Please read the guidelines below or contact the rectory if you are interested in becoming an altar server.

Altar Server Guidelines

Setup:

• Be at the church 10-15 minutes before Mass
• Put on albs, check length in mirror, about ankle length
• Help sacristan put out items needed for Mass

Procession:

• Line up in front of Baptismal Font, in a straight line. If incense is used in the procession, the incense server leads the procession.
• Start walking at the words of the song, when the people start singing
• Go to the steps of the Sanctuary and bow your head, do not genuflect
• Put candles on side shelves, put cross on cross holder. If the altar is to be incensed at the beginning of Mass, the incense server waits behind the altar to give the incense to the priest. The server waits there until the priest finishes incensing the altar. The server then takes the incense and puts it on the stand and goes to his seat.
• Go to your seats
  Right candle server to chair by priest; Left candle and cross server to left bench
  (and incense server)
  Right candle server is now the Book server; pick up book, stand in front of Father or Deacon
  Put book back on small table after Opening Prayer

Liturgy of the Word:

Please listen to the readings, face the Gospel book when the Gospel is read and petitions are prayed, and make all the appropriate responses. 

Incense may be used at the reading of the Gospel. If so, the incense server gets the incense and the boat right after the second reading and brings it to the priest at his chair. The priest will put incense in the censer and then the server should lead the priest (or deacon) to the center of the altar. They should stop there and bow their heads. The priest (or deacon) will then get the Gospel book from the altar. The censer bearer will lead the priest to the ambo (pulpit) and stand two steps behind him to the right. The priest will incense the gospel book and hand the incense back to the server. The server will stand there during the Gospel and once the Gospel is finished he will return the incense to the stand and then return to his seat.

Liturgy of the Eucharist
Altar Preparations :
Part I

• When the Ushers get to the front pew to take up collection, prepare the Altar 
• Book server places book on the right side of altar cloth
• Left candle server gets the Corporal and places it in the center of altar

• Cross server puts Father’s Chalice on the skinny side altar cloth and unpacks it

  Unpacking: take off the pall and put it to the right side of the corporal
  The priest’s paten with the big host is put in the center of the altar
  The purificator is taken out of the priest’s chalice and put on the altar right by the chalice
  If there is a Deacon or at weekday Mass, just help him (or Father) do all the unpacking

• Go back to your seats, sit down, wait for Father to get the Gifts

Part II

• Go with Father to get gifts. 
  Take whatever Father gives you, Bread, Wine, Collection Basket
• Put the ciboriums on the Corporal, in the center of the altar.
  Take off the Ciborium lids and place them on the back shelf. 
• Put the Wine on the altar cloth on the right side of the corporal
• Put the Collection Basket(s) to the far left hand side of the back shelf
  If incense is to be used at the preparation of the gifts, the incense server would get the incense and
  the boat and wait by the priest’s chair.

Part III

• Cross server goes to bottom of steps and will ring the bells
  Ring bells when Father extends both hands over altar
  Ring bells when Father lifts up the Host and when he lifts Chalice
• Book server gets the water that Father will pour into wine
  The incense server goes to the priest right before his hands are to be washed.
  He hands the priest the incense and then stands back and waits while the priest incenses the gifts on the altar. The server then takes the incense from the priest and puts it back on the stand and then returns to the other servers by the organ side.
• Left candle server gets the bowl and towel
  Give bowl to the other server with the water
  Hold towel by the corners
• Wash Fathers hands, put the water, bowl, and towel back on shelf then go to the bottom steps.

Communion:

• At the "Sign of Peace" go up and shake Father’s hand
• Say to Father: "Peace be with you," cross server (and incense server) returns to bottom of the steps
• Candle servers set up the other communion chalices on the side altar cloth
  Start from the left of side altar cloth and go to the right
  Don’t forget the purificators, then go back to the bottom steps
  When the Eucharistic Ministers receive communion line up behind the Lectern
  Wait till all the ministers have left the sanctuary to clean up.
• Book server gets book and puts book on small table and sits.
• Left candle server gets water cruet and waits by side of altar, after communion is distributed.
  Cross server stands right behind water cruet server to take the chalice from the priest, he puts the chalice on the back shelf, then sits down.
• The candle server after putting back the water cruet immediately goes to fold the corporal and puts the corporal on the back shelf and goes to his seat.

End of Mass:

• Book server gets book when Father says: "Let us Pray"
  Put book back on small table after prayer
• When music of Closing Hymn begins get your candles or cross, go to center aisle and line up in strait line
  if incense, he leads us out
• When Father genuflects, bow your head and process out, go to sacristy and put your candle or cross away

Clean up:

• Do not clean up the altar area till the closing hymn is completely finished
  Just wait by the front right side pews
• Bring back all the items, which are on the back shelf
• Bring back the Chalices that are on the side tables by the side doors
• Only after you are done with cleaning up
• Take off your alb and hang it up in the closet