goof around, run, or yell. Do not make faces, touch the other Thank you for your willingness to be an Altar Server. servers, or carry on conversations. Everyone can see what you are doing. Do not draw attention to yourself. HOW TO DRESS Instead, carry yourself in a dignified way. When walking, walk with head up, back straight, and hands together in prayer. Hands should be with Traditional culture understands that to be well-dressed and well-groomed palms together, fingers pointed up, thumbs crossed right over left, in front is a form of respect. Because altar servers are in the midst of the sacred of your chest. If holding something with one hand, hold the object with the worship of the Church, they should be groomed and dressed in a manner right hand and place the left hand, with fingers together, palm in, flat over that shows honor and respect for God, others, and self. Servers must have your heart. Never walk with hands at your sides. clean hands, no body odor, and be appropriately dressed. Servers are to wear albs while serving. Because the alb covers most clothing, close Servers usually move as a group. Before sitting, standing, or moving, look attention should be paid to shoes and hair. at each other in order to move at the same time. All need to be neat and clean in appearance, including: While sitting, feet should rest flat on the floor, with the palms of your -Hair needs to be combed and not in the way of the face. The server should hands resting on top of your thighs, just above the knees. Look to where have a wide enough angle of view to see what is happening in the sanctuary. the liturgical action is taking place in case you are needed. -Clothing should reflect Christian modesty. -Shoes, socks, or stockings should be dark in color. No sandals, flip-flops, Whenever the celebrant stands, also stand. When the celebrant sits, also sit sneakers, lights, rollers, or noisemakers. Ladies heels 1 ½” or shorter. unless there is a duty to perform. -Shirts should not be bright or have large patterns. Alb material is thin and bright colors and patterns may show through. Do not walk in front of the priest or deacon when he is seated. -No chewing gum. The Eucharistic fast only allows water and medicine for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. When walking and not carrying something, walk at a steady pace with -Cell phones are to be powered off, or preferably not carried at all while prayer hands (palms together, fingers pointed up, in front of chest). There serving. is no reason to hurry. If the priest or deacon motions for something and you are uncertain what he wants, approach him slowly and ask him. Even when you are not doing something, people are watching. You are performing a public action and should behave in a way that reflects honor and respect to God and his people. Find an appropriate sized alb, it should cover you down to the top of your shoes. You will need to look in the mirror to check the length. Over the There are two types of bows: simple and profound. The simple bow is a alb, put on a cincture, and tie it around your waist. After vesting, quietly bow of the head only from the neck. This is made at the name of Jesus, the recite the “Prayer Before Mass” to prepare yourself for serving at the altar saint of the day, or to the priest. The profound bow is a bow of the entire of God. upper body from the waist. The profound bow is made to the altar or when passing in front of the bishop. If you are carrying or holding an item do not Ordinarily, at weekend Masses there should be four servers. It can be bow when passing the altar. helpful to have as many as seven, especially when the bishop is the celebrant. In addition to bows, there is another kind of reverence called a genuflection. The genuflection is the reverence done to the Blessed Sacrament. In the context of the Mass, the priest genuflects after PREPARATION FOR MASS consecrating the body and blood of Christ, and before receiving communion. If the Blessed Sacrament is present in the main body of the After vesting in the alb and cincture, go to the bell tower and ring both Church, such as for Exposition or Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, bells for a couple of minutes. This should be done at 10 minutes before the everyone genuflects upon entering or leaving in procession. Because the Mass is scheduled to begin. The bells alert people that Mass is about to Blessed Sacrament is reserved at St. Mary’s in a side-chapel that we do not begin. pass in procession, we only bow to venerate the altar. If you pass in front of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass, you must always genuflect. Next, go to the work sacristy and light the altar candles When genuflecting, bend at the knees, with the right knee touching the with the taper. Then, assist the sacristan as needed. If it has ground and the left foot flat on the ground. The left knee forms a right not already been done, carry the bread and wine, and the angle. Keep your back straight while genuflecting. processional candles to the gift table in the back of the church. Put the chalices, purificators, corporal, pall, water, In liturgical processions, always pass to the right of obstacles (e.g. bowl and towel on the credence table, or make sure they baptismal font, altar). are there. The credence table should be set in this manner (left to right): the priest’s chalice , purificator , pall , and a corporal ; next chalice(s) for the faithful, an equal number of ARRIVAL BEFORE MASS purificator(s) , water to mix with the wine, the paten with the low- gluten host (if necessary), and the tray with the pyxes (if necessary). Arrive 15-20 minutes before Mass. After that, a replacement may be asked to serve in your place. Please show respect for the Mass, the people, the priest, and the other liturgical ministers by being on time. Always get a substitute when you cannot be there as scheduled.