By Elizabeth Landry
Staff writer
During the weekend of Nov. 8 and 9, parishes throughout the Diocese of Syracuse honored approximately 700 youth altar servers who regularly contribute to the beauty of the Liturgy of the Mass. Recognized locally by their pastors in 66 total parishes, each altar server received a commemorative altar server pin and prayer card featuring St. Carlo Acutis, signifying personal recognition from Bishop Douglas J. Lucia for his or her service at the altar. Of the 66 parishes that participated, 20% were participating in the diocesan altar server celebration for the first time.
On Nov 9 at the Church of the Annunciation in Clark Mills, Father Matt Rawson, pastor, recognized Sean, Juliana (not pictured), Alfred, Wyatt, and Max for their years of dedicated service as altar servers while also inviting more young people to consider the ministry.
When speaking about how important youth altar servers are to their parishes and to the Church at large, Father Jason Hage has often pointed to the link between youth altar serving and following a call to religious life.
“When I did the study with Georgetown University a couple years ago, we discovered that 70% of vocations in the Church the last few years — those who are becoming priests and those who took solemn profession as religious sisters — 70% of those young people served as altar servers in their parishes,” explained Fr. Hage, director of the Office of Vocation Promotion.
Father Joseph Scardella, pastor at Church of the Holy Trinity, Fulton and St. Stephen, Phoenix, is one such priest who was an altar server in his youth. Although Holy Trinity Parish currently has only one youth altar server in addition to a few adult altar servers, Fr. Scardella shared a personal story that has stuck with him through the years. It demonstrates the importance of altar serving.
“When I was an altar boy, back in the ‘60s, we had a priest here [at Holy Trinity]. We would come very early for Mass, and we would sit in the sacristy, and he would always hand us a Rosary, and he’d say, ‘Now, pray the Rosary before Mass.’ And he said, ‘Now, remember that I’m not going to be here forever. One of you has to take my place someday.’ So, it was very encouraging. From this parish in Fulton, we’ve had seven vocations for the priesthood. And I think that a lot of it starts when they’re altar servers, that inkling about being called to priesthood. So, I think it’s very important … I’m actually in the parish that I served as an altar boy. I’m back in my home parish,” said Fr. Scardella.
Noting the busy schedules of young people, Fr. Scardella said his parish does reach out to the students in faith formation classes, calling for altar servers, but not many respond. Gary Krajacic, faith formation director at St. Matthew in East Syracuse, St. Mary of the Assumption in Minoa, and St. Francis of Assisi in Bridgeport, expressed similar challenges. In October, Krajacic sent two Flocknote messages out to the parishes, expressly calling on young people to become altar servers and highlighting the importance of the role.
“We have a handful of kids that altar serve periodically. … Attending Mass every Sunday, it’s obvious that we could use more altar servers,” Krajacic said. “[Altar serving] is such an important role. I don’t think people realize how important the altar server is to the Mass. They’re needed because that position is important, and they help the priest with the serving of the people. I wish people would realize how significant that role is.”
