Altar girls

[Theatreguy18]

so what is ur opinion of altar girls

 

[Michie]

I don't care. I believe anyone that wants to sincerely serve should be able to as long as they are in good standing with the church.

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

I was one as an early teen, 35 or so years back. The priest was unusual at that time allowing altar girls. I enjoyed it, and now my son serves mass... (and gasp, sometimes I'm a lector. ..it makes me a bit nervous even though I basically talk to groups for a living )

 

[Theatreguy18]

I don't care. I believe anyone that wants to sincerely serve should be able to as long as they are in good standing with the church.

That's kinda were I fall too in my opinion

 

[Theatreguy18]

I was one as an early teen, 35 or so years back. The priest was unusual at that time allowing altar girls. I enjoyed it, and now my son serves mass... (and gasp, sometimes I'm a lector. ..it makes me a bit nervous even though I basically talk to groups for a living )

I consider myself a prolife feminist so I'm in favor of altar girls but I have seen the one church were they danced around the altar that was not ok but if it's tasteful and reverent then it's fine

 

[Fantine]

I am astonished that this would be controversial (but I have been astonished--and not always in a good way!--many times on OBOB).

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Altar servers.

 

[Fantine]

<STAFF EDIT>

OBOB members have said many times that boys (who might become priests one day) are loath to become altar servers if girls are altar servers.

Some have said that girls should not be allowed in the sanctuary. Some have included that to exclude female lectors....

Some say women should not have their feet washed on Holy Thursday because the apostles were men. (I guess when Pope Francis visited a jail on Holy Thursday and washed the feet of female Muslim prisoners he put the kebosh was put on that misconception).

If none of these particular comments were made in the current thread, I congratulate posters for their common sense--or their restraint--or both.

 

[Rhamiel]

I think that it is odd for girls to be alter servers
they can not become priests
and part of the spirituality of the alter server is to get young men familiarized with serving at the alter
hence alter server

but whats done is done
in places where it is already the norm, it would do more harm then good to remove the practice
too many hurt feelings

in places where it is not the norm
it should not be introduced

 

[Martinius]

Female altar servers are just fine, especially since they seem more interested in it than boys are. At the parishes I am familiar with, without girls there would not be enough servers.

Actually, as I think about it, without women as readers, Eucharistic Ministers, choir members, cantors and musicians, those parishes would be in big trouble. At one really large parish I know of, there are at least 20 Eucharistic Ministers helping with communion at one of the Masses. The average number of men in that group is four... And 16 women. The organist/choir director is a woman, the cantor is usually a woman, both readers are often women, and there are often 2 or 3 girl altar servers, with perhaps one boy. Yup, the males are conspicuous in their absence.

 

[Anhelyna]

[rant] May I be permitted to remind all Latin [ Roman] Catholics that lay people are not , never have been, and never will be Eucharistic Ministers !!

The only Eucharistic Ministers are Clergy - Deacons [ Transitional and Permanent] Priests and Bishops; Archbishops, Metropolitans , Cardinals, Patriarchs [ yes there are still some in the Latin Church ] and of course the Holy Father himself.

Lay people who assist in the Distribution of Communion are Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - the use of Extra Ordinary is deliberate - they should only be used to assist where it is necessary because of a lack of Ministers of the Eucharist [ i.e. clergy] would cause an unacceptable lengthening of the Service [/rant]

 

[FlaviusAetius]

When I attended mass as a teen my parish had female readers and altar girls.

Personally, I support it. It helps strengthen spirituality in female Catholics and let's them be a part of the community.

At the same time I have no qualms with female priests being impossible due to dogma.

 

[Fantine]

As I said, I've prayed for your change of heart and I admire your restraint.

Or perhaps Pope Francis has had a tempering (and most welcome) effect on conservatism in the Church.

 

[GoingByzantine]

It is my hope that the historical office of "deaconess" is resurrected as it rightfully should be.

 

[Martinius]

[rant] May I be permitted to remind all Latin [ Roman] Catholics that lay people are not , never have been, and never will be Eucharistic Ministers !!

The only Eucharistic Ministers are Clergy - Deacons [ Transitional and Permanent] Priests and Bishops; Archbishops, Metropolitans , Cardinals, Patriarchs [ yes there are still some in the Latin Church ] and of course the Holy Father himself.

Lay people who assist in the Distribution of Communion are Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - the use of Extra Ordinary is deliberate - they should only be used to assist where it is necessary because of a lack of Ministers of the Eucharist [ i.e. clergy] would cause an unacceptable lengthening of the Service [/rant]

I do know that, but I was just using the short-hand version to save wear and tear on my fingers. "Extra Ordinary" is an adjective, and like calling the tree in my yard a birch tree does not alter the fact that it is basically a tree. When I am privileged to distribute communion I am a Eucharistic Minister, plain and simple, no matter how you wish to label it.

I also understand the rule about when the "extra ordinary" ministers should be used, but I can tell you from experience that the rule is not exactly followed. When I assisted at Masses in a Catholic retirement community, the elderly priests who drove there to celebrate the liturgy often asked me and the other "helper" to distribute communion while he sat in his chair. At another parish I attend periodically, the priest always sits while lay people distribute communion. He is neither old nor physically impaired, so he seems to be consciously breaking the rules.

But I understand your rant, and expected it. The reality, like with many other aspects of the Catholic Church, is often different that what is expected, stated or hoped for.

 

[Anhelyna]

What's wrong with typing EMHC ? that's even shorter and it's accurate.

 

[Fantine]

When I think extraordinary I think aawesome and spectacular. So to all you EMHC's out there--you're welcome .

 

[fat wee robin]

OBOB members have said many times that boys (who might become priests one day) are loath to become altar servers if girls are altar servers.

Some have said that girls should not be allowed in the sanctuary. Some have included that to exclude female lectors....

Some say women should not have their feet washed on Holy Thursday because the apostles were men. (I guess when Pope Francis visited a jail on Holy Thursday and washed the feet of female Muslim prisoners he put the kebosh was put on that misconception).

If none of these particular comments were made in the current thread, I congratulate posters for their common sense--or their restraint--or both.

Fantine, you are funny .

 

[Martinius]

OBOB members have said many times that boys (who might become priests one day) are loath to become altar servers if girls are altar servers.

I missed commenting on this earlier. That idea seems to have germinated from an interview of an old reactionary Cardinal who said some other off-the-wall stuff. I have never heard this from any other source or seen any surveys or studies to indicate that girls are intimidating the boys who want to be servers. Sounds like a kind of "mafia" thing, where the girls have taken over the territory and won't allow the boys a piece of the action.

If there is any pressure on boys about this, it is likely coming from other boys, not from girls. I know if girls could have been servers back in the day, I would have volunteered to serve with them, not avoided them.

 

[Rhamiel]

It is my hope that the historical office of "deaconess" is resurrected as it rightfully should be.

we already have that
atleast in the West
we call them "religious sisters"