PUBLISHED ON September 2, 2026

Kimberly Whitford '30

The church is quiet and empty. The candles are yet to be lit. A teenager in white robes takes a deep breath before the Mass begins,  before worship begins. Altar Servers are crucial to the Mass. They are the ones who prepare everything before Mass and assist the Priest throughout it. Altar servers make it their very mission not just to serve during Mass but to carry the skills and lessons learned to serve others, even outside the church. Once an Altar server, you will always be a server to your community. Serving at church teaches you highly valuable skills such as discipline, punctuality, and self-control. It also allows you to experience the sacred Mass in a breathtaking manner.

 

That teenager in white robes? That's me — and like many others, I chose to serve at the altar because it is both self-transforming and uniquely edifies the Lord. Altar serving has been around since 150-200 AD, deriving from the ancient ministry of the acolyte. Ever since, it has become an essential part of the Mass. Beyond processions, we carry the processional crucifix, candles, or incense at the start and end of the service. We also hold the Roman Missal or Sacramentary for the priest when he prays at the chair, as well as bring the chalice, paten, cruets of water, and wine to the altar during the offertory. Then, during the Washing of the Priest's hands, we assist the priest by holding the finger bowl, water cruet, and towel during the Lavabo. We also ring the altar bells during the epiclesis and consecration. After Mass concludes, we help clear and put away the sacred vessels and items from the credence table. Before even serving at a Mass, we learn the entire order of the Mass, become familiar with the names for sacred items and their functions, practice postures and reverent motions such as bowing and genuflecting, learn how to wear the right vestments, and be ready for anything that the priest or deacon needs help with.


Serving brings about various benefits to the life of a young teen. Why? Because it instills in us a discipline we carry beyond the church doors — showing up on time, being prepared, and staying focused even when it's difficult. Many of us attend Mass weekly, but serving gives us a closer look into the Mass and makes us feel more active within the service. Altar serving isn’t just about service itself; it is also about all the conversations made before and after Mass, the overwhelming smell of the incense right next to you, the friends made along the way who you get to enjoy Mass with, and the help you get from the other servers. It is also about working together behind the scenes with the other servers, priest, deacons, choir, and readers to bring something beautiful to life and making sure it is magnificent to the audience but most importantly to God. As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, 'The altar server is closer to the altar than anyone else, not for his own merit, but to serve Christ and the community in a special way.' And that is exactly what makes this ministry so fulfilling — we are not there for ourselves, but for something far greater. A celebration so wonderful that gives us fulfillment to know that we participated in something so nourishing and empowering to the human soul.


Now the Mass has ended, you walk out the doors. You think your duty as a server is finalized, but as soon as you're filled with an ineffable emerging emotion, you know your mission as a young server of Christ just began. As Pope John Paul II once stated, “The altar server occupies a privileged place in the liturgical celebration. Every server in a certain way is a young apostle.” Every single event in which you partake within the church is a service granted to God. Every Mass you serve in, every homily you listen to, every procession you participate in, and every assistance you give to the priest, deacon, and others is nothing but a way in which you imitate the apostles who did nothing but serve God and those around him. Becoming a server will eventually transform you into the young apostle Pope John Paul II was referring to. Be the one to take on the responsibility of serving God not just in the Mass but throughout your entire life. 




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