Who can be an acolyte?
Any member of St. Mary's who has been trained
to serve. Most children don't begin serving until they are seven or
eight years old, but exceptions can be made, so contact Sharon Rodgers or
Carolyn Bergquist if your child is intersted in serving. At the moment
we have boys, girls, men, and women who serve as acolytes at St. Mary's.
Generally, our younger acolytes serve at the 9:30 and 1:00 services, while
adult acolytes serve at the 8:00 and 11:00 services.
Exactly what do acolytes do?
Acolytes lead processions in and out of the church. At the 9:30
service, the torchbearers carry a torch ( a candle) while the crucifer carries
the cross up the aisle at the beginning of the service and back down the aisle
at the end of the service. In addition, torchbearers close and
open the gate in the altar rail before and after the congregation comes
forward to receive communion, while other torchbearers receive the brass alms
basins from the ushers and hand them to the deacon, and ring the bells at
appropriate times. The crucifer assists the deacon in preparing the
altar for communion, assists the celebrant with the lavabo, and puts out the
candles on the altar before processing out of the church at the end of the
service.
Except during the penitential seasons of Advent and Epiphany, a banner bearer
carries the St. Mary's banner in the processions. The banner bearer
immediately preceeds the lay eucharistic ministers in the procession. At
the time of communion the banner bearer serves as the wine steward.
At the 11:00 service the crucifer and torchbearers lead a gospel procession
into the midst of the congregation for the reading of the gospel in addition
to fulfilling the same resposiblities as the 9:30 acolytes.
At the Solemn High Eucharists which occur on seven Feast Days during the year
(Christmas Eve, Epiphany, Easter Eve, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, the Feast of
St. Mary, and All Saints' Day) as well as at the 11:00 service during the
seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter, the torch-bearers and crucifer are
joined by a thurifer who is responsible for leading processions while
mani-pulating a thurible containing burning coals and incense, handing the
thurible to the celebrant or deacon at appointed times during the service, and
censing the ministers and congregation, as well as the elements during
the Prayer of Consecration.
How do I become an acolyte?
Attend a group training or schedule an individual training session with
Carolyn Bergquist (343-4380), then contact Sharon Rodgers (684-0464) to be
scheduled.
What about vestments?
St. Mary's provides vestments (white cottas and red cassocks for
torchbearers, white albs for crucifers and thurifers) for all acolytes.
These vestments are kept upstairs in the vesting area. You will have a
chance to find a set of vestments that fit you when you are trained.
Why do acolytes wear crosses on different colored cords?
Beginning acolytes wear crosses suspended on black cords. Those who
have served at least 10 times wear white cords. Those who have served at
least 20 times and have mastered opening and closing the gates, receiving the
alms basins and ringing the bells, wear red cords, while those who have served
at least 30 times and have been trained as banner bearers wear purple cords.
Those acolytes who have served more than 40 times and have been trained as
crucifers receive their own Celtic crosses which are theirs to keep, and to
wear whenever they serve.