Altar Servers

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis has a great appreciation for altar servers. In a specific address to altar servers who were gathered in Rome last year, Pope Francis told the servers that it is a great privilege and responsibility to serve at the altar. He urged them to always take seriously the responsibility to serve, and to be open to Christ who is close to us in the Eucharist. He reminded the servers that to be close to Christ enables one to be open to others and to journey together, taking up the challenge of life’s great journey in the company of Christ. As the Catholic publication “ZENIT” reported, Our Holy Father stated, “…the closer you are to the altar, the more you will remember to speak to Jesus in daily prayer, the more you will be nourished by the Word and the Body of the Lord, the better able you will be to go out to others, bringing them the gift that you have received, giving in turn with enthusiasm the joy you have received.

Thank you for serving at the Lord’s altar and for making of this service a real school of learning faith and charity toward your neighbor. Thank you also for having begun to respond to the Lord, like the prophet Isaiah, who asked God to send him forth in service.”

In our parish we are blessed to have so many dedicated altar servers to assist the priests and deacons at Mass. Today we thank them all. We are also thankful to Deacon Steve Kassebaum, Cecile Sabatino and Margaret Rocca who train our servers and coordinate their schedules. As a faith community, we pray that our servers will continue to grow in their love for the Lord and His Church.