To sign up as an altar server, please contact the coordinator at St-Raphael-Altar-Server@outlook.com. You will be asked for your contact information and your mass preferences. Once your child has gone through an official training session which are offered four times during the school year, then they will be added to the group email list and to the schedule.
At least once a month at a regular weekend mass.
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For a regular weekend mass, we assign 4 to 6 servers. A regular weekday mass usually has 2. The weekly school mass usually has 4 to 6 servers.
Yes! This would be considered a “Fill In”. Please let the assigned servers have first choice on the roles
Then you will need to find a server to take their place. We call this a “sub” or “substitute”. To request a sub, please find the latest email that was sent to the group, click “respond to all”, and then simply state the date, time, role, and server name. We need a sub for Johnny at the 8:00 am mass on 06/12/2017. He was assigned the Acolyte/Cross role. Who can substitute?
No need to go into too much detail. Please let the community know asap that you need a sub.
Please reply to the substitute request email by “respond to all”. Simply state who can substitute. Example:
“Patricia can substitute for Johnny”
This will inform the community that a sub has been found and also give an opportunity for us to update the signup sheets in the server room.
Servers should arrive 15 minutes before a regular weekend or weekday mass.
For special liturgical events and funerals, servers should arrive 30 minutes before mass.
During this time, the servers will get into the uniform, help the Sacristan, to setup the altar, and recite the team prayer. For special events, the sacristan, deacon, or priest might review the procedures with the servers.
Yes! Simply have your server dress in the uniform and then reverently join the other servers on the side of the altar.
The school manages the weekday server schedule during the regular school year. The altar server coordinator will create the schedule when the school is not in session, which include the summer schedule.
Please notify the altar server coordinator. They need to know what masses you cannot make and which masses you prefer. Also, please indicate if a family member has a regular shift as a Eucharistic minister, lector, or usher. Although we do our best to accommodate your preferences, sometimes you will be assigned to masses that are not your first preference. We have 26 opportunities to fill every weekend and some masses are more popular than others.
The goal is to show reverence and respect for God and not be a distraction. We are not going to tell the parents explicitly how to dress your children for mass. But will make recommendations.
Clothing
Boys – Dark slacks, shoes, tall socks, nice collar shirt.
Girls – Skirt or slacks, blouse, nice flat shoes ballet or dress style.
The goal is to show reverence and respect for God and not be a distraction. We are not going to tell the parents explicitly how to dress your children for mass. But will make recommendations. NO SANDALS, NO FLIP FLOPS, NO CROCS, NO LIGHTS, NO NEON, and NO BRIGHT COLORS.
Shoes should not be distracting and be safe. Shoes can be a bigger distraction than clothes. Also, some shoes can be dangerous on the altar stairs, like Flip Flops and Sandals. Other shoes, like Flip Flops and Crocs can be noisy
If you have long hair, please tie it back into a pony tail with a plain hair tie (no bright colors). This is very important for servers in the torch bearer role.
Remember - The goal is still to show reverence and respect for God and not be a distraction.
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3rd & 4th Graders represent our Junior Servers, who commonly carry the processional candles at Mass and continue to learn how to server. Those in 5th grade and beyond represent our Senior Servers who competently assist the priest at daily and weekend Mass with all aspects of serving. Those in 7th grade or older wear the surplus with red piping recognizing their years of service. They also help train the Jr. Servers and assist with special needs like incense, holy water and special events.
