Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Armchair Liturgist: Seating Altar Servers
Reviving a popular CS feature, let's get your comments on where altar servers could and should sit during the celebration of Mass. Edward McNamara of Zenit's Liturgy column states this week:
The text of the GIRM quoted in the previous column clarified that only the deacon's chair, or that of eventual concelebrants, may be placed near the presidential chair. The earlier custom of placing the acolytes on either side of the priest should therefore be discontinued and another suitable place be found for seating the servers from where they can exercise their ministry. Churches that have installed fixed seats or benches beside the priest's chair might have to continue the previous custom for lack of viable alternatives. In such cases the norm might sometimes be fulfilled by leaving a suitable space on either side between the servers and the priest celebrant.Bishop DiMarzio of Camden seems to enjoy company, as he sits between concelebrants and in front of servers. I have to admit I scanned through about 500 images on Google before I started getting weird stuff, and this pic was the only one I saw of servers actually sitting. Maybe altar servers should be eternally in action at Mass. Sure beats inaction. So ... what do you do in your parish, and what would you do if you were sitting in the big purple chair?
