The Eucharist is at the center of the Catholic faith — thus, the sacrifice at the altar is the most important part of the Mass. Since the Mass is of the utmost importance, our altar servers play a crucial role. The youth who serve on the altar show the utmost reverence and respect for the Mass.
Here at St. Patrick’s, we’d love to see more young men come forward to serve at the altar of our Lord. Fr. Thomas Pressley leads the servers and looks forward to training a new group in late September. This is a perfect way to teach young people how to live a life of service.
“For anyone who wants to learn how to serve, this is a great opportunity,” he says. “Jesus is the perfect example of humanity, and to be so close to Jesus—you will come to know how to serve and how to be a man.”
Service at the altar will become a habit, and Fr. Pressley knows servers will enjoy it.
“It’s really good to love coming to Mass,” he says.
Servers play an essential role in the celebration of the Mass behind the priest — they are even mentioned in the Old Testament. In the temple, there were men serving who played an important role, and were not priests. This paved the path for modern altar servers.
“In the New Covenant, this role continues to help the priest offer the sacrifice at the altar on behalf of the people,” Fr. Pressley says.
Fr. Pressley adds that service at the altar can be a launching pad for vocations to the priesthood and diaconate.
“It’s helpful for young men to be so close to the altar, especially during the transubstantiation,” he says. “Altar servers are intimately present, and this shows them they may really like being so close to Jesus during Mass.”
As Catholics, we know our ultimate goal is to go to heaven. During the Mass, heaven kisses earth on the altar, says Fr. Pressley. Servers have a front seat to that.
Fr. Pressley encourages parents to have their children get involved as servers. It can only help them grow and keep their faith into adulthood.
“God is love,” he says. “Time spent with God — love Himself — can only be helpful.”
Servers may also be tapped to help with weddings and funerals. Fr. Pressley appreciates the help, especially at funerals, so that he can be more present to the grieving family.
To learn more about becoming an altar server, contact Fr. Thomas Pressley at 719-598-3595 or tlpressley@stpatscs.org.