Altar Serving at Our Lady Help of Christians
Our Lady Help of Christians has a strong serving team of young people and adult - we are truly blessed. We want to encourage more Adults to serve, particularly at the Sunday Evening Mass.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated by our Parish Priest and Pastor, Fr Brendan; and served well by the Youth Server Team (YST) at the Sunday Morning Masses, and the Adult Server Team (AST) at the Sunday Evening Mass.
Our approach to recruiting to the serving teams is inclusive, and our aim is for the serving teams to be representive of the diverse communities that we serve.
If you are interested in serving, then please read the Purpose of the Role, Responsibilities and Person Specification; and complete the Expression of Interest Form (below), as Stage 0 of the process. You will then be invited to discuss with the Adult Server Team Leader.
If you would like to know more about the process then please contact the Adult Server Team Leader, Robert Simpson, by email:
rob.simpson@olhc.uk.
Altar Server Requirements
Purpose of Role:
To assist the Priest with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and other liturgical (eg Eucharistic Adoration), or administrative duties, as required.
Main Responsibilities:
- To work with servers and others to ensure that the Priest and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are properly supported
- To work with servers and others to prepare the Sanctuary for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to assist at the liturgy, as required
- To ensure appropriate prayers are said before and after Mass
- To encourage new servers and provide appropriate training
- To ensure that the ministry of the servers are conducted in accordance with Diocesan Safeguarding Procedures
- To attend Safeguarding Training when advised
- Ensuring Health and Safety issues are brought to the Adult Server Team Leader
- To monitor practice and suggest changes, where necessary, to enhance both the quality of the liturgy and the safety of the children.
Person Specification:
- An understanding of the purpose and forms of the Church’s liturgy and openness to the diversity possible within the liturgy
- A commitment to the essential teachings of the Catholic Church and to the ethos of the Parish
- A knowledge and understanding of the format, rubrics, and meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
- A knowlegde and understanding of the Eucharist, the Creed, the Gloria, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be
- A willingness to learn and to develop in line with any changes as may be directed by the Church
- The ability to relate with respect and ease to people of all ages, races, ability, orientation, gender, and backgrounds, within the community
- Adult Altar Servers must be over the age of 18
- Adult Altar Servers must hold a current Enhanced DBS Disclosure Certificate or consent for an Enhanced DBS Check to be undertaken.
Safeguarding Requirements
The Adult Altar Server role is voluntary but still subject to safeguarding protocols. If you would like to know more about the safeguarding requirements then please read
Adult Altar Server Safeguarding.
Expression of Interest
If you would like to explore the opportunity to serve then please complete the
Expression of Interest Form.
More Information
Reasons to Serve.
Living Faith.
Existing Altar Servers
Mass and Music Information.
