Sam, who had Down syndrome, became an altar server in 2002 and also regularly welcomed parishioners to weekly services, as a host at the door.

On March 1, he died at Chalmers rest home after a short illness, with his parents and brother by his side. Continue reading

Many migrant populations have not been used to women and girls serving in this way, a statement from the liturgy centre to NZ Catholic noted. "This matter has to be handled with pastoral sensitivity, and catechesis provided, so that people understand the equal role of men and women in the Sunday assembly," the statement continued.

"While noting the historical practice of altar boys, and that it is ‘laudable' that this is retained [Redemptionis Sacramentum 47], it should be noted that this ministry has been renewed and developed since the Second Vatican Council, and that the norms and practices of the local Church where one chooses to live must also be respected," it added.

Source

• NZ Catholic
• Image: 4.bp.blogspot

This is a typical example of the 497 men being ordained to the priesthood in the United States this year, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

According to the survey, 81 per cent of the new US priests came from families in which both parents were Catholic.

More than half said they had more than two siblings, while one in five reported having five or more siblings. Only 3 per cent of the sample were only children.

More than 40 per cent attended Catholic schools (but a disproportionately high proportion of 4 per cent were home schooled).

A high proportion of 67 per cent had served as altar servers, 55 per cent as readers, and 46 per cent as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist before entering the seminary.

While 47 per cent said they had participated in a parish youth group, 20 per cent had attended a World Youth Day.

Nine per cent of the new US priests said they were converts.

Thirty-four per cent of the ordinands had a relative who is a priest or religious.

The survey found that 67 per cent were encouraged by their parish priest to consider a vocation; 46 per cent were encouraged by a friend, 38 per cent by a parishioner, 34 per cent by their mother, and 22 per cent by their father.

But 19 per cent were discouraged by a priest from considering a vocation; 30 per cent were discouraged by their fathers, 28 per cent by their mothers, and 43 per cent by other family members.

Nearly one third of the ordinands were born overseas, and 10 per cent were of Asian or Pacific Island origin.

Sources:

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Class of 2013 (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate)

Image: Catholic Herald

"Even though a sense of respect for the figure of the priest is cultivated in Christian families, it is still noticeable, especially in the West, that they have a certain difficulty in accepting that their child may have a vocation to the priesthood," says the document, launched by the Congregation for Catholic Education on June 25.

The guidelines also identify other stumbling blocks to discerning a priestly vocation.

These include the spread of secularism, the marginalisation of the priest in social life "with consequent loss of his relevance in the public square", a lack of appreciation of priestly celibacy (including by some Catholics), the fallout from Church scandals, and the bad example of some priests who exist in a "whirlpool of exaggerated activism" that can "weaken the shine of priestly witness".

The document highlights the fruitfulness of families — which ideally would be an "initial seminary" — schools, parishes and movements rooted in prayer.

Priests are described as "crucial for openly suggesting priestly vocation to boys and young men".

This role of openly suggesting a priestly vocation could also be undertaken by others in the parish and by current seminarians, since "no-one is better suited to evangelise young people than young people themselves".

Among its many recommendations, the guidelines note that numerous priests were "part of the group of altar boys and have served at the altar" before going to seminary. It therefore suggests giving special attention to altar boys when promoting priestly vocations.

The document also calls for diocesan vocation offices to organise a so-called "invisible monastery" where large numbers of people are dedicated to providing non-stop prayer for priestly vocations.

Sources:

Catholic News Agency

Catholic News Service

Image: SS. John & Bernard Parish

Tucked in with announcements about a new electronic donation system and a church dinner at Margarita's Mexican restaurant was news that Zickel, the mother of two girls, had been dreading: Corpus Christi would no longer train girls to be altar servers.

Zickel burst into tears and ran to the bathroom.

"I knew right then that our family couldn't stay at this church anymore," Zickel said, her voice breaking. "I'm a mama bear, and they're going after my girls."

The decision last fall by Corpus Christi's pastor, the Rev. Michael Taylor, and the response of Zickel and about a dozen other families who left the 1,100-family South Riding church reflect ongoing tensions among American Catholics over the role of women. About 50 families from across the country wrote letters of protest to the Arlington Catholic Diocese, and a vigil is scheduled for Sunday outside the diocese's offices.

The subject has played out unusually in the diocese, which was the next-to-last in the country to say, in 2006, that girls were eligible to help priests at the altar. (The diocese in Lincoln, Neb., still has a boys­-only policy.) Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde left the decision up to individual priests. Five years later, about 60 percent of the diocese's 68 parishes across northern and eastern Virginia still allow only altar boys, a diocese spokeswoman said.

Some share Taylor's belief that the positions should be reserved for boys, who may become priests and help ease a major Catholic clergy shortage. Girls who had already trained as altar servers at Corpus Christi were allowed to continue, but they cannot wear the new black, priestlike robes the boys began wearing. People who oppose altar girls see the task as priest-like and note that the church teaches priests must be male because they model Jesus. Read more

• Source: The Washington Post
• Image: Commonweal

The clarification comes after the recent Vatican encouragement to bishops, for them to "be generous" in providing the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

In answer to question whether female altar servers were permitted in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, posed at the time of the new instruction to bishops, Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, said the matter was not specifically addressed in the instruction.

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei has clarified the Vatican's position, saying the instruction for the Tridentine Rite does not allow female altar servers because the norms, as applied in 1962 do not permit them.

Universae Ecclesiae states "the Moto Proprio Summorum Pontificum derogates from those provisions of law, connected with the Sacred Rites, promulgated from 1962 onwards and incompatible with the rubrics of the liturgical books in effect in 1962″.

Permission for female altar servers came with the Circular Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments of 1994. However, the rubrics of the 1962 Missal does not even allow for females on the sanctuary during Mass.

The letters was signed by by Mgr Guido Pozzo, Secretary of Ecclesia Dei

A spokesperson for the Latin Mass Society said the clarification was "significant" and that all bishops should practice in accordance with what has been stated in the letter.

Sources

• Catholic Herald
• CathNews