Florida Catholic | Altar Servers Are Dependable, Reverent And Busy

Altar servers are dependable, reverent and busy

Servers from across the diocese are honored at the cathedral on “Altar Server Appreciation Sunday.”

JANET SHELTON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC ST. PETERSBURG BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 04.11.08

Servers of the Year

ST. PETERSBURG | Bishop Robert N. Lynch recognized March 30 the youths and teens whose service in the Mass goes mostly unnoticed by the people in the pews — except when something goes wrong.

“Altar Server Appreciation Sunday,” an annual event hosted by the Office of Vocations, thanks the young people who make the Mass run more smoothly. In particular, the bishop congratulated specific altar servers, one from each parish or mission within a parish, whose service was deemed most notable.

Servers may not have the high-profile tasks of cantors or readers, but those in charge of their training say what they do at the Mass is very important and that their dedication is impressive. The boys and girls come in early on Sundays, delay Saturday night social plans until after Mass, and fit in baptisms, funerals and weddings despite commitments to jobs, families, school, extracurricular activities and social schedules.

Colleen Ward, coordinator of the servers for Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Land O’Lakes, said she had no idea how hard altar servers worked until she became involved in coordinating the youths and teens in the parish program. Her 17-year-old son, Christopher, was named altar server of the year for that parish. He has served since he was in fourth grade, and Ward said she has seen how her son’s appreciation of the Mass has grown.

“Originally, when he was young, he said it was better than just sitting there (in the pews),” she said. “(Now) he also has a deep passion for the Mass and for his faith.”

Ward said being an altar server requires attention, knowledge of the Mass and an ability to work together through the celebration. She said the 75 active servers at Holy Rosary are simply amazing.

“Just the moves on the altar — they have to know who does what,” she said. “They make it look so seamless.”

Paulette Purvis, liturgy coordinator at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, said that parish’s server of the year, Dan Mixa, is a high school student who started serving when he was in the fifth grade. Dan is always willing to serve funerals and weddings and is a member of the bishop’s core, a group of dependable altar servers who are called upon when Bishop Lynch is celebrating Mass or presiding over events in the cathedral.

“(Dan) always comes forward in a bind when we need him to help us,” she said. “He is a very reverent person. He takes altar serving very seriously.”

Although Dan took the highest award at the cathedral, he isn’t the only altar server who takes his work for the church seriously, Purvis said. All servers sacrifice time to be a part of the group. They attend a four-week training session, help at funerals and weddings, and if they come to Mass and see there aren’t enough servers, jump in to help.

“They just give up their time to do things,” she said. “I think it’s a love of liturgy. I think they take pride in being part of the Mass.”

St. Jude Cathedral Master of Ceremonies, John Christian.

ED FOSTER JR. | FC FILE 2007
John Christian is the master of ceremonies at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. John began as an altar server in sixth grade. "I just really liked it, so I kept it going."

John Christian, master of ceremonies at the cathedral, said he served regularly from sixth grade to the end of high school and still helps if needed.

“I started serving because all my friends were serving,” he said. “I just really liked it, so I kept it going.”

Christian said altar servers have a lot of responsibilities, but it isn’t difficult to do as long as the server is paying attention. The hardest part for many kids is making time for serving when the rest of life is so busy.

“We have practices and training and stuff like that. They’re conflicted with soccer schedules, (other sports) practices,” he said. “In high school, especially, work schedules are rough.”

Purvis said she and others tell the servers all the time how much they are appreciated by the church. She hopes the message gets across.

“We depend on them for everything. We really do,” Purvis said. “Sometimes I wonder if they realize how much we depend on them.”

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