CATECHISM FOR

SERVERS
What is Altar Servers?
◦ Being an Altar Server you are called a minister, a person who serves the parish community. As a minister,
you should assist the community to celebrate the sacred liturgy, which is to serve God. You are mainly
serving the priest to lead the community to God in prayer which is the work of the priests. You appear in
public, but you are never a performer. By your faithful duty, you remain always a servant of God in your
Parish.
◦ . Blessed John Paul II said “you are far more than ‘helpers of the priest’. Above all, you are servants of
Jesus the Eternal high Priest.
Duties and Responsibilities:
To have a knowledge about the basic teachings of the Church;
◦ To understand the basic teachings of the Church.
Identity of an Altar Servers
◦ The primary role of the Altar Servers is to assist the priest in the celebration of the liturgy, especially
during Mass. This is done through specific actions and by setting an example to the congregation by
active participation.
Ideals of an Altar Server:
◦ Reverence – Reverence for God and for sacred objects is most important when they serve. Reverent
actions, peaceful and dignified behavior and gestures should be seen by the people when you stand at the
sanctuary, for this adds solemnity to the celebration of the liturgy and contribute to the active
participation of all.

◦ Discipline – With good training and proper discipline, the rituals and ceremonies of the liturgy can be
carried out in an orderly and solemn manner. But, as always, training involves discipline. Discipline
among Altar Servers is expected in the following:
◦ During the celebration of the liturgy, especially the mass
◦ As they actively participate in the celebration;
◦ As they avoid unnecessary movements that may cause distraction to others;
◦ As they pay attention to every part of the Mass, at the same time being aware of the responsibilities and
tasks;
◦ As they avoid loitering and congregating in the sacristy or other places around the church;
◦ As they work diligently with other lay liturgical ministers and even with priests
◦ Outside of the celebration
◦ In their relationship with others, especially with their family, friends, classmates and other persons whom
they encounter;
◦ In their care and concern, respect and reverence for the materials they use for the celebration of the
liturgy, as well as the church and its other areas (e.g. Sacristy);
◦ In their respect for their elders
◦ In their willingness to undergo on-going formation and training.
◦ 2.Decorum – decorum means “what is proper.” Decorum requires a sense of dignity. Servers should not
only do their work well, they should not just train well, they should, likewise, have a neat and tidy
appearance since this adds to the dignity and beauty of the liturgical celebrations. This is shown in the
following ways:
◦ By keeping their uniforms neat and clean at all times, especially as they wear it during liturgical
celebrations;
◦ By being groomed;
◦ By moving in dignified manner, with confidence and reverence for the liturgical celebration.
◦
◦ 4.Piety – Piety does not mean they look holy whenever they serve at the altar. It means that they carry
within themselves a great love for God and his people, even if they are not serving in the Church. Piety
involves
◦ A good prayer life;
◦ A special love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament;
◦ A devotion to the Blessed Mother;.
◦ A deep love for the Eucharist and other Sacraments
◦ Reading the Bible and learning from it
◦
◦ 5.Brotherhood – An Altar Server has an attitude of team-work, in serving you should understand that you
are a part of a larger group. Always remember that in serving you should be united in the service of God.
Brotherhood involves:

◦ Witnessing – a life of witnessing that involves

◦ Being faithful to their responsibilities, not only in the church, but in their families, in School, in other
places;
◦ By avoiding bad habits and vices;
◦ By being aware of their own responsibility and the responsibility of other ministers as well;
◦ By helping each other, being friendly and kind, not proud, boastful or competitive.
◦ By welcoming newcomers and teaching them patiently;
Roles and functions of an Altar Servers
To assist ministers of higher rank during the liturgical celebrations, especially the Mass, namely:
Instituted Acolytes;
Deacons;
Priests;
The Bishop.
To work together with other lay liturgical ministers in the preparation and celebration of the liturgy, especially the Mass, namely:
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion;
Lectors and Commentators;
Ushers, Greeters, and Collectors;
Music Ministry
◦ Sacristans
Duties and Responsibilities:
◦ To be faithful in attending meetings and formation programs of the parish, vicariate or diocese.
Module 2 – The Liturgy

◦ The word “LITURGY” came from a Greek word which means “public duty”, a service, and a public
organization. Its original meaning was some public action. When the word was adopted by the Church to
describe her public “services” of worship its meaning changed. In Christian liturgy we are not talking
about what we do but what God does. The Vatican council points out so clearly, the liturgy is the action
of Jesus Christ, an action of eternal worship in which he involves us, the members of his mystical body,
the church. Kinds of liturgical observance:
Solemnity – the days of great importance to the Church, including all Sundays, this begin in the evening of
the preceding day, which has a special vigil Mass for some solemnities.
Feast – celebrated within the limits of a calendar day.
Memorial – a feast within the limits of the day which are either obligatory (M), or optional (m)
◦ Ferial – a day where there is an optional memorial and the priest may select a mass of his choice, unless
otherwise directed by the calendar.
The Liturgical Seasons:
Advent – The beginning of the church’s calendar. This celebrates the two-fold coming of Christ (Incarnation and Final Judgment).
With Christian joy we celebrate his first coming. In Christian hope we await his second coming. This season lasts for four weeks,
including the 9 days of Simbang Gabi. The season starts from the Sunday after Christ the King and ends the eve of Christ’s birth.
Christmas – the season which celebrates the birth of Christ, The Incarnation, and God became man. This season has 2 focal
points: 1) The Christmas Day until the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. 2) The Solemnity of the epiphany until the feast of the
Baptism of the lord.
Lent – A 40 days giving of ourselves to prayer and penance, to hearing the word of God and to acts of charity. In this season we
prepare for the Easter and recall the grace of our Baptism. It runs from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Easter Triduum – the three days of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. This is the highest point of the year. This begins
on the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and reaches until the Easter vigil.
Easter – This season has 50 days celebration of the rising of Christ from the dead. Starting from the Easter vigil until Pentecost.
These days are called as feast days but Easter Octave for the 8 days after Easter Sunday.
◦ Ordinary Time – A season of growth in our faith. This season has 2 parts: 1) the Sunday of the baptism of the Lord until Ash
Wednesday. 2) and the Pentecost Sunday until the Feast of Christ the King.
The Liturgical Colors:
White – The color of Joy, and Glory of God. Used during the seasons of Christmas and Easter and the feasts of the
Lord, Blessed Virgin Mary, Saints who are not Martyrs, and the angels.
Violet – The sign penance and for mourning. Used during the seasons of Advent and Lent, and for the Masses for
the Dead.
Red – The sign of the blood of Christ or the fire of the Holy Spirit. Used for the Palm Sunday, Good Friday,
Pentecost, and the Martyred saints.
Green – The symbol of Good Harvest and Growth in our Faith. Used for the Ordinary Time
Rose – The symbol of rejoicing for a great feast coming. Used during the 3 rd Sunday of Advent and 4th Sunday of
Lent.
Gold – The Symbol of Kingship of Christ to the World. Used during the feast of Christ the King and other Special
Feast.
◦ Blue – The Symbol of the humbleness of Mary. Used for the significant Feast of Mary
Duties and Responsibilities
To be faithful in attending to their duties in serving at all liturgical celebrations;
To arrive at least 30 minutes before their appointed duty. This is meant for the following purposes:
Preparation of all liturgical materials they use for celebration;
Review final instructions especially for more complicated rites or ceremonies included in special liturgical
celebrations
Personal and group prayers
To be present during practice and training sessions for special celebrations with more complicated styles for
serving. In this case, the rule, No Practice-No service, must be applied.
To assist in other liturgical celebrations, such as baptisms, weddings, funeral masses or blessings, etc.;
◦ To notify the Ministry coordinator if they will not be able to attend to their schedules. They are also expected to
look for their replacement during the said schedule.
Module 3 – The Mass
◦ As an Altar Server, it is important for each server to know the structure of the Mass. It is not merely a
matter of knowing “what comes next” but of understanding the meaning of each part of the Holy Mass.
The Mass itself is an action moving steadily forward to its supreme moments, when Heaven and Earth
meet in the great mystery of the Altar.
INTRODUCTORY RITES:
Entrance Hymn – a hymn which opens the celebration and accompanies the procession of the priest and the ministers
to the Altar. It is sung, to deepen our unity together and to introduce us to the mystery of the season or feast.
Veneration of the Altar – It is done by the clergy after the Entrance Hymn. As the sign of Christ, center of the Church
and of the Eucharistic body the altar is shown reverence by the 3 traditional gestures: the bow or the customary
reverence , the kiss, and the incensation(when incense is used)
Greeting – The presider greets the assembly which is a reminder of the unity of the Church in God’s grace.
Penitential Rite – It invites us to be sorry for all our sins, and takes away all our venial sins which do not need
absolution in private confession. We come to God in a spirit of contrition, so that we may be worthy in celebrating
the Eucharist.
Gloria – An ancient hymn of praise sung or recited in solemnities (except Advent and Lent) and appropriate feasts.
◦ Opening Prayer – An invitation to prayer and a time of silent prayer. On behalf of the people the priest offers the
prayer to God and thus the people respond “AMEN”
LITURGY OF THE WORD:

First Reading – A reading coming from either the Old or New Testament which expresses the mood of the
celebration
Responsorial Psalm – A responsory that continues the mood of the 1 st The Responsory is made by the
people as their prayer and the Cantor makes the psalm the main prayer.
Second Reading – A Reading taken from the New Testament which is not the Gospel and said only during
Solemnities.
Alleluia/Gospel Proclamation – A joyous welcome to the Holy Gospel
Homily – An explanation, Proclamation of the readings of the Liturgy
Creed – The profession of Faith as a follower to the teachings of Christ in the Church
◦ Prayers of the Faithful – The offertory of the petitions of the community before God.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST:
Offertory – The people offers the works of their hands to God.
Prayer over the Gifts – The priest raises up the offerings to God.
Sanctus – The people praises the Holy Trinity, “Holy, holy”
Acclamation and Anamnesis – The faithful proclaims the mystery of faith and remember the death and resurrection of
Christ made present through the Eucharist.
Lord’s Prayer – The people recites the prayer Jesus taught the Church.
Rite of Peace – The people beg for the peace and unity of the Church
Agnus Dei – The people asks God to take away the sins of the world.
Communion – The priest and other Ministers distributes the Eucharist to the people.
◦ Prayer after Communion – On behalf of the people the priest offers a Thanksgiving prayer to God and thus the
people respond “AMEN”
CONCLUDING RITE:
Final Blessing – A blessing that the presider gives to the people, which concludes the Mass in the power of
the Holy Trinity, by making the Sign of the Cross which is the sign of Faith.
◦ Dismissal – The presider or the Deacon sends the people to serve love to others.
Duties and Responsibilities
To be faithful in attending to their duties in serving at the Mass.
To arrive at least 30 minutes before their appointed duty.
To notify their coordinator if they will not be able to attend to their schedules. They are also expected to
look for their replacement during the said schedule.
◦ To have a knowledge of the parts of the Mass and the importance of each, as well as an understanding of
their particular roles and responsibilities
Module 4 – The Church
◦ An Altar Server must know and understand every part of the church he is moving in and treat it with
utmost respect, this also extends until the home. A church is a building that was constructed to allow
people to meet to worship together.
The Narthex:

Baptismal Font – a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.
The Nave:

◦ Pew – a long bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating members of the congregation of the Church.
The Sanctuary
Altar – The large, high table located at the center of the sanctuary where most of the actions of the Liturgy of the Eucharist take
place.
Lectern – The small, high table located at either side of the sanctuary, where the readings from the Liturgy of the Word is read.
Tabernacle – A small box, in which the Body or the Blood of Christ may be kept when the Mass is not said.
Tabernacle Lamp – The lamp that lights the tabernacle, this signifies that there is a Eucharist inside the Tabernacle.
Presider’s chair – The chair in which only the Priest or the bishop may sit whether during the Mass or outside the Mass.
Credence Table – A small table on which is placed the vessels for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Altar Candles – Two candles lit during the mass, it signifies that Christ is the light of the world
Paschal Candle – A very large candle placed beside the Lectern during the Easter Season and below the Sanctuary during
Baptisms and Funerals.
Holy Icons – The Pictures or statues of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary or other Saints.
◦ Sanctuary Bell – The bell located near the altar, it may be in the Sanctuary or inside the Sacristy.
Duties and Responsibilities:

To have a knowledge of the parts of the church and

know its functions for the spirituality of the Church
Module 5 – The Holy Vessels and
Vestments
◦ An Altar Server must know all the vessels he holds and hold it with care. He should also know all the
vestments he and the clergy is wearing every Mass. The Vessels
Ciborium – The cup-like vessel with a lid, this contains the hosts that will be used for the Holy
Communion. It can also be used for the reserved hosts to be put in the Tabernacle.
Chalice – The cup used to hold the wine which will become the blood of Christ during the Mass
Patten – The saucer-like dish which usually matches the Chalice. It holds the bread which will become the
body of Christ
Pall – The stiff, square, white cover that is placed over the Patten when it is on the Chalice and over the
Chalice during the Mass.
Corporal – A white, linen napkin on which the Eucharistic Vessels is placed during the Mass. It is folded
into small squares about the size of the Pall.
Purificator – A triple-folded rectangular, white cloth used to cleanse the chalice after the Communion.
Finger Towel – A small cloth used by the Priests and the Eucharistic Ministers in distributing the
Communion and by the Bishops in administering the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Orders.
Cruets – The two small pitchers which contains the water and wine offered during the Mass
Communion Plate – A plate with a handle used by an Altar Server in catching a Eucharistic Crumbs.
Sanctus Bell – A hand bell which is rung during the Mass.
Sacramentary – A book on which the volume of Presidential prayers and the order of the rites connected
Pitcher and Basin – Used to hold and catch the water for the washing of the hands of the presider.
Pyx – A pocket watch-shaped case in which it holds the Holy Communion to be given to the sick in the Community outside the
celebration of the Mass.
Processional Cross – The crucifix mounted on a tall pole which is carried during processions
Processional Candles – The two candles mounted on a tall pole which is carried during processions
Monstrance – A large ornate vessel used to hold the Blessed Sacrament during Its Public Exposition.
Lunette – A thin, circular receptacle which holds the Blessed Sacrament when exposed in the Monstrance.
Oil Stocks – A metal cylinder, with compartments for sacramental oils.
Aspergillum – The bush form or hollow bulb sprinkler which contains a sponge, and has an openings to sprinkle drops of Holy Water
to the people.
Thurible – A metal container with a lid which is extended from chains, in which charcoal and incense is burned. It is also called censer.
◦ Incense Boat – A small metal container which holds the incense to be put into the Thurible.
The Vestments
Cassock – A long outer garment worn by the Clergy and by Altar Servers.
Alb – A long, white, dress-like vestment which is used by the Clergy and the Seminarians.
Cincture – A long cord used to fasten the Alb at the waist to hold it in place and adjust it to proper length
Stole – A long colored cloth ornately decorated worn by the priest around his neck, letting it hang down in front, and worn by the
deacon over his right shoulder and fastened on his left side like a sash. Its Color varies according to the season or feast.
Chasuble – The outer vestment worn over the stole and alb. Its Color varies according to the season or feast.
Dalmatic – A loose fitting robe with open sides and wide sleeves worn by deacons.
Cope – A large semi-circular cloak, held at the front by a clasp or band of fabric. It is used during benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament.
Humeral Vail – A large shawl, worn around the shoulders while carrying the Blessed Sacrament during the benediction and
Eucharistic Procession.
◦ Surplice – A wide- sleeved garment, slipped over the head, covering the shoulders, and coming down below the Knees. It is worn
over the Cassock.
Mitre – A double-pointed head-dress, with two lappets hanging at the back. It is used by the Bishops.
Crozier – A staff with a shepherd’s crook at the top, this is a sign of his pastoral office.
Pectoral Cross – The Bishop’s cross necklace. It is worn under his chasuble and the dalmatic, under the
cope but above the mozeta.
Bishop’s Ring – The ring worn by the Bishop at all times as a sign that he is wedded to Christ in the
service of the Church.
Zucchetto – The Violet cap worn by the Bishop, Purple cap for the Arch Bishop, Red cap for the Cardinals
and white for the Pope.
◦ Pallium – A vestment given by the pope to a residential Arch Bishop. They wear it above their chasuble
in their jurisdictional territory.
Attire –The recommended uniform for the Ministry of Altar Servers are the following:
Cassock and Surplice (cape for special occations)
Plain white undershirt (when serving should be tucked in);
Black pants (no denim);
Black / white socks;
Black leather shoes;
Insignia, such as pins and Cross
Personal grooming- Before serving, Altar Servers must come to church with presentable decorum and proper grooming. This includes the following:
Appropriate haircut (2 X 3 hair cut)’
With no artificial hair color or unnatural hairstyles;
Clean hands and neatly trimmed fingernails;
Mustache must be clean-shaven( for older servers only)
No jewelry;
◦ Basic hygiene is indispensable
Duties and Responsibilities
To have a knowledge of the vessels they are to use for the celebration of the liturgy, as well as the proper
use of these, including , but not limited to the following:
Liturgical Vestments
Sacred Vessels
Altar Linen
To ensure the care and maintenance of vessels used for the celebration of the liturgy, including, but not
limited to the following:
Processional cross;
Thurible and boat;
◦ Bells;
Module 6 – The Basic Postures and
Gestures
An Altar Server must know and understand every posture appropriate for the ceremony. And he should also
know all the actions that should be done in every part of the Mass. As a Server you should know when to
move, walk and to bow. The Hands:

Your hands must always be clean, with clean fingernails. Wash them before you serve for you will handle
things which are holy.
Joined hands are held before the breast at 45 degrees, palms together, fingers extended, thumbs crossed,
right over left.
When one of your hands is occupied, place the other hand open on your breast.
◦ When seated, put your hands on your knees.
Standing:

◦ An altar Server’s head should be kept straight. The body is relaxed but erect, shoulders back. The feet are
together. The hands are together before the breast at 45 degrees, palms together, fingers extended, thumbs
crossed, right over left.
Walking:

◦ While walking, walk solemnly, dignified and deliberately. Know where to go and walk there with head
straight, shoulders back, and hand held properly.
Sitting:

When sitting, keep back straight and tall. The hand should be placed at the lap. The feet should be flat on
the ground.
Kneeling:

◦ When kneeling, allow the body weight be equally distributed on both knees. Leave the feet uncrossed
and keep the hands in praying position.
Genuflecting:

Single Genuflecting – One goes down on their right knee, keeping the left one upright, from a standing
position. The server gets back up, but not like a spring, that is, quickly. Nor slowly (with exception to
medical issues).
◦ Double Genuflect – starts from the single genuflection position. This genuflection involved both knees
planted on the ground, the servers’ hands still in the orans position (unless carrying an object) and a
moderate bow is made.
Bowing:

Shoulder Bow – both the head and the shoulders moves as one action. Bow only slightly forward
◦ Waist Bow – both the head and the shoulder move together but with the bending of the waist.
◦Thank you for
Watching