Training the Altar Servers

As the Altar Server coordinator for my parish, one of my jobs is to train Servers, old and new. This past Saturday, I conducted my first formal training. We had a very good turnout and a very productive training.

We ran half an hour over on time for what was already scheduled to be a two-hour training.

From the Corpus Christi Mass with Archbishop Sartain, 2013

The first half was to make sure that the older and newer Servers were all on the same page. We went over the basics – or at least most of them. Then we dismissed the new Servers and did some advanced training with the experienced Servers.

My list of things to cover was a bullet list just over a page in length (in big friendly font with lots of white space). We got through about 75% of it.

The sacred liturgy is a big subject, and there never seems to be enough time to cover everything.

After discussing the “beta test” nature of the text, we introduced our new Altar Server Handbooks.

As I said to the Servers on Saturday, there are probably some errors that we didn’t catch before printing, and we probably made some other mistakes as well. As we find them, we will send out replacement pages so that everybody’s handbook stays up to date.

Frankly, I found some errors on Sunday. Sigh.

After the Corpus Christi Mass with Archbishop Sartain, 2013

We’re certainly stepping up the expectations of our Altar Servers, but we’re also aware that some of the changes we plan won’t happen overnight.

We had five brand new Servers on Saturday. They all seem eager to learn and serious about their commitment.

One of them had his baptism of fire on Sunday.

I should explain that all new Servers (“Apprentices”) are not on the schedule, but instead we ask them to serve at every Mass they come to. In this way, they are truly “apprenticed” – the only way to learn the rhythm of serving at Mass is to actually serve at Mass.

We had four Servers scheduled for the Noon Mass. Not one of them actually showed up.

But one of our apprentices did. He and I served the Mass.

He had his first ever training the day before, and we didn’t really cover everything he would need to know as one of only two Servers. But he was incredibly poised and calm, and he took direction well. He is also a serious and pious young man, and I think he will make an admirable Server.

In fact, he already has.

After Mass, I was deluged in the Sacristy with my missing Servers and their parents. In each case, the “spring ahead” of the Daylight Savings Time change was to blame. They all thought they were arriving 30 minutes before Mass, only to discover Mass was already half over.

They were all so apologetic, and I did my very best to calm them. These things happen.

I’m secretly hoping that when we “fall back”, they all arrive an hour early!