Women...

[hierochloe]

[quote name='Socrates' date='Sep 29 2005, 06:21 PM']They are neither truly masculine nor feminine.  People need to stop trying to take everything I post as some kind of attack.
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Oh man, you're right. Gonna edit my post. I misunderstood the context. Apologies.

Um, nm. Can't edit it.

Edited September 30, 2005 by hierochloe

[Socrates]

[quote name='hierochloe' date='Sep 29 2005, 07:42 PM']Oh man, you're right. Gonna edit my post. I misunderstood the context.  Apologies.

Um, nm. Can't edit it. 
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Apology accepted.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='Aloysius' date='Sep 29 2005, 06:57 PM']yeah, like the byzantines down the road from us who, last time I went, everyone serving at the altar besides the preist was a woman.

the byzantine church in america from my experience (or at least some of them) are about as disobedient as we were being prior to JPII saying female altar servers were allowed for us. 

eh... american catholics... can't live with 'em, can't throw 'em in a volcano.
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shameful. I've only ever seen good Byzantines!

[dspen2005]

then, again, how many byzantines have u seen??

Edited September 30, 2005 by dspen2005

[Aloysius]

Well, don't generalize my experiences either.

[Anthony]

[quote name='Socrates' date='Sep 29 2005, 07:16 PM']There is no "official" Church teaching that there can be no female "readers," (who normally are OUTSIDE the sanctuary), but the whole position of "reader" is a fairly recent one. 

And we have a long tradition of women NOT reading or performing other such roles in the mass going back to the beginning.  This tradition should be respected and not casually overturned or disregarded.
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Actually, women reading during Mass is permissible. The primary difference is that in order for you to become a lector, you must be installed by the Bishop of the diocese. My parish does have lectors as well as readers. We have female readers, but the Church reserved that only men are to be installed as lectors and acolytes.

Edited October 2, 2005 by Anthony

[let_go_let_God]

IMHO

I come from a small parish, when I was in 4th grade I became an alter server and I was needed pretty much every week, because there was a shortage of servers in my parish. I stepped down from that position as a freshman in high school, but I still served when there was a shortage, or my parish asked me to for a special occasion. (i.e. funerals, holy days, and one mass with the bishop)

Shortly thereafter I became a reader because some of the parishoners asked me to because there was a shortage. At the same time I was asked to become and Extraordinary Minister because of a shortage, and because I was looking for a way to serve my parish.

(During that period I began to teach elementary Catechism to no higher than fourth graders, and continued that from my freshman year through my senior year. (I now am working with a group of freshman girls in the Cathedral parish.))

I knew that because I was not Confirmed at the time, the only way I could do so was with the bishop's approval, and it did not seem right at the time. ( I never became a Extraordinary Minister)

Also, I am heavily involved with the music ministry. Right now there is my mother, myself and an organist. I sing whenever I come home from college, but otherwise it is my mom and the organist.

I can understand why there is preference given to males over females, but in my parish, there is only women and girls stepping forward to take the role of alter server and reader.

I felt so blessed when I was younger to be able to serve, and now have found other ways to do so. I say if there is a shortage, especally in a small population, let women take the role of alter server, readers, cantors, and Extrodinary Ministers, otherwise put men in those positions.

Thank you for listening to my .02

God bless-
LGLG