Our Lady of Victories and Saint Mary’s at Husbands Bosworth are blessed to have a strong and dedicated team of servers.

Eligibility for boys and girls starts after making their first Holy Communion and progresses through their teenage years to become senior servers (over 18 and with a good level of competence). We are fortunate to have about 20 regular altar servers across all ages.

 

So what we do?

 

Altar servers assist in the preparation of the altar and sanctuary before Mass. We assist the celebrant during the liturgy of the Mass, then help to tidy up after the service has finished. We take an active part throughout the entire service, from the entrance procession of Cross, Acolyte Candles and Book. Throughout the service by assisting the priest when he receives the gifts, washing the hands of the priest before the prayer over the gifts, presenting the wine and water cruets for the consecration, holding the Book when the priest is at his presidential chair and many other actions to make the celebration of the Mass go as smoothly as possible. We also look out for those little unplanned incidents and through calm but positive action make corrections that hopefully go unnoticed by the congregation.

 

Servers have many additional duties as required by the celebrant and many additional tasks during the Easter and Christmas services. They can be called upon to assist at Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals, and on other special occasions.

 

We have an ongoing programme of enrolment into the Altar Servers’ Guild, the full title of which is The Archconfraternity of the Guild of Saint Stephen. Enrolled servers are entitled to wear the guild medal, bronze for new enrolled members, silver for achieving ten years service and gold for fifty years…. and yes, we have one of these amongst our number.  No names though, eh Phil!

 

At Our Lady of Victories and St. Mary’s the altar servers wear an alb with a red cincture.

 

Our altar servers assist at Our Lady of Victories in Market Harborough, Saint Mary’s in Husband Bosworth and we even have one senior altar server who is security cleared to serve at Gartree prison.

 

ALTAR SERVERS