What is the role of the Altar Servers at Mass?
Altar Servers are lay men and women, girls and boys, who are designated to assist the priest and the deacon at Mass. Ordinarily, they are responsible for the cross, the candles, the incense and the censer. They hold the book for the priest at the chair, assist the priest during the preparation of the gifts, and they wash the hands of the priest. In general, they assist the priest and deacon when necessary. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal – GIMR #100) Who may be Altar Servers? Altar servers are baptized Catholics, women and men, boys and girls, who are mature enough to understand and carry out their liturgical function. They should have received their first Holy Communion and normally receive the Eucharist whenever they participate in the liturgy. What formation is required? Formation is both technical and spiritual. Altar servers need to know the individual parts of the Mass and their specific meaning, the various objects used in the liturgy and their proper names, and the dif
