Showing posts with label altar servers. Show all posts

Monday, August 25, 2025

Pope Leo XIV upholds young people in meeting with Altar Servers

Pope

Pope: Altar servers help lead faithful into sacred Mystery of Mass

Meeting with altar servers from France, Pope Leo XIV laments the country’s lack of priests and upholds the ministry of young people at the altar, saying the dignity of their service helps lead people into the sacred greatness of the Mystery.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV met with around 360 altar servers from France on Monday, as they made a pilgrimage to Rome with their priests and bishops as part of the Jubilee Year.

In his address, the Pope said their pilgrimage through the Holy Doors offers them a chance to turn toward God and grow in faith and love so that they may be more faithful disciples of Christ.

He invited the young French Catholics to take time to speak to Jesus in the secrecy of their hearts and to love Him more.

“He desires nothing more than to be part of your life, to illumine it from within, to become your best and most faithful friend,” he said. “Life becomes beautiful and joyful with Jesus.”

Pope Leo recalled that hope is the focus of the Jubilee, noting that the world’s many problems reminds Christians of our need for the theological virtue of hope.

In the midst of global issues, as well as personal pain due to loss or worry, the Pope invited the young people to look to Jesus, who has the power to save us and is always near because He loves us.

“There is certain proof that Jesus loves us and saves us: He gave His life for us by offering it on the cross,” he said. “In fact, there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for those one loves.”

Hope, he added, will always accompany us throughout life and will serve as an anchor in the storms and difficulties that are sure to arise.

Pope Leo blesses the French altar servers (@Vatican Media)

The most wonderful thing about the Catholic faith, said Pope Leo XIV, is that God Himself “willed to suffer and die for the creatures we are. God loved us to the point of dying for us!”

Humanity, he said, has nothing to fear from God, who loves us so much that He continuously offers His imperishable life to us.

Pope Leo recalled that the Church hands down the memory of Jesus’ sacrifice to save us through the Eucharist and daily celebration of Mass, which altar servers assist the priest in celebrating.

“Dear Altar Servers, the celebration of the Mass saves us today!” he said. “It saves the world today! It is the most important event in the life of the Christian and in the life of the Church, for it is the encounter where God gives Himself to us in love, again and again.”

Christians, added the Pope, do not attend Mass out of obligation but out of love and our own need for the life of God.

Pope Leo XIV then thanked the French altar servers for their generous service to their parishes and urged them to always “keep in mind the greatness and holiness of what is being celebrated.”

“May your attitude, your silence, the dignity of your service, the liturgical beauty, the order and majesty of your gestures, lead the faithful into the sacred greatness of the Mystery,” he said.

The Pope also invited young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, saying that “the lack of priests in France is a great misfortune” for France and for the Church.

In conclusion, Pope Leo said the altar servers can bear witness to the pride and joy that comes from serving at Mass, inviting them to persevere in offering a sign of hope to the world.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Pope Francis meets and encourages Altar Servers

POPE

Pope to altar servers: ‘Share Jesus with others’

Pope Francis encourages participants in the International Pilgrimage of Altar Servers to share Jesus’ Eucharistic love with those in need.

By Lisa Zengarini

In his address to nearly 50,000 altar servers gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis highlighted the deep meaning of the motto chosen for the international event: “With you” (Isa 41:10).

This expression, he noted, “encapsulates the mystery of love”, which is the “mystery of our lives.”

The altar servers had gathered in the square with the Pope as part of their weeklong pilgrimage to Rome, now in its second day.

Being with God

The Pope remarked that in the liturgy they serve, these two words refer first of all to God who, in the Eucharist, “becomes a real and concrete presence in the Body and Blood of Christ.”

“Your experience of serving the liturgy reminds me that the first subject, the agent of this ‘with you’, is God.”

“When we receive Holy Communion,” Pope Francis explained, “we experience that Jesus is ‘with us’ both spiritually and physically,” not in words, but with that “act of love, which is the Eucharist.”

Because Jesus is with us, we can truly be with Him

In Communion, the Pope continued, altar servers too “can say to the Lord Jesus, ‘I am with you’”, not in words, “but with your heart and your body, with your love.”

By ministering with an attentive mind, heart and body, “the mystery of God who is with you gives you the ability to be with others in a new way” thus carrying out “His commandment to ‘love one another as I have loved you’,” he said.

“The ‘with you’ of Jesus, thanks to His love, becomes my, your, our ‘with you’ that we can share with others.”

Being close to our neighbours

Being with Jesus, therefore, implies also being close to our neighbours, “not in words, but in deeds, with gestures, with your heart”, even to “those we might not like”, who are different from us; to foreigners; to those “whom we feel do not understand us”; who never come to church; and who say they do not believe in God.

Concluding, Pope Francis, thanked the organisers for choosing such meaningful motto, and the pilgrims for coming to Rome “to share the joy of belonging to Jesus, of being servants of his love, servants of His wounded heart that heals our wounds, that saves us from death, and that gives us eternal life.”

Cardinal Hollerich's introduction

The audience was introduced Cardinal Jean Claude Hollerich who is accompanying the pilgrims throughout the week.

The Archbishop of Luxembourg noted that the motto “With you” is an invitation to be “true friends of all men with the help of Christ”. However, he remarked, we are true friends only when we extend our hands to serve and help those in need: “the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, the homeless, the unemployed, the refugees or those without a country.”

The celebration

The Pope’s greeting was followed by a liturgy of the Word with six prayer intentions of the faithful introduced by Cardinal Hollerich in German, French, Hungarian, and Portuguese in which participants also prayed for peace in the world. At the end of the celebration Pope Francis greeted each of the bishops accompanying the altar servers and then toured St. Peter's Square to greet the young pilgrims.

Friday, August 26, 2022

Pope Francis meeting with French altar servers is message for all who assist at the Mass

POPE

Pope to French altar servers: 'Be proud of your work'

Addressing over 1,000 altar servers from France who are on pilgrimage in Rome, Pope Francis says they are a model for many young people of their age, and reminds them that their mission does not end at Mass.

By Lisa Zengarini

“It is an honor to serve Jesus when He gives His life for us in the Eucharist”, but "serving the Mass requires a follow-up."

Pope Francis underscored this point on Friday as he addressed a pilgrimage of some 1,200 young altars servers from France gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican.

A model for other young people

Reflecting on the theme chosen for the pilgrimage, led by Archbishop de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims – ‘Come, Serve and Go!’ – the Pope said they should be “proud” of what they do, because through their participation in the liturgy, they “offer everyone a concrete witness of the Gospel” and “can be a model” for many young people of their age.

“Your attitude during the celebrations is in itself an apostolate for those who see you. If you carry out your service at the altar with joy, dignity, and with an attitude of prayer, you will certainly inspire in other young people the desire to commit themselves to the Church as well.”

Serving Jesus in the people around us

At the same time, Pope Francis remarked that their mission does not end at Mass, but continues in serving their neighbours in need.

“After serving Jesus at Mass, He sends you to serve Him in the people you meet every day, especially if they are poor and disadvantaged, because He is particularly united with them,” said the Pope.

He therefore urged them to reach out in particular to their peers living in difficult neighbourhoods, or who face great suffering and even addictions, and to young migrants and refugees.

“Many people your age need someone to tell them that Jesus knows them, that He loves them, that He forgives them, that He shares their problems, that He gazes at them with tenderness without judging. With your courage, your enthusiasm, your spontaneity, you can reach out to them.”

Prefer “real friendships” to “virtual ones”

Insisting on the importance of “closeness”, Pope Francis further called on the French altar servers not to fall into the temptation of selfishness, of withdrawing into themselves, in small groups, and in virtual social networks.

He said they should prefer “real friendships” to “virtual ones”, which are “illusory”, imprison them and separate them from reality.

Cherishing relationships with grandparents

Pope Francis went on to encourage the young pilgrims to cherish their relationships with their grandparents, reiterating once again that the elderly are a “necessary resource” for young people’s human maturity and for their faith.

“Search for your roots, learn to know and love your culture, your history, so as to enter into dialogue with those who are different from you, strong of who you while respecting who others are.”

Dream big

At the same time, Pope Francis encouraged the French altar servers to “dream big” and to cultivate their aspirations, including that of becoming a priest or entering a religious order.

"Never give up on your dreams; never bury a vocation definitively," he said.

Entrust yourselves to Mary

Finally, before imparting his blessing, Pope Francis urged the young pilgrims to entrust themselves to the Lord through the Virgin Mary who made “herself a servant with her generous, fruitful and joyful ‘yes’."

“On your paths, in your moments of difficulty and loneliness, do not forget to entrust yourself to her,” he concluded.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Pope Francis greets thousands of Altar Servers at St. Peter's Square

Vatican Media Screenshot

Pope Francis Welcomes 70,000 Altar Servers to St. Peter’s Square

12th International Pilgrimage of Altar Boys and Girls

July 31, 2018 18:55Jim FairEducation and Youth

Pope Francis tends to draw a positive reaction from young people and the July 31, 2018, crowd in St. Peter’s Square was no exception. It was a joyful and sometimes noisy group of some 70,000 youth age 13-23, visiting from 19 nations.

They came to Rome for the 12^th International Pilgrimage of Altar Boys and Girls, running from July 28 – August 4. The event is sponsored by Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium (C.I.M.).

C.I.M. is an international association for altar boys and girls C.I.M. that unites diocesan and national referents for this pastoral task in the Roman-Catholic Church.

The most important activity of C.I.M. is the organization of the international pilgrimage of altar boys and girls that takes place every four or five years in Rome. In such occasions, there is the possibility to meet altar boys and girls coming from all over the world.

Pope Francis welcomed the young people and said he admired them for coming despite the hot weather (it was in the 90s F).

“I am happy to see you in such great numbers here in Saint Peter’s Square, adorned with your colorful banners,” the Holy Father said. “Thank you very much for giving me the emblems of your pilgrimage!

“I am a pilgrim with you. You have come from many countries throughout the world, yet all of us are united by our faith in Jesus Christ. We are journeying together with him who is our peace. I thank your President, Bishop Nemet, for his kind greeting on your behalf. And now, I give the word to you, for a moment of conversation.”

The Pope then had a question-answer session with the altar servers, responding to questions submitted in different languages from different countries.

Following is the Vatican-Provided Translation of the Q/A Session:

From Luxembourg
Saint-Père, en tant que servants d’autel et aussi comme croyants, nous nous donnons la paix par le signe de la paix durant la Sainte Messe. Comment pouvons-nous contribuer à faire sortir cette paix également hors des murs de nos églises et être des bâtisseurs de paix dans nos familles, dans nos pays et dans le monde?

Holy Father
Thank you! You put it very well: peace and Holy Mass go together. Just before the sign of peace, we ask the Lord to grant peace and unity to the Church community. Peace is his gift; it transforms us, so that, as members of Jesus’ body, we can share in his sentiments, think as he thinks, and love as he loves. At the end of Mass, we are sent forth with the words: “Go in peace”. Concrete commitment to peace is proof of the fact that we are truly Christ’s disciples. Making peace begins with little things. For example, at home after a quarrel, do I go off by myself and act hurt, or do I make an effort to go back and reach out? Am I willing to ask myself in every situation: “What would Jesus do in my place?” If we can do this, if we really put it into practice, we will bring Christ’s peace to our everyday lives. Then we will be peacemakers and channels of God’s peace.

From Portugal
Santo Padre, somos acólitos. Servimos o Senhor junto do altar e contemplamo-Lo na Eucaristia. Como poderemos viver a contemplação espiritual a exemplo de Maria e o serviço prático a exemplo de Marta, procurando reconhecer concretamente, na nossa vida, aquilo que Jesus quer de nós?

Holy Father
In a real way, as altar servers, you share in the experience of Martha and Mary. It would be wonderful if, alongside your service to the liturgy, you could become more involved in the life of your parish and also spend some time in silence in the Lord’s presence. In this interplay of action and contemplation, we come to realize God’s plan for us. We see the talents and interests God has given us and how best to develop them. Even more importantly, we place ourselves humbly before God, just as we are, with our good qualities and our limitations, and ask him how we can best serve him and our neighbor. Don’t be afraid to ask for a word of helpful advice when you are wondering how to serve God and all those people throughout the world who need our help. Remember: the more you give yourself to others, the more you will get back in personal fulfillment and true happiness!

From Antigua and Barbuda
Holy Father, as altar servers it makes us sad to see how few of our own age group come to Mass or take part in the life of our parishes. In some countries, for a variety of reasons, the Church is rapidly losing many young people. How can we, and our communities, reach out to these people and bring them back to Christ and to the family of the Church?

Holy Father
Even now, as young people, you can be apostles, capable of drawing others to Jesus. This will happen if you are full of enthusiasm for him, if you have encountered him if you have come to know him personally, and been yourselves “won over” by him. So here is what I would I say. Try to know and love the Lord Jesus more and more, encountering him in prayer, at Mass, in the reading of the Gospel, in the faces of the lowly and the poor. Try also to be friends, with no strings attached, to all those around you, so that a ray of Jesus’ light can shine on them through your own heart in love with him. There is no need for lots of words; more important are your actions, your closeness, your desire to serve. Young people – and everyone else for that matter – need friends who can give a good example, who are ready to act without expecting anything in return. In this way, you will also help others to see how beautiful is the community of believers because the Lord dwells in its midst. And to see how beautiful it is to be part of the family of the Church.

From Germany
Heiliger Vater, viele Menschen sagen, sie brauchen Gott, Religion und Kirche nicht in ihrem Leben. Warum sollte man sich gerade für den katholischen Glauben entscheiden, was ist das wichtigste dabei? Und warum ist der Glaube für Sie so wichtig?

Holy Father
Faith is essential; it gives me life. I would say that faith is like the air we breathe. We don’t think, with every breath we take, how necessary air is, but when it isn’t there, or it isn’t clean, we realize right away how important it is! Faith helps us to grasp the meaning of life: that there is Someone who loves us infinitely and that Someone is God. We can recognize God as our Creator and our Saviour; we can love God and accept that our life is his gift. God wants to enter into a living relationship with us. He wants to build relationships, and we are called to do the same. A person cannot believe in God and then think that he or she is an only child! All of us are children of God. We are called to make up God’s family, the Church, the community of brothers and sisters in Christ. As Saint Paul says (Eph 2:19), we are “members of the household of God”. And in this family of the Church, the Lord nourishes his sons and daughters with his word and with his sacraments.

From Serbia
Szentatya, a mi ministránsi szolgálatunk szép, nagyon szeretjük. Szolgálni akarjuk az Urat és felebarátunkat. De jót tenni nem mindig könnyű, nem vagyunk még szentek. Hogyan fordíthatnánk át szolgálatunkat a mindennapi életben a szeretet konkrét tetteire az életszentség felé vezető úton?

Holy Father
Yes, it does take effort to keep doing good and to become saints… I see that you servers are committed to taking this path. The Lord Jesus gave us a simple plan for advancing in the way of holiness: the commandment of love of God and of neighbor. Let us make an effort to deepen our friendship with God, to be grateful for his love and to want to serve him in all things. In this way, we cannot help but share the gift of his love with others. To make the commandment of love all the more concrete, Jesus gave us the works of mercy. They are demanding yet within the reach of all. We have only to start asking ourselves: “What can I do today to meet the needs of my neighbor?” It makes no difference whether it is a friend or a stranger, a countryman or a foreigner. Believe me, by doing this, you can become real saints, men, and woman who transform the world by living the love of Christ.

Thank you for this conversation!

abitadeacon