Natural-born acolyte
It was a pleasure to watch Geoffrey serve as acolyte yesterday. Well-trained or natural-born, he had it all down just perfect. For example he came out of the Sacristy at the right speed, not too slow but reverently, to light the candles. Mary Ellen would have been really happy to see how he minimized the time the taper was over the altar linens, for all it required a lot of extra motion (done most gracefully) on his part.
I chuckled inwardly when, after the procession out, he ran forward (outside) to get in the Sacristy in time to extinguish the candles. But then it wasn't all that long ago that I started noting how many verses there were in the recessional hymn so I would have some idea of how pressed for time I would be.
It's my humble opinion we need a single standard for practice (which, ahem, includes having the Sacristy lights off during the service -- it might just be me, but the light leaking past the pocket doors is slightly distracting). I've thought about assembling an acolyte/lay-reader manual for St. Bartholomew's, but never got started with so much as a draft for discussion.
posted by Continuing Home @ 4:54 PM
1 Comments:
At 6:11 PM,
The Miller Menagerie said…
The American Church Union has an Acolyte Manual. We have it somewhere; Drew likes it well enough, but there is always parish-level customization that is necessary.
My biggest pet peeve (and one I subliminally whisper in Drew's ears while he sleeps) are the wearing of non-dark shoes (dark brown, cordovan, black, etc.-dress style). Had I tried to strut up to the altar in white shoes (whether or not it was after Memorial Day, or sneakers, too, for that matter!), my childhood priest would have promptly instructed my father to drive me home, and pick up my appropriate shoes. He knew how to handle children (and their parents) adeptly, such that the lesson was thoroughly absorbed. Being a parochial school's headmaster for 40 years of your priesthood will give you that ability.
With the priest and acolyte master transition firmly behind us, we can now focus on the details. Yay!
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