Post on 25-Mar-2018
A guide for Altar Servers at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church
ALTAR SERVER SERVING THE
LORD
Altar Server Serving the Lord
A Guide for Altar Servers
at
St. Albert the Great Catholic Church
REVISED AND UPDATED
September 3, 2013
Altar Servers: Serving the Lord, A guide for Altar Servers at St. Albert the Great
Catholic Church has been developed as a resource by Deacon Chuck Lanham for
ministers who are responsible for serving at the table of the Lord.
Altar Server Serving the Lord
But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their
authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather,
whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the
Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life
as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:25-28
“In the absence of an instituted acolyte, there may be deputed lay ministers to serve at the altar
and assist the Priest or the Deacon; these carry the cross, the candles, the thuribles, the bread,
the wine, and the water.”
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 100, USCCB
Thank you for your desire to become an Altar Server. In more formal liturgical
settings, serving at the altar is performed by Instituted Acolytes, persons who, in
many cases, are attending seminary to be ordained as priests.
Ministry schedule
6
Within Mass, the Altar Server provides a meaningful and necessary service to the
proper celebration of the liturgy. It is a time honored position to serve at the table
of Our Lord, one that should always be performed with the utmost respect and
dignity. Remember:
When you are an Altar Server
You are in the service of God,
as God is present in the Eucharist.
Altar Servers may, from time to time, be asked to assist the priest or deacon
outside of the Mass. These special occasions may be weddings, baptisms, and
other rites where assistance is required. Altar Servers should be prepared to serve
at these special services when asked to do so.
Altar Servers must be:
Roman Catholics whose qualities of Christian life, faith, and morals
recommend them
Have received the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist
Have completed the third grade in school
Regular participants in the sacramental life of the Church
Ministry schedule The schedule for every Mass is published in the bulletin and mailed to all
ministers prior to the beginning of every month. Each month when you receive
the calendar, please review the Altar Server schedule and make note of when you
are scheduled to serve. It is very important that you are present whenever you
are scheduled to serve.
Altar Server
7
Absences
We are all called away on occasion for various reasons and in most cases these
absences are known and arranged in advance. Please, let the Parish staff know
when you will not be available as far in the future as possible; this will allow them
to create the schedule with those who will be available.
Replacements
If you cannot serve at a Mass you have been assigned it is your responsibility to
find a replacement. You can procure a phone list from the Parish Office.
Decorum and Dress “… acolytes, altar servers, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable
vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing.”
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, # 339, USCCB
As an Altar Server, you are serving at the table of the Lord and should always
dress appropriately; after all it is a special banquet you are attending and serving.
This is not an occasion for T-shirts, shorts, blue jeans, tennis shoes, or other
casual dress. Wear nice dress shoes; do not wear tennis shoes or flip-flops.
The Mass is a solemn and holy rite and all those who participate in it must always
act with the greatest degree of decorum. Never take your duties lightly or act
inappropriately. When on the altar, stand, sit, or kneel calmly and quietly; no
fidgeting or making unnecessary motions or sounds.
Arrival
8
Arrival Altar Servers should arrive, at a minimum, 15 minutes before the beginning of
Mass in order to locate and put on your vestments, determine your assignment at
the altar, and listen for any special instructions for the Mass.
Bowing
There are two kinds of bows: a bow of the head; and a bow of the body,
which is referred to as a profound bow. A bow of the head is made
whenever the three names of the Trinity are said together, and when the
name of Jesus, Mary, or the saint in whose honor the Mass is celebrated is
said.
A profound bow, bending the entire body at the waist to where you can
touch the knees with the palms of your hand, is made at a few specific
parts during the Mass, and whenever you pass in front of an altar. We bow
to the altar because the Altar represents Christ—so we reverence it with a
profound bow. When we reverence the Blessed Sacrament in the
tabernacle we are adoring God Himself, since the Lord is truly present in
the Blessed Sacrament, so we genuflect.
For Altar Servers, as you approach the sanctuary to perform your duties,
you should perform a profound bow toward the Altar—not the
tabernacle— before entering the sanctuary. Upon exiting the sanctuary,
turn, face the Altar and perform a profound bow.
Altar Server
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Duties In most cases, three Altar Servers are assigned to serve at any Mass. Each Altar
Server has a role to play during the liturgy. Prior to the beginning of Mass the
Altar Servers should decide among themselves as to which role they will serve.
Cross Bearer
The cross bearer carries the crucifix and leads the procession to the altar in a slow
and elegant manner. The cross bearer should begin at the rear of the church, 3-5
feet in front of the table with the gifts.
Servers
Cross Bearer
Procession
10
Servers
Servers should form up in pairs behind the cross bearer and should maintain at
least three feet of separation. Do not walk too close to the cross bearer.
If there is only one Altar Server in addition to the cross bearer, that server should
walk behind the cross bearer, maintaining proper distance. Never walk beside or
too close to the cross bearer.
Procession The cross bearer begins the procession:
When there is a choir
the cross bearer should wait until the choir begins to sing, but after the
introductory music. Eyes should stay focused on the altar.
When there is no choir
the cross bearer should begin the procession when the priest or deacon
gives the OK. Watch for the priest or deacon’s signal.
When arriving at the altar
Upon arriving at the altar the cross bearer should move to the right, standing a few
feet to the right of and facing the crucifix stand. Remain on the floor; do not step
into the sanctuary.
If a deacon is serving at the Mass and there are two servers, one should move to
the right and stand next to the cross bearer, facing the altar. The second server
should move to the left, standing a few feet to the left of the end of the altar.
Altar Server
11
If there is no Deacon serving at the Mass and there are two servers, both should
move to the left, standing near the end of the altar.
If there is only one server in addition to the cross bearer, that server should move
to the left, standing near the end of the altar.
If a Deacon carries the Book of the Gospels, he will not stop but will proceed into
the sanctuary and place the book on the altar.
When the Priest makes a profound bow to the altar, the servers should do the
same. The cross bearer may simply bow his or her head rather than making a
profound bow.
Altar
Cross Bearer
Server Server
Cross Stand
Procession
12
The Priest will then proceed into the sanctuary and move to the center behind the
altar. Both the Priest and Deacon, if any, will bend and kiss the altar.
When the Priest bends to kiss the altar, the cross bearer should proceed to the
cross stand and place the cross in the stand with the corpus (the Body of Christ)
facing the congregation. The servers, including the cross bearers should then
move to the chairs and remain standing, facing the congregation.
Cross
Bearer
Server
Altar
Server
Priest Deacon
Altar Server
13
The Mass begins The Cross Bearer now becomes the book bearer. In most cases the Priest will say
“Let us pray”. Some priests may say something else such as “Let us offer our
prayers”. When this is said, pick up the sacramentary that is on the small table
between the Priest and the cross bearer and step in front of the Priest so he may
read the opening prayer.
The Sacramentary is a large heavy book. It should be held high enough for the
priest to easily read. The normal position is to hold the bottom of the book with
your hands, resting the top of the book on your chest. If the priest is tall, you may
need to place the top of the book on your forehead. While it is heavy, please make
every attempt to hold the book steady for the priest.
Simply hold the sacramentary closed, but at an angle so the Priest can open it to
the proper page. After the opening prayer the Priest may close the book and place
it back on the small table. The Priest may simply close the book, in which case
you should place the book back on the small table. At this point everyone sits
down for the readings.
You should stand and sit as appropriate
from this point until after the homily.
Liturgy of the Eucharist After the Prayer of the Faithful, the Priest will sit down; servers do not sit down.
What the servers do at this point will depend on whether there is a Deacon
serving.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
14
With a Deacon
The cross bearer will take the sacramentary and hand it to the Deacon, who will
place it on the stand and open it to the proper page (the red ribbon.)
If there are two additional servers, they will proceed to the credence table and the
cross bearer will return to his or her seat and sit down.
If there is only one server, the cross bearer will join the other server at the
credence table. Both will then wait until the Deacon has opened the
sacramentary, moved to the end of the altar nearest the ambo, and faces the
servers.
The servers will then assist the Deacon in setting the altar.
TAKE YOUR TIME!
Do not try to carry more to save a trip!
DECORUM IS IMPORTANT!
The servers should bring the following items from the credence table, in the
following order, walking slowly and smoothly:
the cups (never try to carry more than two and do not try to carry the cups
and purificators at the same time.)
the purificators
the chalice with covering purificator
the small pitcher of water
A server should never attempt to carry any combination of the items listed above.
For example, never carry the purificators with the cups, or small pitcher of water.
Altar Server
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Without a Deacon
The cross bearer will take the sacramentary and place it on the stand on the altar
and open it to the proper page (the red ribbon.)
If there are two additional servers, they will proceed to the credence table and the
cross bearer will return to his or her seat and sit down.
If there is only one server, the cross bearer will join the other server at the
credence table. Both will then proceed in setting the altar. Please note that servers
should never place anything on the corporal (the large white cloth that covers the
center of the altar. Only the Priest or Deacon should ever place anything on the
corporal. All items should be placed to the right of the corporal.
The servers should bring the following items from the credence table, in the
following order, walking slowly and smoothly:
the cups (never try to carry more than two and do not try to carry the cups
and purificators at the same time.)
the purificators
the chalice with covering purificator
the small pitcher of water
Server should never attempt to carry any combination of the
items listed above. For example, never carry the purificators
with the cups, or small pitcher of water.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
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When placing the items on the altar, follow the diagram below:
Once the altar has been set, the servers should return to their seats.
Receiving the Gifts
When the Priest stands and moves to the front of the altar to receive the gifts the
servers should rise and follow, standing on each side of the Priest. The servers
should walk around the end of the altar that is closest to where they are sitting.
Follow the movements indicated on the diagram shown on the next page.
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Credence
Table
Cups
Amb
o
Amb
o
Amb
o
Chalice
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Purificators
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Water
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Corporal
Altar Server
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Cross
Bearer
Server
Altar
Server
Priest Deacon
Credence
Table
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Ambo
Liturgy of the Eucharist
18
The Priest will receive the gifts and hand one server the hosts and the other the
wine. The servers should wait until the priest blesses the people who gave the
gifts and then follow the Priest, returning to the rear of the altar. Both servers
should follow the Priest, walking around the same end of the altar as the Priest.
Elevation of the gifts
The server holding the hosts should present them to the Priest when he turns to
receive them. The Priest will then elevate the hosts.
The server holding the wine should hand it to the Deacon, if present. If no Deacon
is present, the server should wait until the Priest turns to receive the wine and then
hand it to the Priest.
Washing of the hands
Immediately after handing over the water and wine, the servers should return to
the credence table. One server should pick up the silver water bowl and the other
the towel. The towel should be draped over the server’s right arm.
When approaching or departing from the Priest,
the two servers should move as one.
Come together and leave together.
After the Priest raises the chalice, he will turn to wash his hands. Both servers
should move together toward the Priest. The server with the water bowl should
raise it so that the Priest can comfortably place his hands in the water. The server
with the towel should stand with the towel so that the Priest can easily take the
towel and dry his hands.
Altar Server
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Once the Priest has dried his hands and has returned the towel to the server, the
servers should return the water bowl and towel to the credence table and then
return to their seats.
Holy Communion
After the Our Father and the sign of peace. EMs will enter the sanctuary. All
servers should move to the wall next to the ambo side of the altar and wait there
until the Priest and EMs move to the front of the altar to distribute Holy
Communion to the people.
Once Holy Communion to the people has begun, the cross bearer should take the
sacramentary from the altar and place it on the small table next to the Priest’s
chair.
Another server should take the chalice and purificator from the altar and place it
on the credence table.
The only things left on the altar should be the ciborium that
came from the tabernacle and any pix for the homebound.
After Communion
In most cases the Priest will say “Let us pray”. Some priests may say something
else such as “Let us offer our prayers”. When this is said, the cross bearer should
pick up the sacramentary that is on the small table next to the Priest and step in
front of the Priest so he may read the closing prayer.
The Sacramentary is a large heavy book. It should be held high enough for the
priest to easily read. The normal position is to hold the bottom of the book with
Liturgy of the Eucharist
20
your hands, resting the top of the book on your chest. If the priest is tall, you may
need to place the top of the book on your forehead. While it is heavy, please make
every attempt to hold the book steady for the priest.
Simply hold the sacramentary closed, but at an angle so the Priest can open it to
the proper page. After the opening prayer the Priest may close the book and place
it back on the small table. The Priest may simply close the book, in which case
you should place the book back on the small table.
After the final blessing and the dismissal, the servers should wait until the Priest
and Deacon move toward the altar. The cross bearer should then move toward the
crucifix, remove it from its stand and move to the same position in front of the
altar as at the beginning of Mass. Face the altar.
The remaining servers should follow the Priest and Deacon and stand in their
same positions in front of the altar as at the beginning of Mass. Face the Altar.
When the Priest makes a profound bow to the altar, the servers should do the
same. The cross bearer may simply bow his or her head rather than making a
profound bow.
The cross bearer should then turn and lead the procession out of the church. Walk
at a normal walking pace. The remaining servers should follow the cross bearer.
Altar Server
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Baptisms There will be times when one or more baptisms will be scheduled at a Mass
which you may be serving. A baptism does not change the way you serve at Mass,
it only adds one additional duty for one server.
When a baptism is to be performed during Mass one of the servers, preferably the
cross-bearer but it can be any server, should be prepared to hold the baptismal
book for the Priest or Deacon.
At the beginning of Mass
At the beginning of the Mass, the penitential rite is not spoken. Rather, after the
sign of the cross, the Priest or Deacon will announce that “at the doors to the
church there is a child who is yet unfamiliar to us. Let us go and see what the
parents wish for their child.” The Priest or Deacon will then proceed to the doors
of the church and the altar server should follow with the baptismal book. Place
yourself in front of the Priest or Deacon and hold the book as you would the
sacramentary.
When the opening prayers are completed the Priest or Deacon will finish with
“…sing glory to God” and process back to the altar. Follow the Priest or Deacon
and return to your position at the altar.
After the homily
At the conclusion of the homily, the Priest or Deacon will ask the parents,
godparents, and child to come to the front of the altar. The altar server should
walk to the front of the baptismal font and stand facing the Priest or Deacon
holding the baptismal book.
At the conclusion of the baptism, the Priest or Deacon will return to their place
behind the altar. Simply return to your position at the altar.
Vesting
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Vesting When serving at the altar, Altar Servers are required to vest, that is, to wear
certain special clothing during the Mass.
Before Mass
There are three items that you will find in the area just outside the sacristy at the
rear of the church.
The first items is the alb. This is a white robe that you wear over your regular
street clothing. Albs are located in the closet next to the sink; various sizes are
available. You should find a size that when worn the bottom of the alb should be
4-6 inches from the floor.
After you have found and put on an alb, the next item is the cincture. This is a
heavy corded rope that you wrap around you waist like a belt. Cinctures are
located in the alb closet.
If you don’t know how to wrap the cincture,
please ask for assistance.
The last item is the server’s cross that is on a cord that you wear like a necklace.
These are located on a board across from the alb closet.
After Mass
When you return to the sacristy after Mass, please return your alb, cincture, and
cross to their proper place. Please hang your alb back up in the closet according to
size.
Altar Server
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I came not to be served
but to serve.