The St. Thomas Aquinas Acolyte Corps is oriented towards the beautification, dignity, and solemnity
of Sunday and Holy Day liturgies which are celebrated with greater
solemnity. Acolytes are young men (age 11
through college) who volunteer on a regular basis to serve at the 9:30am and
11:30am Masses as well as any other Masses which are considered solemn and,
therefore, are celebrated with greater ceremony (Holy Days of Obligation,
solemnities of Our Lord and Our Lady, patronal feast days, special devotions
and processions, etc.).
For more information,
contact the parish Master of Ceremonies, Jonathan Torres, by calling (704)
549-1607 ext. 306 or by emailing stacharlotteliturgy@gmail.com.
Updates and notices will be sent out using this blog site (stacharlotteliturgy@blogspot.com). Acolytes and parents can subscribe to new content published on this website by using the subscription button to the right.
Program Overview
The acolyte program is directly
organized by the parish’s Master of Ceremonies who collaborates with and
implements the liturgical vision of the pastor.
The Master of Ceremonies is assisted by assistant MCs. Together with the MC, they provide an example
to and the training of the parish’s
acolytes on a regular basis. The
acolytes primarily focus on service at the 9:30 and 11:30 Sunday liturgies,
though they are not precluded from assisting at other Masses.
Guidelines
• Acolytes are young men in the parish who are 11
years of age or older.
• Acolytes give respect to Our Lord and his sanctuary
by dressing appropriately and modestly for Mass. They wear black pants, black shoes, a belt,
and a shirt with a collar underneath their cassock.
• Acolytes’ hair should be well groomed and not fall
below the cassock collar.
• Acolytes do not wear visible jewelry such as rings,
piercings, etc. This does not include a
wristwatch.
• Acolytes arrive at least 20 minutes prior to Mass
and vest in cassock and surplice. They
report to the MC or one of his assistants.
The veteran acolytes may be needed to assist the younger acolytes and
acolytes-in-training to vest.
FAQ
Who may serve at the Mass as an
acolyte?
Any young man in the parish who is at least 11 years old
and wishes to volunteer his service at the altar may be an acolyte. He simply needs to speak to the Master of
Ceremonies at the 9:30am or 11:30am Sunday Masses, or he / his parents may
contact stacharlotteliturgy@gmail.com
or (704) 549-1607 ext. 306. Click here to download the Acolyte Registration Form which you can complete, print, sign, and bring to the parish office.
How often are acolyte
trainings?
The parish’s Master of Ceremonies organizes acolyte
trainings each quarter. Acolytes are
asked to be at 3 trainings each year, as a minimum requirement.
Why become an acolyte?
We worship God in a particular way by serving at the
Mass. We strive to become holy in a
particular way by serving at Mass. This
does not mean that servers are more or less holy or worship God more or less
effectively than the priest or the congregation. This means that we worship God and become
holy through the unique experience of serving Mass. We also serve Christ directly in the person
of the priest. When a priest celebrates
any sacrament, it is Christ who celebrates!
When we hand the chalice to the priest, or wash his hands, we are really
serving Christ, because the priest celebrates the Mass “in the person of
Christ, the head.” Lastly, we not only
serve Christ in the priest, but we also serve the congregation. By making the responses, conducting ourselves
in a worthy manner, and being attentive and careful to our responsibilities, we
help the congregation to pray better.
The best server is the one that goes unnoticed by the congregation; he
fulfills his role humbly, discreetly, and without distraction.
Why are there guidelines and
rules?
Serving is meant to be enjoyable and fun, but we can only
enjoy something when we are prepared to carry out our responsibility. In order to attend to our responsibilities,
we must be prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually.
How can an acolyte prepare
himself physically for Mass?
Physically, acolytes must look their best for
Christ. It should not look as if he just
rolled out of bed a few minutes before Mass.
This is the reason that there is a dress code explained in the Acolyte
Guidelines. When he arrives, he puts on
a cassock. The cassock is a garment that
represents simplicity of life and service.
The priest always has the option to wear it because it shows his own
promise to simplicity of life and his divine service that is separate from any
service that comes from the world; and that is why it is a garment that is
different and separate than any clothing that a lay person wears on a daily
basis. Before Mass, the acolyte puts on
a surplice, which reminds him of his baptism, the promises his parents made for
him then, and his dignity as a child of God.
The cassocks and surplices have been blessed, so acolytes treat them
respectfully and never allow them to lie on the ground or fall down in the
closet.
How can the acolyte prepare
himself mentally for Mass?
Mental preparation means that the acolyte must get plenty
of rest before he serves so he is alert and attentive. He must leave behind distractions from home
and school. He must know the particular
responsibilities of his position and how he is to serve in that role. The best way to do this is to regularly look
over the acolyte guidelines which explain which acolyte does what at each part
of the Mass. If the acolyte has
questions or doubts, he asks an MC or older acolyte before Mass about what the
duties are. Throughout the Mass, he must
always pay attention to the priest, emcee, and his brother acolytes.
How can the acolyte prepare
himself spiritually for Mass?
Every Catholic is called to be prepared spiritually for
the Mass; however, acolytes must set a good example of how important the Mass
is in the Christian’s life. This means
that he ought to attend Mass at least once a week and on all the days of
obligation, even if he is not scheduled to serve. He ought to learn about his faith at home
and/or in a parish Faith Formation program.
He should attend the sacrament of Confession regularly (once a month is
a good habit). He should pray every day,
at least a morning offering when he gets up and an evening offering when he
goes to bed. At the church, he should
pray the acolyte prayers before and after Mass.
