Jump to content
An Old School Catholic Message Board

Female Altar Servers And Vocations


LaPetiteSoeur

Recommended Posts

it's not so much that they think a "girly" thing is bad, they just sense that a "girly" thing is not a "boy" thing and don't want to participate in it. there's nothing wrong with boys not wanting to do "girly" things, it is absolutely natural for them not to want to do things that they perceive as girly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
LaPetiteSoeur

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/protests-of-va-parishs-move-away-from-altar-girls-reflects-wider-catholic-debate/2011/11/17/gIQAnbRLcN_story.html?wprss=

another article about female altar servers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LaPetiteSoeur

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1321825816' post='2338618']
We didn't have female servers. The girls were trained as sacristans. I don't know why they don't do that as much anymore.
[/quote]

That's a wonderful ministry! It would be a good alternative to female altar servers, as it's not dusting or arranging flowers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archaeology cat

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1321820558' post='2338595']
[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/protests-of-va-parishs-move-away-from-altar-girls-reflects-wider-catholic-debate/2011/11/17/gIQAnbRLcN_story.html?wprss="]http://www.washingto...ory.html?wprss=[/url]

another article about female altar servers.
[/quote]
It was sad to see some of the attitudes in that article - attitudes of thinking such a move was "going after [the] girls" and that it meant they weren't wanted. I know such a transition must be difficult for any parish, but it's sad to see it being viewed in that light. I agree with Catherine that it would be great if the girls were instead trained as sacristans when they make such moves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MissScripture

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1321826485' post='2338623']
It was sad to see some of the attitudes in that article - attitudes of thinking such a move was "going after [the] girls" and that it meant they weren't wanted. I know such a transition must be difficult for any parish, but it's sad to see it being viewed in that light. I agree with Catherine that it would be great if the girls were instead trained as sacristans when they make such moves.
[/quote]
I honestly don't know that it would appease those who are most opposed to it, though. I just got the feeling from the comments in the article that even if that were the case, it would still not be good enough, because it isn't just like the boys. After all, even with the girls who were allowed to keep serving, the mother was upset that her daughter couldn't wear the same garments. I mean, I do think they should do something for girls, I just don't know that it would make a difference to the people who are most opposed to all male altar servers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1321830722' post='2338637']
I honestly don't know that it would appease those who are most opposed to it, though. I just got the feeling from the comments in the article that even if that were the case, it would still not be good enough, because it isn't just like the boys. After all, even with the girls who were allowed to keep serving, the mother was upset that her daughter couldn't wear the same garments. I mean, I do think they should do something for girls, I just don't know that it would make a difference to the people who are most opposed to all male altar servers.
[/quote]
That would be the Annie Oakley School of Feminist Thought.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvPjelxxj0[/media]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dominicansoul

it would be great if people received the liturgy as the Church proposes, instead of changing it to their own personal inclinations or ideas...


...we humans are a stubborn bunch filled with hardness of heart...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dominicansoul

i had a conversation outside the church today... one of the men on the pastoral council was chiding Father for asking for an all-marble altar/sanctuary..

"Father, you know this is just a small-neighborhood church serving a small number of families, right?"


I turned to the gentleman, and very nicely said, "The sanctuary is not for families...it is for the Almighty God..."


I think that is something millions of Catholics have forgotten in the wake of Vatican II... the Liturgy was never ours to change, to add to, to throw in our own worldly concepts of gender- equality, to push our own agendas, etc. etc. etc.

The Liturgy, the Mass, the architecture.. all of it.. belong to God... and it is a [i]privilege[/i] for any of us to be able to serve at Mass, and not a "right."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LaPetiteSoeur

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1321834465' post='2338673']
i had a conversation outside the church today... one of the men on the pastoral council was chiding Father for asking for an all-marble altar/sanctuary..
[/quote]

I wonder if the church had originally had marble altars...many down here (and even in my home church area) originally did, but then many of the beautiful altars were done away with after all of the changes. We still had a largely marble sanctuary, just with another altar that faced the congregation. And somehow they managed to move paintings from one end of the church to the other!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archaeology cat

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1321830722' post='2338637']
I honestly don't know that it would appease those who are most opposed to it, though. I just got the feeling from the comments in the article that even if that were the case, it would still not be good enough, because it isn't just like the boys. After all, even with the girls who were allowed to keep serving, the mother was upset that her daughter couldn't wear the same garments. I mean, I do think they should do something for girls, I just don't know that it would make a difference to the people who are most opposed to all male altar servers.
[/quote]
I imagine you're right. It's a skewed understanding of equality, one to which I subscribed when younger, unfortunately.
[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1321834465' post='2338673']
i had a conversation outside the church today... one of the men on the pastoral council was chiding Father for asking for an all-marble altar/sanctuary..

"Father, you know this is just a small-neighborhood church serving a small number of families, right?"


I turned to the gentleman, and very nicely said, "The sanctuary is not for families...it is for the Almighty God..."


I think that is something millions of Catholics have forgotten in the wake of Vatican II... the Liturgy was never ours to change, to add to, to throw in our own worldly concepts of gender- equality, to push our own agendas, etc. etc. etc.

The Liturgy, the Mass, the architecture.. all of it.. belong to God... and it is a [i]privilege[/i] for any of us to be able to serve at Mass, and not a "right."
[/quote]
Yes, we should remember that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MissScripture

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1321836998' post='2338695']
I imagine you're right. It's a skewed understanding of equality, one to which I subscribed when younger, unfortunately.

Yes, we should remember that.
[/quote]
I understand why they think that way, because it's how most of our culture thinks. But it's really kind of sad. :ohno:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basilisa Marie

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1321825816' post='2338618']
We didn't have female servers. The girls were trained as sacristans. I don't know why they don't do that as much anymore.
[/quote]

I love this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i<3franciscans

I always looked at it like alter servers were guys that were thinking of the priesthood. I don't have a problem with girl alter servers so to speak, but I have no intention of being one. I am perfectly content to stay were I am. I never felt like I belonged serving on the alter... to me it always seemed like it should be a place reserved for men.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...