Altar Serving In The Ordinariate | Leaven For The Wider Church

Of the many conversations happening publicly among Catholics, more than a few hover over the subject of identity, or a lack thereof, as in fidelity on the one hand and laxity on the other. Common political or social terms are often clumsily applied to factions, which only exacerbates factionalism where none need exist. There is only orthodoxy or heterodoxy. There are many adherents to the latter who imagine themselves the former.

Leaving aside politics, polemics and such, the conversation about identity, more specifically identity in Christ, may be enhanced by the experience of the lowly altar server whose very identity celebrates a eucharistic service that can foster a renewal of purpose, of Eucharistic identity and mission for the salvation of souls.

Service, Commitment, Discipline, Contentment

The well-trained server communicates authentic participation in the Mass. By reflecting on the nature of altar service, those in the congregation are more likely to realize their own participation in the sacred rites. 

1. attentive silence: silently present to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in word and sacrament.
2. embodiment of due reverence (bows, genuflections, song) toward the holy.
3. gratitude for God's truth, goodness and beauty.
4. adoration and praise of God because He is Lord of all.

The congregant specializes in an active receptivity. The heart and mind united in worship finds bodily expression that reinforces the discipline of prayer. Worship of God is at the heart of the Church's mission.

The concept of the "People of God" in the Catechism refers to the faithful, all baptized Christians, who share in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal mission. We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices, witness to the faith, and exercise leadership in various aspects of their lives and communities.

A Chosen Race

The People of God are described as a "chosen race," "royal priesthood," and "holy nation," reflecting their special status and calling.

Baptism and the Holy Spirit

Baptism is the sacrament that initiates individuals into the People of God, and the Holy Spirit empowers them to live out their faith and share in Christ's mission.

Priestly, Prophetic, and Royal

The People of God share in Christ's priestly role by offering spiritual sacrifices through prayer, praise, and living a life of holiness. They also participate in his prophetic role by witnessing to the faith and speaking out for justice. Finally, they are called to exercise leadership and service in their families, workplaces, and communities.

The Mission of the People of God

The mission of the People of God is to be a light in the world, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to build up the Kingdom of God.

It's important to remember that being a member of the People of God doesn't equate to being an ordained priest. All baptized Christians share in the priesthood of Christ in a common way, offering spiritual sacrifices through their daily lives and the offering of their lives and intentions in the Mass.

The Priest kisses the altar and, turning towards the People, extending and then joining his hands, says aloud: Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable unto God, the Father Almighty. The People stand and respond: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at thy hands, for the praise and glory of his Name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

The participation of the laity in the Eucharistic Liturgy outfits the worshipper for mission.

The identity of the server is directly influenced by the character of the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. The confidence of the server is directly influenced by the confidence of the celebration.

The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of His Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord's supper. | Sacrosanctum Concilium Chapter 1:10.

If the character of the celebration of the liturgy matches the divine character of the Mass, then pathways are more likely to open to God's grace than when people are subject to the banal (which stunts a person's capacity for beauty that disposes the heart and mind to God) or spectacle (which imprisons the senses and distracts attention from God).

Moreover, the Church should resist the temptation to believe that it can compete with modern mass media by turning the sacred liturgy into spectacle.

Here again, Church Fathers such as Tertullian remind us today that visual spectacle is the domain of the “saeculum,” and that our proper mission is to introduce people to the nature of Mystery, as an antidote to spectacle. | Pope Leo XIV (Fr. Robert Prevost, October 11, 2012)

People disposed to grace are freed to respond to God's invitation to newness of life in Christ. Identity rises; confidence grows.

12. The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must also enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret; yet more, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he should pray without ceasing. We learn from the same Apostle that we must always bear about in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodily frame. This is why we ask the Lord in the sacrifice of the Mass that, "receiving the offering of the spiritual victim," he may fashion us for himself "as an eternal gift". | Sacrosanctum Concilium 1:12.

If one desires to understand the nature of altar service in the Ordinariate, and the character encouraged among altar servers, one would do well to start with the prayers that accompany a server's investment in the Sacred Liturgy. The vesting prayers.

+ In the Name of the FATHER, and of the SON and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen.

Before donning his vestments, the server washes his hands as he recites the following prayer.

Give virtue to my hands, O Lord, and wash out every stain, so that I may be able to serve Thee without pollution of mind or body.

At the CASSOCK

The Lord Himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou shalt maintain my lot.

At the COTTA or SURPLICE

Invest me, O Lord, as a new man, who was created by God in justice and the holiness of truth.

Before Serving

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with Thy most gracious favour, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally by Thy mercy obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Tarcisius: pray for us.

A Uniform of Prayer

The preceding English prayers are, of course, commonly said by those attached to the Latin Mass (1962 Missal). Where cassocks and surplices are worn by servers in Novus Ordo (Mass of Pope St Paul VI) liturgies, the prayers are entirely appropriate. If a server wears an alb, the following prayers suffice in addition to the Give virtue to my hands, O Lord:

1. Alb | Make me clean, O Lord, and cleanse my heart; that being made white in the Blood of the Lamb I may deserve an eternal reward. Amen.
2. Cincture | Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me. Amen.

Symbolism of Vestments

Alb | A white one-piece robe. Its white color reminds us of our baptismal garments.

Cassock | A long, black robe. The color black represents a renunciation of worldly attachments and a commitment to spiritual service.

Surplice or Cotta | A white overgarment worn over the cassock that symbolizes purity and a call to service.

It is easy to understand how parishes and dioceses yield an abundant harvest of vocations to the priesthood when prayerfulness, selfless service and satisfaction derived from being close to the Lord Jesus in the Sacred Liturgy are cultivated in young men.

Habitually disposed to God's grace

For the altar server, a mindset of service is not something confined to an hour-and-a-half on a Sunday. Every day the server strives to be recollected, mindful of God's gift of new life that merits our gratitude for being rescued from death. The altar server is near Jesus, accompanied by Jesus.

Confident and abiding prayer is nurtured by a threefold orientation to grace.

1. Grace for virtue, to worship God in spirit and in truth, to love as Jesus loves.
2. Grace to sustain commitment and an attitude of joy and hope in the salvation offered by Jesus.
3. Grace to act justly in the holiness of truth.

Formation for Life

Fellowship in service is important for forming young men as men of prayer and integrity. Young boys and youths thrive when given the opportunity to connect and learn from older men in ways particular and healthy for males. A server corps comprised of males serving together for the greater glory of God fosters a growth of identity that serves boys into adulthood.

Pope Leo XIV’s former altar server recalls fond memories (ZENIT News/Chiclayo, 05.22.2025) | A personal account of the new Pope’s pastoral humility and personal warmth has come from one of his former altar servers who now works with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Peru. Santiago, a young layman who once assisted at Saint Martin of Porres parish in then Bishop Robert Prevost’s former Diocese of Chiclayo, told ACN that he was “a very joyful person, very close, always willing to talk… “He had a way of connecting with everybody, from the smallest to the biggest.” Santiago said that he met the Pope “at least six times” during his time as bishop. He added: “His sermons always touched me. “They were empathetic, dynamic, and the message was both clear and very close, which was a way of making one think. “He would also organise retreats for all the altar servers in the diocese, and in these he would treat us as equals, just like a shepherd among his flock.” ACN projects in Chiclayo Diocese during Bishop Prevost’s time there included Mass stipends for priests and funding for the formation of hundreds of seminarians and catechists.

Knowing a little something about the personalities of his patrons—Saints Tarcisius, Stephen, and John Berchmans—helps an altar server refine his character.

1. Saint Stephen (A.D. 5–34) was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church and is also known as the first Christian martyr. His dedication to service and his unwavering faith in Christ, even in the face of death, makes him a fitting patron for those who serve at the altar.
2. St. Tarcisius (A.D. 263–275) was a 12-year-old boy who lived in 3rd-century Rome. Although what is known of him is taken from a poem written by Pope Damasus (366-384), he is remembered for protecting the Eucharist from desecration with his life.
3. Saint John Berchmans (A.D. 1599–1621) was known for his unwavering fidelity to the religious life, particularly in his role as a Jesuit novice, and his dedication to living a life of ordinary virtues with exceptional zeal. He is revered as a patron saint of altar boys and youth, and his life is a testament to the power of striving for holiness in everyday life.

The Guild of Saint Stephen, an archconfraternity for altar servers, offers the server a prayer to be said daily that speaks of the orientation to the altar of God and to a hope in eternal life.

O God, who dost graciously accept the ministry of thy servants and allow us to share in the service of thine altar: grant that, whilst in serving thee we follow the example of our Patron, Saint Stephen, the first Martyr, we may, like him, come to see thy Son standing at the right hand of thy Majesty, and so enter into the Kingdom of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

In a real way, the altar server is an intercessor for others who, by his example, leads others to Jesus. An effective altar server is:

1. prayerful and reverent. He offers his service to God with a particular intention in mind, e.g., for his parents’ well being, or for someone in need.
2. dedicated to service, is skilled, and is supportive of others.
3. alert and receptive to guidance.
4. well groomed and neatly dressed: cassock and cotta (surplice).

OLW Servers (Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) | Altar servers should perform their liturgical duties "digne, attente, devote," that is worthily, attentively, and devoutly, in body, mind, and heart. Your sacred duties require of you the greatest reverence in the sanctuary, the deepest attention to your duties, and the most zealous preparation of all your liturgical actions.

Mentoring & Fellowship

Altar service brings together servers of different ages, allowing younger servers to benefit from the experience of older servers. Confidence grows with experience and opportunities to develop leadership skills.

1. Identity: union with the liturgical actions of the priest united to the actions of Christ.
2. Uniformity of Service: task oriented; minimized distractions; disciplined attention.
3. Uniform Liturgy: a model of prayer; embodies prayer; every movement is a prayer to God.

The ministry of altar service is closely allied to the ministry of the priest. One could say that the actions of the server are alloyed to the liturgical actions of the priest who is an icon of Christ.

Altar servers "defer to the authoritative guidance of the celebrant who, required to be knowledgeable about the rubrics and liturgical norms set forth for the proper celebration of Divine Worship,  relies on (the servers') informed participation to ensure the Mass is celebrated with due reverence and efficiency." | Newman Server Manual, W. Clanton

Altar servers strive to "serve in a coherent and authentic manner consistent with principles and norms born of centuries of approved practice found in the various streams proper to the Anglican Patrimony, practices deemed by competent authorities to be consonant with Catholic liturgical practice and therefore necessary to preserve the 'continuity, integrity, and pastoral utility of the liturgical provision.'" (ibid.)

Important liturgical writings that have guided groups of Anglicans and tradition-minded communities, works such as Ritual Notes (11th Ed.) and The Ceremonies of The Roman Rite Described (Fortescue & O’Connell: 1962) continue to inform the service of altar servers.

Given the richness of the Anglican patrimony received in the Catholic Church, the Rubrical Directory found alongside the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) in the Ordinariate Missal with well-founded generosity states:

[10] The rubrics of the Divine Worship Order of Mass aim to preserve traditional customs of Anglican Eucharistic worship with respect to orientation, postures, gestures, and manual acts, while also permitting the celebration of Mass in a manner similar to that of the Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition. This rubrical flexibility provides for the variety of liturgical traditions and experiences among the parishes and communities of the Personal Ordinariates.

Divine Worship is an expression of authentic liturgical diversity in the Catholic Church. Because the Anglican liturgical patrimony is so rich, and while that liturgical patrimony is coming into greater focus in the context of the Personal Ordinariates, liturgical practices may vary slightly from place to place. The note ‘where it is the custom’ is used to acknowledge differing practices that preserve that rich patrimony and that complement current official instruction.

A View to Heaven

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High. + Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest. 

The server becomes an icon of prayer, a moving icon in the sanctuary, not unlike the angels surrounding the throne of God with their attention fixed on God. Young men understand this identity, and when encouraged, often find a vocation to the priesthood. They recognize satisfaction or contentment in their dedication to a role as necessary to their identity and gravitate toward perfecting their understanding and service.

For the Catholic server, prayer is embodied:

1. bows - e.g., at the saving Name of Jesus; when receiving sacred vessels from clergy.
2. genuflections - toward the Blessed Sacrament
3. Sign(s) of the Cross - at the Gospel (in acknowledgement of the saving word of God); during the Creed (in acknowledgement of the saving truth); at the Ecce Agnus Dei/Lord I am not worthy (in acknowledgement of the Real Presence of God), etc.
4. hand positions - in prayer; attentive listening; striking the breast during the Confiteor (and during the Angus Dei and at the Lord I am not worthy) to acknowledge our dependence on God's mercy.
5. movement and positioning - much of the liturgical "shapes" and movements call to mind the cross. Torchbearers and crucifer and thurifer for a cross in the procession to the sanctuary. In the Ordinariate Mass, the Gospel is proclaimed in the midst of the congregation. The Gospel formation is that of a cross. 

The server strives to embody:

Adoration

Adoration focuses on praising God for who He is and all He has done. It involves recognizing God's greatness, beauty, and goodness, and giving Him the glory and honor He deserves. 

Reparation

Reparation involves making amends for sins and wrongdoings, either our own or those of others. It can be expressed through prayer, acts of charity, and other forms of spiritual and physical effort. 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a heartfelt expression of gratitude for God's blessings and kindness. It involves acknowledging the gifts we receive and expressing appreciation for God's love and generosity. 

Supplication

Supplication, also known as petition, involves asking God for our needs and desires. It includes requests for help, guidance, healing, and other blessings.

Using these four categories in prayer can help us to engage with God more deeply and to experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from prayer.

The Liturgy as a Bridge | The liturgy, especially the Mass, is seen as a "ladder" or "bridge" connecting heaven and earth. It's a place where God descends to humanity and humanity ascends to God.

Unification of Time and Space | The liturgy allows for the unification of time and space, bringing together the past, present, and future in the ongoing worship of the Trinity.

In the Catholic liturgy, heaven and earth converge, creating a space where the divine and earthly realms intertwine. This meeting point is a place of encounter between God and humanity, where the earthly sacrifice of the Eucharist is united with the eternal sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Those privileged to serve in the sanctuary accompany the intentions of others present by modelling the intentions we all share as children of God: the desire for God to sustain us; the desire to render fitting praise and thanksgiving to God for his many blessings; the desire to be faithful disciples; the desire for holiness; the desire for truth, goodness, and beauty; the desire for forgiveness and mercy; and the need for wisdom.

In the worship and service of Almighty God, which Christ and His Apostles have left to us, we are vouchsafed means, both moral and mystical, of approaching God, and gradually learning to bear the sight of Him… We approach, and in spite of the darkness, our hands, or our head, or our brow, or our lips become, as it were, sensible of the contact of something more than earthly. We know not where we are, but we have been bathing in water, and a voice tells us that it is blood. Or we have a mark signed upon our foreheads, and it spake of Calvary. Or we recollect a hand laid upon our heads, and surely it had the print of nails in it, and resembled His who with a touch gave sight to the blind and raised the dead. Or we have been eating and drinking; and it was not a dream surely, that One fed us from His wounded side, and renewed our nature by the heavenly meat He gave. Thus in many ways He, who is Judge to us, prepares us to be judged,— He, who is to glorify us, prepares us to be glorified, that He may not take us unawares; but that when the voice of the Archangel sounds, and we are called to meet the Bridegroom, we may be ready. | St John Henry Newman, Worship, a Preparation for Christ’s Coming, Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 5, Sermon 1.

RESOURCES Classical and Contemporary

https://vicordinariateserv.wixsite.com/altarservers

1. Altar Server Notes. Our Lady of Walsingham Cathedral. https://sites.google.com/site/olwservers/home
2. (The) Altar Servers’ Handbook issued by the Archconfraternity of St. Stephen. https://www.romanitaspress.com/product-page/the-altar-servers-handbook
3. (The) Art of Altar Serving. Novus Ordo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ze0qur_2U
4. At The Altar Of The Lord, An adaptation of At the Lord’s Table by Shearburn, as revised and edited by Wilkinson, Reid and Botterill. 2007.
5. (The) Book of Ceremonies. Rev. Lawrence O’Connell. 1944. http://archive.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/17/01/17/19-00-44_0.pdf
6. The Ceremonies of Divine Worship (2nd Ed.). Richard Friend https://09ba3f65-7202-438a-ba75-7bb640182364.filesusr.com/ugd/ae0b94_ea7eb597b3054dae96aa32cfb6d3bd30.pdf
7. Ceremonies Explained for Servers: A Manual for Altar Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, and Masters of Ceremonies. Peter J. Elliott. Ignatius. 2019. (Novus Ordo modern Roman liturgy). https://www.amazon.ca/Ceremonies-Explained-Servers-Acolytes-Sacristans/dp/1621642992
8. (The) Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described. Adrian Fortescue. London: Burns & Oates Ltd. 1918.
9. (The) Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church. James-Charles Noonan, Jr. Viking. 1996.
10. Divine Worship: The Missal containing also the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM: pp. 11 - 118) and the Rubrical Directory (pp. 119 - 134). 2015.
11. (The) English Missal (Knott Missal). http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/OldWorldBasic/knottmissal.html
12. Enrollment of Altar Servers. Guild of St. Stephen: www.guildofststephen.org; https://guildofststephen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HolyWeekServingConsiderations.pdf
13. Learning To Serve: A Book for New Altar Boys. Fr. C. Carmody. 1961.
14. Manual For The Instituted Acolyte & Exercise Of The Subdiaconal Ministry (2016). Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.
15. Ministeria Quaedam. Motu Proprio of Pope St. Paul VI. 1972.
16. Pictures of the English Liturgy. Martin Travers. 1916. Project Canterbury: anglicanhistory.org/images/travers/high/high.html
17. Pictures of the English Liturgy. Martin Travers. 1916. Project Canterbury: http://anglicanhistory.org/images/travers/low/low.html
18. Readiness and Decency. Roland Palmer, et al. Anglican Catholic Convent Society.
19. Ritual Notes 11th Edition. W. Knott & Son Ltd. 1964.
20. (The) Server’s Guide for Low Mass (English Missal). Rev. J. Nelson Burrows & Walter J. Plimpton. Tenth Edition. London: Knott & Son Ltd. 1955. http://anglicanhistory.org/liturgy/english_missal/server1955.pdf
21. (The) Server's Handbook: containing the manner of serving at simple and solemn celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, and at solemn Matins and Evensong, according to the rubrical directions of the Sarum and Roman office-books, with appropriate devotions. Charles Walker. London: G.J. Palmer. 1871.
22. Tutorials. Sancta Missa. https://www.sanctamissa.org/tutorials