Organisations
Altar Servers
Altar servers play a big role in the liturgy of the Cathedral. They can be male and female, young and not so young and with varying degrees of experience. The altar servers assist, when required, the Archbishop, bishops and clergy in the celebration of the Mass and other Sacraments in the life of the church. From time-to-time, altar servers will serve at the altar for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and during the annual procession of St Chad’s relics. Servers occupy a central role in the liturgy of the Cathedral and they should endeavour to perform their role with dignity, reverence and understanding. New altar servers are always welcome. Don’t worry if you’ve never served before because training is available.
The Cathedral altar servers are members of the Archconfraternity of the Guild of St Stephen. On the 2nd November 2008 the servers celebrated the centenary of the Guild at the Cathedral. The servers received a Papal blessing from Pope Benedict XV1 in recognition of the dedication of the servers from 1908 to the present day. The objectives of the Guild of St Stephen are:
- To encourage, positively and practically, the highest standards of serving at the Church’s liturgy and so contribute to the whole community’s participation in a more fruitful worship of God.
- To provide altar servers with a greater understanding of what they are doing so that they serve with increasing reverence and prayerfulness and thereby be led to a deepening response to their vocation in life.
- To unite servers of different parishes and dioceses for mutual support and encouragement.
Matthews, E. (1994) St Stephen’s Handbook for Altar Servers. Gracewing. Herefordshire. P.50-51.
For further information about serving in the Cathedral please contact:
Andrew Oldnall (Master of Ceremonies/Senior Server)
Telephone (Home): 0121 440 8623
Mobile: 07733 226063