Responsibilities of Altar Servers

The Altar Server must comply with all the following rules to continue to serve at The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Maintain your Spiritual Health

• Attend Holy Mass on every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation when physically possible.
• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly.
• Cultivate a personal prayer life within the Church. Lifting up the mind toward God is an expression of our adoration of God, and can be accomplished through prayers of praise and thanksgiving, petitions for help, and requests for intercession. The acts of faith, hope, and charity enjoined by the first commandment are accomplished in prayer. Prayer is an indispensable condition of being able to obey God's commandments.

Personal Responsibility

• You are required to attend all Altar Server prayer and scheduling meetings as announced. Failure to attend without sufficient reason will result in being removed from the Altar Server list.
• You must serve at every Mass for which you are scheduled. The liturgy suffers when there are too few or even no servers. If you cannot serve at a Mass for which you are scheduled (except for sudden illness or family emergencies), call another server to request a substitute, or request a substitute on the Ministry Schedule website.
• You are expected to arrive at the Mass to be served at least fifteen minutes before the starting time to prepare for the Celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist.

Duties During and After the Mass

• You must not leave the sanctuary after the start of the Mass for any reason except bathroom emergencies, illness, or when directed to do so by the deacon or priest. There are no other exceptions. If you think that there is another good reason, ask the priest or deacon before leaving the sanctuary. Thirst is never a good reason.
• You must perform the duties assigned during the Mass in the prescribed orderly manner. Never trade positions with other servers without the permission of the server director, priest or deacon.
• You are to maintain a prayerful posture during at all times in the Sacristy. See the posture requirements at end of this manual
• You are expected to stay for at least ten minutes after the Mass to return the Sanctuary, Sacristy, and preparation areas to a neat and orderly appearance.