If raised Catholic, were you an altar boy or girl (?) as a child? Is this stil common in the Catholic Mass?

Question

Long long ago, I asked why there were no altar girls. I never got an answer, and would appreciate hearing from someone who knows the answer ( in pre Vatican ll). Thank you.

Yes I know that "still" has two " L's" too sleepy to use the spell check!

Answer 1

To answer your second question first, I'd say that that's a good survey question to poll on a global basis --more so here in the U.S.-- with the recent negative press that the Church has been getting from the lawsuit settlements, etc. I'd venture to say that, on average, altar boys/girls are becoming more of a rarity these days since parents would tend to discourage their children from doing so now.

In my time --some decades ago-- it was de rigueur for pre-teen boys to join the Boys Scouts and become an altar boy, which was part of most every Catholic boy's resume that made their parents beam with pride. That was when ALTAR GIRLS were UNHEARD OF then, and Mass was strictly said in LATIN ONLY. The latter meant a lot of memory work was required for all concerned.

Most pre-teen girls who desired to be as devout as their favorite Saint[e]/s would gravitate towards the idea of signing up with the same convent that ran the all-girls school they attended, headed by the same Mother Superior and Principal. Btw, nuns belonging to different Orders were usually in charge of making the wafers [or unblessed hosts], candles, scapulars, rosaries, etc.

In my case, I became an Eagle Scout and then was accepted at the SVD[*] Seminary where I learned to serve daily Mass and the occasional High Mass, among many other Church rituals... which, in turn, led me to my own SPIRITUAL QUEST when I left its hallowed halls a couple of years after I joined the seminary.

As it turned out much later, it was for good after all.

Only the other day I discovered that one can now "go to Confession" and even get ABSOLUTION ONLINE [?!] without actually talking to a priest anymore. Is that true??? Go figure.

Peace be with you.

Answer 2

I was raised a Catholic and was an altar boy. There weren't any altar girls, although I believe that some parishes are now using altar girls as well as boys.

The traditional view was the boys could serve Mass, but not girls and is connected to the general bias against the ordination of women in the Catholic Church and the generally subservient position of women in liturgical celebrations. Once special ministers of the Eucharist could only be males, but women are now allowed to perform this function as well, so the times they are definitely a changin'.

Answer 3

Ashley, I as soon as knew a clergyman who had not too long ago been ordained in Rome. It was once approximately the time that this was once allowed. He advised me that there was once plenty of stress being placed on Rome to ordain ladies and matters had been being performed to make the Vatican's existence elaborate to drive thier hand. Of direction, this can be a uniquely North American/U.S. obstacle and no different locations on the earth had been excited by ladies within the preisthood and even knew why there was once such a lot fuss. When altar-ladies had been allowed the priest advised me that John Paul II could have an reply to the stress very quickly. And inside weeks John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter, ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS, talking definitively at the area of exclusion of ladies within the priesthood. That will have to be the tip of it. But nonetheless a few persist in no longer believing. The priest I spoke believed the Holy Father felt he had no option. Unfortunately, altar boys had been a giant supply of vocations to the priesthood. I think that is unlucky specifically seeing that boys are so much much less willing to be an acolyte/altar boy seeing that ladies had been allowed. Women/ladies appear a lot more with no trouble willing to get worried them guys or boys. But its a signal of a well guy whilst he does. Another cause to restrict acolytes to boys-simplest. I desire the limit comes again, despite the fact that it's in the neighborhood determined via the bishop. My parish nonetheless has boys-simplest, however it's run via devout who is also allowed to do matters somewhat in a different way.

Answer 4

In every diocese except one in the U.S., girls may become altar servers. The lone hold-out is the Diocese of Lincoln and the official word on that is that it's because the role of altar server is used to help boys discern a potential calling to the priesthood. Since girls can't be priests, there is no point in them going through that discernment process. Girls in this diocese have other roles in Mass -- as readers, those who prepare the altar and the gifts, liturgists, etc., and they have specific programs through which they can discern a potential calling to the religious life. In other words, boys and girls are treated as equals but in different capacities.

Unfortunately, since the introduction of girls to the role of altar servers, the number of servers has dropped dramatically where this is applicable, and many priests have to do without servers during Mass. A lot of boys drop out at middle school age, right about the time when the girls get giggly and have the potential of turning every altar server meeting and training session into a silly competition for the boys' attention. (I used to teach middle school -- it happened every year, every class.) Then the girls drop out when there are no boys to flirt with.

In places where only boys are altar servers, there tends to be a higher rate of participation, particularly when the role is presented as a manly occupation, because boys want to be men. (If there are girls doing it, it's hardly a manly occupation, is it.)

Answer 5

Any person (male or female) who assists during the celebration of a religious service is called an alter server or acolyte.

In the United States, Women and girls have been alter servers since 1994. There were no female altar servers for the same reason there are no female priests, the practice of Jesus and the Apostles to choose men as their successors and helpers.

There is no upper age limit.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

I went to catholic school many moon ago. I wanted to be a altar boy but I was to shy. At that time their were no altar girls. Now that has changed, the church I grew up in now has them.

Answer 7

I wanted to be an altar boy but the priest at our church had his favorites. If you were outside the group you could forget it. I left the church long, long ago so I wouldn't know what mass is like these days.

Answer 8

I was an altar girl. It was much better than going to mass to sit...you actually got to do something. Of course, I didn't believe in any deity then either...it was simply something cool to do since I had to go anyway.

Answer 9

yes still common

Answer 10

no I never was, and yes teir are both alter boys and girls.