“I’ve got the best seat in the house!” responded a Christian when asked why he enjoyed being an altar server at St. Vincent’s. He and his siblings, Andreas and Karina, all perform their ministry with similar joy and dedication. Our parish currently has 68 altar servers, almost a rite of passage for those children in 4th grade or higher. This was an all-boy ministry until March 1994, when girls were also permitted to serve God and their community by assisting at the Mass. There are generally three servers at each of our weekend masses-you will see them processing down the aisle as the two candle bearers and one cross bearer – and two at our 8:00 a.m. weekday Masses. These children receive a training session from RoseMarie Woodruff and then new servers are paired with the seasoned ones. While serving at the 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, and the 8:00 a.m. weekday Mass require the sacrifice of early rising, there are many wonderful graces and benefits, such as being able to serve at a sibling’s graduation, First Communion, or Confirmation Mass. Stewardship is a gift for and from all ages at St. Vincent de Paul Church.
We thank our dedicated altar servers, the parents who bring them, the clergy and teachers who train them, and the parishioner who puts it all together: RoseMarie Woodruff. Please call her at 762-4278, ext 14, if one of your little cherubs is interested in joining this wonderful ministry.