Allowing of altar girls was THE WORST mistake of Pope John Paul II papacy, and no amount of sugar coating in my eyes can justify such a rupture of tradition.
The girls at the parish you mentioned have plenty of other chances to gain a religous education rather than pushing boys off the altar. Thorw the baby out with the bathwater? Sorry, the whole mess is pure poison.
I quite seriously doubt that any boys are "pushed off the altar". Far more likely is that not enough boys volunteer. Certainly that is the case in my church.
There's nothing wrong with altar girls.
I lived in Italy for a while and attended Mass at St Peters and the other great basilicas quite often and not ONCE did I see any altar girls at these masses.
I wonder why the Vatican allows it in other dioceses around the world, yet refuse to allow it their OWN backyard?
Maybe because deep down they KNOW it's a bad idea??
At first I did not like it, but I do like it now. The girls seem to take it much more seriously than the boys. It is here to stay so why we are discussing it seems unnecessary.