Altar Girls? Yea or Nay?

[Michie]

Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I am often asked my opinion about girl altar servers–yea or nay?

Readers of my blog and of my book Letters on Liturgy and anyone who attends Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, Greenville will know of my preference and opinion–and that is “nay” But why do we have all altar boys?

I am very aware that, in writing about the subject that I am tiptoeing through a minefield. “But the Vatican permits altar girls! Why not?” Then the sentimentalists chip in, “You’re being so mean to little girls!” Or the liturgical modernists: “It’s a lovely thing to welcome all God’s children to the table of fellowship!” or the pragmatists, “The girls can do just as good a job as the boys. Why exclude them when we need more kids to be altar servers?”

So here’s why I say “Nay” to girl altar servers. First there is the traditional argument that serving the altar is often a stepping stone to a priestly vocation and as the priesthood is closed to females, it is appropriate to reserve altar serving to boys. I’m not so convinced by this argument. Maybe. Maybe not. I think a vocation to the priesthood is more complicated.

However, I think there are more profound reasons for reserving the role of altar server to boys, and this leads to a conversation about the wider cultural context.

Continued below.

Altar Girls? Yea or Nay? | Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I am often asked my opinion about girl altar servers--yea or nay? Readers of my blog and of my book Letters on Liturgy and anyone who attends Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, Greenville will know of my preference and opinion--and that is "nay" But why do we have all altar boys? I am very aware...

dwightlongenecker.com

 

[RileyG]

Nay. IMHO.

 

[Matt5]

Interesting article. I agree with the author.

You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. Where ever you draw it there will be those who want to go over it. If you let them go over it then they won't stop.

 

[FaithT]

Nay. IMHO.

I say “nay” too, though we have them. Or did. I assume we still do. And I don’t have a good reason for it except that’s what I’m used to from when I was growing up.

 

[Sunflower39]

Well, I'm really glad to know that female altar servers are permitted in Catholic churches. I’m an altar server in my current Anglican Church and I love it. No plans to become a priest! I’ve been thinking about converting to Catholicism, so it’s good to know that I’d have the opportunity to continue serving if I do.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Boys in my dioceses stopped participating in being altar boys years ago, as they saw girls doing it
and boys generally will not participate in a girl's activity. Look what happened to the "Boy Scouts?"

The bishop of the dioceses asked parish priest to recruit boys so that boys would be seen
on the altar and attract other boys. Also, the girls who did serve often asked why they can't
become priest? Being an altar boy was the path for inspiring males to become priests when
they were old enough. In fact, my wife's parish had Lasalette Priest and they had a high-school
seminary. Two boys from the parish attended and eventually became priest, serving in the missions,

One parish solution was not to use girls or boys at all. Instead, only adults served the altar
during Mass.

 

[RileyG]

Well, I'm really glad to know that female altar servers are permitted in Catholic churches. I’m an altar server in my current Anglican Church and I love it. No plans to become a priest! I’ve been thinking about converting to Catholicism, so it’s good to know that I’d have the opportunity to continue serving if I do.

You are female, correct?

It’s not permitted in all dioceses, though. Only male acolytes and altar servers where I live. Women are allowed to read, though.

 

[FaithT]

Nay. IMHO.

Yay, Nay, I dunno. I have gotten used to altar girls but I think it’s probably best if they were all boys.

 

[RileyG]

Yay, Nay, I dunno. I have gotten used to altar girls but I think it’s probably best if they were all boys.

Agreed.

 

[FaithT]

Agreed.

When I first returned to the RCC (about 18 years ago, before I left awhile for Non Denom and Lutheranism) my church had girl RIBBON DANCERS. They came down the aisles and were dancing with ribbon dancers. Don't know what they are? They are these long decorative sticks with ribbons attached and they’d dance and swirl the ribbons around. I was shocked. Luckily didn’t last long.

 

[Sunflower39]

You are female, correct?

It’s not permitted in all dioceses, though. Only male acolytes and altar servers where I live. Women are allowed to read, though.

Yes, I’m female. In my Anglican Church, it’s mostly adults serving, men and women of all ages. There’s even a woman of 80 doing it.

If I choose to become Catholic, I would want to find a church that allows female altar servers so I can have that option.

 

[RileyG]

When I first returned to the RCC (about 18 years ago, before I left awhile for Non Denom and Lutheranism) my church had girl RIBBON DANCERS. They came down the aisles and were dancing with ribbon dancers. Don't know what they are? They are these long decorative sticks with ribbons attached and they’d dance and swirl the ribbons around. I was shocked. Luckily didn’t last long.

No! I never heard of such a thing. Odd indeed.

 

[RileyG]

Yes, I’m female. In my Anglican Church, it’s mostly adults serving, men and women of all ages. There’s even a woman of 80 doing it.

If I choose to become Catholic, I would want to find a church that allows female altar servers so I can have that option.

Ok! May God bless you on your journey!

Blessings

 

[Michie]

Yes, I’m female. In my Anglican Church, it’s mostly adults serving, men and women of all ages. There’s even a woman of 80 doing it.

If I choose to become Catholic, I would want to find a church that allows female altar servers so I can have that option.

A reader is a good option imo.

 

[Michie]

No! I never heard of such a thing. Odd indeed.

I’ve seen it in the news. Weird.

 

[RileyG]

I’ve seen it in the news. Weird.

You also hear about clown masses and other liturgical abuses. Hopefully, they don’t happen as often now.

 

[mourningdove~]

When I first returned to the RCC (about 18 years ago, before I left awhile for Non Denom and Lutheranism) my church had girl RIBBON DANCERS. They came down the aisles and were dancing with ribbon dancers. Don't know what they are? They are these long decorative sticks with ribbons attached and they’d dance and swirl the ribbons around. I was shocked. Luckily didn’t last long.

Lol ... the church has indeed gone thru some 'peculiar' times!

 

[mourningdove~]

Nay, nay, nay ... to altar girls.

Give the girls something else important to do in the church ...
like, let them sing in the choir ...
or maybe they could help straighten out information in the pews after Mass ...
or they could train to serve one day in the Altar Guild ...
or something like that.

__________________________________________________________

These are precious, and maybe future priests! :

 

[boughtwithaprice]

Just look at the goals of feminism and one can discern its origins. Feminism is part of left wing politics. Ironic that Satanists call themselves ones who follow the left hand path. What are its goals? To destroy that which makes a woman, motherhood

Feminists love abortion, destroys motherhood. Contraception too, prevents motherhood and makes women the plaything of men. Working outside the home abandons the children and deprives them of a mother. Now transgender tell us those that cannot be mothers are women.
Does this sound Godly to you?

The first feminist was Mary Wollstonecraft. She wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which says that a female is a human creature apart from being a mother. That was first wave feminism. She wanted to be equal to men, and motherhood was believed to hold them back.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony were American feminists that wrote the declaration of sentiments which was a women’s version of the Declaration of Independence.

They were spiritists and depended on messages from beyond for some of their beliefs. The “spirit board” they used is still on display in the Smithsonian. Cary Stanton hated Christianity as a man’s religion and wrote a “woman’s Bible” where the serpent is a hero and giver of great wisdom and not the cause of the fall.

Second wave feminism came from the 1960s and free love, but free love was nothing new. It was practiced by first wave feminists Mary Shelley and her husband Percy. The man they most admired was the Marquis de Sade, whom they said was the most free soul that ever lived.

Feminism was built on freedom alright, freedom from men, freedom from children, freedom from government, freedom from the Church, freedom from God. Great plan


Their ideas invaded the Church and still exist today. The Protestants bit first on contraception and Catholics wanted to follow. It took Paul VI to say no, but he suffered great rebellion in the Church

When you look at it, women are to be mothers, and it does not come from God to separate women from motherhood. I do not look down on women that choose to live a consecrated life. They are to be admired as sisters, nor do I disparage infertile women that cannot be mothers. I just point out the deliberate destruction of motherhood by feminism.

Men can never be mothers. Men can try to transition and look like women but they are not real women.
Priests are fathers, and as a man will never be a mother, a woman will never be a father, though some fool themselves into thinking they can be

Girls should not be altar servers as their presence serves no purpose. The altar and the priesthood are for men as they train to be fathers
Even lectors should be limited to men, as the Bible says women should keep silence in the Church

People call me misogynist, but it is feminism that is truly misogynistic as it endeavors to destroy the one thing women can be but men can never, motherhood

If there are no mothers, what is even the difference in men and women? Is it any wonder we have homosexuality and transgenderism in this feminist society?

 

[FaithT]

No! I never heard of such a thing. Odd indeed.

Well, I think they were dancing to hymns or some other Christian music. So there is that.