Originally, only young men, perhaps going to enter the priesthood, and seminarians, students in theology, could serve at the altar, and so they were called altar boys. Females were allowed to serve from 1983 due to a change in the Code of Canon Law and the term altar server is now widely used. During 2009, at St James's, several young people became servers after learning the ropes from the head server.
Servers are required each Sunday at the 8am Holy Communion and at the 9am Parish Communion services. This duty is undertaken on a rota basis by a small group of people from the congregation. They play an important role in the life of the church by assisting the priest and are responsible for the smooth running of Holy Communion in a variety of ways, making sure that ceremonies are carried out in a respectful, orderly and devout manner.
Three servers work together for Parish Communion services, each with their specially defined duties. The server who carries the processional cross, at the beginning and end of the service, is called a crucifer. The term crucifer comes from the Latin crux (cross) and ferre (to bear, carry) and so literally means 'cross-bearer'. The servers who light and carry the candles are called acolytes. Some servers administer the wine at the communion services if they have been licensed by the bishop to do this. Alongside the servers, some licensed congregation members provide support with the administration of the chalice.
The servers are responsible for ensuring a service runs smoothly by carrying out a variety of duties, including preparing the sanctuary and altar table for the service, ensuring there are enough communion wafers available and checking that the cruets hold sufficient water and wine. They open the lectern Bible at the appropriate readings and are sometimes called on to read a lesson. During the service they hold the book for the vicar to read the Collect, they carry the cross, candles and Gospel book for the reading of the Gospel, they receive the gifts of money, communion wine and wafers and they assist the vicar during the administration of Holy Communion. After the service they dismantle the altar and wash the chalices so that they are ready for further use.
At St James's servers wear a red cassock over which they wear a long white tunic (alb), a stiff decorated collar attached to a rectangular piece of white linen with two long ribbon-like attachments to fasten around the shoulders (amice), and a white cord round the waist (girdle). The amice is worn under the alb to cover other clothes and is coloured according to the time in the Church Year. Sometimes servers may wear a cotta (shown below) instead of an alb. A cotta is a continental version of the fuller English surplice, and is shorter than a surplice with a square yoke and pleated.
Find out more
Annual Parochial Church Meeting Reports (these documents contain the annual reports of the various church teams or groups associated with St James's Church. Scroll down the document of the year you are interested in to find the report you want)
Contact
Lesley Mortimer on 020 8941 2345
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