Visitation of Our Lady Parish

Altar Serving Plan

Mark 10:43-45

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THURIFER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

Incensing at the beginning of Mass

If incense is used at the Gospel

If incense is not used at the Gospel

At the Offertory when there is a deacon

At the Offertory when there is not a deacon

Serving the remainder of Mass

After Mass

CRUCIFER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

During Mass

Exit procession

After Mass

CANDLE BEARERS

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

At the Gospel

During Mass

Exit procession

After Mass

BOOK BEARER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

At the Gloria

During the Offertory

During the distribution of Holy Communion

After the distribution of Holy Communion

Exit procession

After Mass

OFFERTORY SERVERS

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

During the Offertory

Exit procession

After Mass

PETITIONS BOX SERVER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

During the Offertory

Exit procession

After Mass

BELL SERVER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

During the Eucharistic Prayer

Exit procession

After Mass

MASS WITH ONE SERVER

Preparation for Mass

Opening procession

At the Gloria

During the Offertory

During the Eucharistic Prayer

During the distribution of Holy Communion

After the distribution of Holy Communion

Exit procession

After Mass

GLOSSARY

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for being an altar server at Visitation of Our Lady parish. You help us worship God at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Sometimes, when there are a lot of servers and you may have less responsibility at a particular Mass, you may ask, “Am I really needed?” Yes! Your presence helps everyone gathered to see heaven. We can’t see the holy angels who are serving God in heaven with our eyes but we can see your service and that helps us remember what a gift God is giving us and how much he loves us!

This Altar Server Plan is a tool to help us all serve God more beautifully. We are a team. If someone makes a mistake, that is ok, but we can learn from the mistake and try to do better the next time. This book can help us always to do better.

There are some special words that you may hear at Mass. These words will be in bold in each section. There is a glossary at the end of the bookwith an entry for these words. Please learn these words and try to use them when you are at Mass. For example, when you learn the words, you can tell Father, “I placed the Roman Missal at my chair” instead of “I placed the red book at my chair.”

Finally, the senior servers are the leaders of all the servers. They are high school servers who may have more responsibilities at each Mass and they are the only ones who may serve as thurifer. Ask them questions if you need help. Maybe one day, you can become a senior server and be the leader for the other servers. Senior servers, thank you for your leadership and the particular gifts that you share with this parish family.

Once again, thank you all. Your service at the altar is important.

Thurifer

THURIFER

Preparation for Mass

20 minutes before Mass, clean the thurible and place one charcoal in the thurible. Fill up the boat with incense. Light the charcoal and swing the thurible until the charcoal starts to glow around the edges.
5 minutes before Mass, gather in the vestibule to pray.
Stand near the celebrant and when he indicates that he is ready, first, hand him the boat and then open the thurible and hold it close to his hands. The celebrant will impose incense. When he puts the spoon back in the boat, he may make the sign of the cross over the incense to bless it and then you may close the thurible and receive the boat back from the celebrant.
Note: The celebrant may not make the sign of the cross over the incense to bless it but will indicate when it is ok to close the thurible.

Opening procession

The thurifer will lead the procession and be in front of the crucifer. When the singing of the processional hymn starts, process into the church with the thurible in your right hand and the boat in your left. Count in your head “one Mississippi” as you take each step so that you walk at a dignified pace.
Make a full stop when you arrive to the steps leading into the sanctuary. Bow just your head in front of the altar and ascend the steps into the sanctuary moving to your right around the altar to stand near the nook with the celebrant’s chalice.

Incensing at the beginning of Mass

When the celebrant and deacon(s) reverence the altar, move to the center where the celebrant is. First, hand him the boat and then open the thurible and hold it close to his hands for him to impose incense. Wait for him to finish imposing incense and then close the thurible. Receive the boat from the celebrant and hand him the thurible. Return to your position near the nook and wait for the celebrant to incense the altar.
When the celebrant has incensed all around the altar and arrives to the center of the altar again, move to where he is. Receive the thurible from the celebrantand put it away along with the boat on the stand. Return to your seat.

If incense is used at the Gospel

Stand at the end of the responsorial psalm before the second reading and retrieve the thurible and boat from the stand. Wait until the second reading is complete.
When the second reading is over, move to the celebrant as soon as the music for the alleluia begins. The cue to move is the music and not the singing of the alleluia. If he is not already standing, the celebrant will stand as you move in front of him.
Note: If the celebrant is a bishop or if it is the custom of the celebrant, he may not stand but remain sitting as you move in front of him. If this happens, kneel in front of him.
Hand him the boat and open the thurible for him to impose incense. When he is finished imposing incense, close the lid of the thurible and receive the boat back from the celebrant.
Move to the left of center in front of the altar standing in front of the candle bearer nearest the ambo. You should be facing inward like the candle bearer. The deacon, concelebrant, or celebrantwill move to the center of the altar and take the Book of the Gospels. When he turns and walks to the ambo, walk with him and stand a couple steps behind the ambo.
After the deacon, concelebrant, or celebrant says, “A reading from the holy Gospel according to…”, he will turn around and take the thurible from you and then incense the Book of the Gospels. He will return the thurible to you when he is finished. Remain standing behind him while the Gospel is being proclaimed.
When the deacon, concelebrant, or celebrant is finished proclaiming the Gospel, he will say, “The Gospel of the Lord” and the people will respond, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” This is your cue to turn around and move around the back wall slowly to put away the thurible.
Light one more charcoal and make sure it is sufficiently hot before returning to your seat.

If incense is not used at the Gospel

When the deacon, concelebrant, or celebrant is finished proclaiming the Gospel, he will say, “The Gospel of the Lord” and the people will respond, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” This is your cue to move around the back wall to light one more charcoal. Make sure it is sufficiently hot before returning to your seat.

At the Offertory when there is a deacon

When everyone sits after the Prayers of the Faithful, retrieve the thurible and boat and wait. After the Offertory servers bring the water and wine cruets to the deacon or celebrant and before they wash the celebrant’s hands, move to the center of the altar where the celebrant is.
First, hand him the boat and then open the thurible and hold it close to his hands for him to impose incense. Wait for him to finish imposing incense and then close the thurible. Receive the boat from the celebrant and hand him the thurible. Return to your position near the nook and wait for the celebrant to incense the gifts, the cross, and the altar.
When the celebrant has moved around the altar incensing the gifts, the cross, and the altar and arrives to the center of the altar again, the deacon will meet the celebrant at the center and receive the thurible from him. The deacon will incense the celebrant, any concelebrants, and then the people. When he has finished incensing the people, move to where he is to receive the thurible from him. Put the thurible away. It will not be needed again. Serve Mass as usual.

At the Offertory when there is not a deacon

When everyone sits after the Prayers of the Faithful, retrieve the thurible and boat and wait. After the Offertory servers bring the water and wine cruets to the deacon or celebrant and before they wash the celebrant’s hands, move to the center of the altar where the celebrant is.
First, hand him the boat and then open the thurible and hold it close to his hands for him to impose incense. Wait for him to finish imposing incense and then close the thurible. Receive the boat from the celebrant and hand him the thurible. Return to your position near the nook and wait for the celebrant to incense the gifts, the cross, and the altar.
When the celebrant has moved around the altar incensing the gifts, the cross, and the altar and arrives to the center of the altar again, move to where he is to receive the thurible from him. Put the thurible away. It will not be needed again. Serve Mass as usual.
Note: If the celebrant is a visitor or you are serving as a thurifer in a different parish, you may be expected to incense the celebrant, any concelebrants, and the people when there is no deacon. This is not our custom at Visitation of Our Lady parish.
Note: If the celebrant is visitor or you are serving as a thurifer in a different parish, you may also be asked to incense the Blessed Sacrament during the Eucharistic Prayer. This is not our custom at Visitation of Our Lady parish.

Serving the remainder of Mass

Serve Mass as usual. When everyone stands, follow the book bearer down to stand in front of the kneeler pad on the altar steps. Kneel with prayerful hands after the Holy, Holy, Holy is sung or spoken. After the Great Amen, stand for the Our Father and enter the sanctuary when the deacon or celebrant invites the people to share the sign of peace. Kneel after the Lamb of God is sung or spoken. Receive Communion from the minister and go back into the sanctuary to your seats.
When the deacon or celebrant dismissesthe people, follow behind the crucifer and candle bearers. Descend the stairs and stop at the metal circles on the floor. Turn around and genuflect when the celebrant does so and walk back down the aisle.

After Mass

Return to the meeting room to hang your alb neatly and in size order.
If you would like, return to the church and say a prayer thanking God for the gift of Holy Communion, which you have just received.

Crucifer

CRUCIFER

Preparation for Mass

10 minutes before Mass, retrieve the processional cross from the vestibule.
5 minutes before Mass, gather in the vestibule to pray.

Opening procession

You and the candle bearers will lead the procession if there is no thurifer. If the thurifer is in front of you, remember to keep four pews of space behind.
When the singing of the processional hymn starts, process into the church. Count in your head “one Mississippi” as you take each step so that you walk at a dignified pace. You will set the pace and the candle bearers will follow your lead.
Make a full stop when you arrive to the steps leading into the sanctuary. Bow just your head in front of the altar and ascend the steps into the sanctuary and place the cross in its stand near the celebrant’s chair.

During Mass

Listen to the proclamation of the readings and the Gospel and keep your hands folded prayerfully when standing.
After the Offertory, when everyone stands, follow the book bearer down to stand in front of the kneeler pad on the altar steps. Kneel with prayerful hands after the Holy, Holy, Holy is sung or spoken. After the Great Amen, stand for the Our Father and enter the sanctuary when the deacon or celebrant invites the people to share the sign of peace. Kneel after the Lamb of God is sung or spoken. Receive Communion from the minister and go back into the sanctuary to your seats.

Exit procession

At the end of Mass, when the deacon or celebrant dismisses the people, retrieve the crucifix and line up next to the celebrant’s chair. When the celebrant crosses over to the altar, descend the stairs and stop at the metal circles on the floor. Turn around and bow just your head when the celebrant genuflects and process back down the aisle.

After Mass

Return the processional cross to its place in the vestibule.
Return to the meeting room to hang your alb neatly and in size order.
If you would like, return to the church and say a prayer thanking God for the gift of Holy Communion, which you have just received.

Candle Bearers

CANDLE BEARERS

Preparation for Mass

10 minutes before Mass, light and retrieve the candles.
5 minutes before Mass, gather in the vestibule to pray.

Opening procession

You and the crucifer will lead the procession if there is no thurifer. If the thurifer is in front of you, remember to keep four pews of space behind.
When the singing of the processional hymn starts, process into the church. The crucifer will set the pace for the procession. The crucifer will use the count of “one Mississippi” for each step to walk at a dignified pace.
Make a full stop when you arrive to the steps leading into the sanctuary. Bow just your head in front of the altar and ascend the steps into the sanctuary.
Place the candles on the stands on each side of the tabernacle before bowing to the tabernacle and going to your chair.

At the Gospel

After the second reading is over, stand and walk to the tabernacle and bow together. Retrieve the candles and bow again to the tabernacle and turn to face the altar.
When the deacon, concelebrant, or celebrant walks over to the front of the altar, advance to either side of him. When he turns and walks to the ambo, walk with him and stand on the side of the ambo facing the other candle server.
When the deacon, concelebrant, or celebrant is finished proclaiming the Gospel, he will say, “The Gospel of the Lord” and the people will respond, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” This is your cue to replace the candles, bow to the tabernacle and return to your seats.

During Mass

After the Offertory, when everyone stands, follow the book server down to stand in front of the kneeler pad on the altar steps. Kneel with prayerful hands after the Holy, Holy, Holy is sung or spoken. After the Great Amen, stand for the Our Father and enter the sanctuary when the deacon or celebrant invites the people to share the sign of peace. Kneel after the Lamb of God is sung or spoken. Receive Communion from the minister and go back onto the altar to your seats.

Exit procession