My daughter is an altar server at our parish. Most of the servers are female, as only a few boys volunteered. If this comes to pass, then c’est la vie. Our faith will accommodate the shifting ground.
An altar server, then an acolyte — were steps to becoming a priest.
Sad that this has happened — but I am so happy that it may be on the way back.
Almost all the sacristans at my church are women. There are a lot of things that we can do behind the scenes.
Steelfish, I’m with you on the altar rails being put back and receiving Communion on the tongue. After you read a book by Maria Simma about the poor souls in Purgatory “Get Us Out of Here” you will NEVER EVER receive the Body of Christ in your hand again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boys don’t want to serve with a girl. They like to serve with another boy.
Sounds a lot like cultural relativism: an anathema to The Church. Any limits at all from your point of view on these concessions to practicality and modernism?
Perhaps then the problem is that the boys feel there is no role for them.
Are we encouraging the boys to step forward when we say, eh? who cares? Girls are just as good if not better.
In our parish, it’s a pretty even split, with the boys having a slight advantage. Our pastor gives the altar servers a trip to a local amusement park every year.
My three eldest (daughter and two sons) who are eligible, serve. However, we are getting a new pastor next month (TLM qualified and fairly young) so that may change the game. Personally, I think that women should be excluded from serving at the altar, and that when the deacon is present at Mass, extraordinary ministers should not distribute the Blood.
It should be the two ordained who administer the distribution of the Eucharist.
Now, when the Communion rail is returned, along with the patens held by the servers, then I shall be excited.
...only a few boys volunteered....
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I am willing to bet that there would have been more boys interested if it was open to boys only.
My Cathedral parish has only allowed boys, on some Sundays so many boys were suiting up that the Rector had to put a limit on how many can serve.
Where you make something a uniquely male thing to do you get many more volunteers. The military is finding this out.