| Author | |
mellyrose
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 12 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 939
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I'm not sure where this should go, so please move if necessary.
What is the minimum age of altar boys at your parish? We have mostly old men that are altar servers at our parish, which I have always found odd. The family mass (and probably teen mass) are the only ones that non-adults have been allowed to serve. The pastor just declared that nobody under the age of 11 can serve -- which has devastated a young little boy I know (he's 8 and has been serving for a year).
I'm just curious what the minimum age is at your parish, and what the ratio is between children & teens vs. grown men.
Thanks!
__________________
Melanie in AZ
Colin (11/00), Nate (05/02), Lydia (04/07)
My Little Patch of Sunshine
Pictures of our Life
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We have servers in grades 5 and up. Very few men (and only if no kids are there), perhaps 6 or 7 teens.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
trish
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 11 2007
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1538
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My husband is in charge of the altar servers in our parish. He typically starts training them when they are 8. I think the only qualification is that they have received their First Holy Communion. Of course he takes into consideration the maturity of the child but he has 8 -17 year olds. There is also an adult server too at the same time. Mind you our parish is very small. The town is only about 6,000 people.
__________________
~ Trish ~
Wife to Les
Mom to 8 Wonderful Kids
+AMDG+
Saintly Soaps
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angie Mc
Board Moderator
Joined: Jan 31 2005
Location: Arizona
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 11400
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 2:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
This doesn't give a specific start age, but it does give Guidelines for Altar Servers per USCCB.
Love,
__________________
Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
About Me
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
joann10
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 10 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3493
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 2:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
In our church the boys learn in the summer after they finish 6th grade. They then serve from 7-12 grades.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary G
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5790
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 2:55pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It really is up to the Pastor ... ours in Denver wouldn't let under 9yos serve while here our parish is 7yos and up; but I've known priests who knew the kids and would make an exception ....
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lisbet
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2706
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 4:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My sons have all begun serving after their FHC, so around 7 or so (usually only as siders at first, and then during daily mass...) We have boys as young as 7, and men in their 40's - all serving together most of the time.
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mellyrose
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 12 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 939
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 5:25pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you for the replies! I guess there's quite the range of "normal" out there.
I grew up with the idea that altar servers began serving the year after they received Holy Communion, but that doesn't really mean much does it? I hope that the transition in our parish happens smoothly and with proper discernment by all involved.
Thanks again for responding!
__________________
Melanie in AZ
Colin (11/00), Nate (05/02), Lydia (04/07)
My Little Patch of Sunshine
Pictures of our Life
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
allegiance_mom
Forum Pro
Joined: June 26 2007
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 163
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 6:55pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I just wanted to add, for the little boy who was devastated to have to wait to serve after he'd been serving:
Where we live there are several opportunities for altar boys to serve outside the parish. We have a convent of cloistered Carmelites and another of Dominicans. They only use male servers at their Masses. We also have a shrine which is not a true parish, but does have a large congregation (mostly pilgrims). My friend's sons are servers there. Finally, there has been an opportunity for my son to serve the Latin Mass, after being trained.
So I just wanted to add my encouragement. If the little boy and his parents want to continue his altar service, perhaps they could "think outside the box" and look at other venues in their diocese.
__________________
Allegiance Mom in NY
Wife 17 years
Mom to two boys, 14 and 8, and one pre-born babe in Heaven (Jan 2010)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: March 07 2009 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
First Communion is the end of 2nd grade and they can start training the beginning of 4th grade and generally start serving in the spring of their 4th grade year.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Veronica's Veil
Forum Pro
Joined: March 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 148
|
| Posted: March 09 2009 at 8:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our Pastor prefers to start them during the 5th grade but he does take the homeschoolers in 4th grade due to their maturity levels usually being somewhat higher...
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: March 10 2009 at 5:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our parish rules are the same as Veronica's Veil. Only the 7 am mass has men serving, the rest are children. We have a large number of girls also, probably more than boys, but we have been trying to back away from that this past year. To give girls a "job", our parish has now formed a bell choir, so when girls inquire about learning to serve Mass, we first play up the bell choir 
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Sarah
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
|
| Posted: March 10 2009 at 6:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
After FHC, they start out just holding a candle and advance as they are capable and mature enough to handle it. We have ranks that the boys move through.
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Age of Altar Boys
