Altar boys are young male altar servers. Formerly, only young men, whom the Church wanted to recruit for the priesthood, and seminarians, who needed the training, were altar servers, and so altar boy was the term for all servers. The phrase altar boy has in many cases been replaced with altar server because in the last decade of the 20th century girls began to be allowed to serve in this capacity and an increasing number of adults are serving at the altar, especially at solemn services in cathedrals or basilicas. In the Roman Catholic Church, altar servers who are studying to become priests or deacons might actually be acolytes, which is a necessary preparatory office before ordination. As part of their training, an acolyte might supervise children and other adults who are altar servers. Here the duties in detail:Duties In the Roman Catholic Church, altar servers are responsible for duties in general during the eucharistic part of masses. However, holding books in position for prayers and carrying the processional cross are also duties of altar servers.

• Gathering: Altar servers carry the processional cross and candles (the so-called flambeaus) at the front of the gathering procession. Incense and thurible may be carried as well.

• Opening prayer: The missal is usually hold in place by an altar server, so that the priest has both hands free.

• Proclamation of the Gospel: If it is a regional habit, flambeaus and/or incense can be carried.

• Receiving the gifts from the parishioners: When the priest is receiving the gifts from the people, altar servers may be required to assist him carrying them.

• Preparation of the altar for the eucharist: It is the duty of the altar severs to prepare the altar with corporale, hosts and wine.

• Ceremony of the eucharist: Where it is a habit, altar servers ring bells at important situations during the High Prayer.

• Cleaning up the altar: During the distribution of the communion, the altar needs to be cleaned up by the altar servers.

• Ending prayer: As for the opening prayer, the missal is hold in place by an altar server.

• Ending procession: When the priest and the servers leave the altar, again the processional cross is carried, eventually together with flambeaus.

 

In most ordinary situations, one altar server is usually all that is required, however many parishes prefer to have two or more altar servers. The weekday Liturgy usually only requires a single server, if any. The Sunday Liturgy may require two, depending on the size of the parish, just as would a funeral or a Pontifical Mass (Bishop's Liturgy).Some opinions decide it to be best if as many servers as possible are serving in one mass, so that there is a symbolized participation of the parishioners. In solemn services - especially ones where a higher ranking member of the clergy, such as a Bishop is present - there will often be more than two servers. In situations where a Bishop is present, there will often be two dedicated servers who will help him with his miter and crosier as well as an appropriate complement for the other duties.VestmentsAltar servers normally wear the alb or the surplice during a liturgy. In North America, Ireland, and most Western European nations, the surplice is worn over a cassock, while in Poland and other nations in Eastern Europe the surplice is worn over appropriate civil attire. The number of buttons on the cassock is of no concern in modern times. Traditionally, a server would wear the same colour as the parish's pastor or rector. Thus, a red cassock would be worn if the parish's pastor warranted such privelege. The papacy has never practiced this tradition, as in the Latin Rite only the Pope wears a white cassock while not in a tropical area. Nowadays the colour of the cassock usually depends on the liturgical colour of the day, however, a black cassock can be worn at any day.While wearing the cassock, no collar, or rabat, is worn. This is usually interpreted as a sign that they are not tonsured, despite the fact that the surplice is the universal vestment of a tonsured individual in Western Catholic tradition. This is traditionally seen as a distinction between one in minor orders, such as a real acolyte, and one acting as an acolyte, the server. Seminarians will wear the collar as a sign of their vocation, despite the Latin Rite no longer practices this ancient tradition except in certain societies permitted to practice pre-Vatican II traditions and rituals.If no vestments are available, the altar servers are usually gathered in other appropriate clothes. The decision over what exactly an altar server will wear during Mass is normally left up to individual dioceses and parishes. Sometimes, more than one set of vestments may be worn at certain Masses, meant to indicate the roles fulfilled by different altar servers (dedicated server to the Archbishop, assistant to baptism/confirmation, etc.)

Female altar servers: In the Roman Catholic Church, permitting females to function as altar servers has been a controversial decision. Jean Gallarello, an ambitious adolescent girl in the early seventies, brought the topic to national prominence through her insistence that girls be offered the same opportunity to serve in the Catholic Church as boys, even going so far as to write the pope. It has been approved by the church hierarchy, but many conservatives nonetheless have not liked it, and traditional Catholics reject the idea outright. Generally, whether or not to permit altar girls has been left up to individual dioceses and parishes. Some have allowed them, some have prohibited them, some have permitted them at particular Mass times but not others (as a means of compromising between liberals and conservatives. Even though the church hierarchy has permitted them, several members of it have criticized altar girls on the basis that altar servers were traditionally seen as potential candidates for the priesthood, whereas the ordination of women is prohibited. Many altar servers see themselves usually not as priesthood candidates, even if the church sometimes tries to influence them in this direction.

Requirements for Altar ServersCandidates

• A strong desire to serve at the Altar of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
• Be an active member of the parish community and believe in the teachings of The   Holy Catholic Church.
• Have already made their First Holy Communion.
• Know all the prayers of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from memory.
• Know how to properly genuflect.
• Know how to make the sign of the Cross.
• Know how to receive Holy Communion in the approved manner.

Characteristics of a Server

• Don’t fumble and stumble.
• Don’t daydream, yawn or fall asleep.
• Anticipate what might happen next.
• Can mould into the background and thus become invisible to the congregation.
• Be able to work together in a team.
• Be able to facilitate the public expression of shared prayer.