The Acolyte Ministry: Honored to Faithfully Serve God at the Altar

We are all called to live lives of stewardship. God blesses each and every one of us with gifts and talents that we have the honor of using to serve Him and our parish communities. One such opportunity to serve God for our male lay ministers is the honor of becoming an acolyte.

An acolyte is a lay minister who is installed by the bishop to assist the priest and deacon in liturgical celebrations. One of the most common honors for an acolyte is to help serve during the celebration of the Most Holy Mass.

Wayne Sulak is an acolyte here at St. Vincent de Paul. He has been an acolyte long enough that he can’t remember how long it has been, and he is very familiar with the honor of serving at the altar during Mass.

“Any time you serve at the altar, you are placing yourself that much closer to the Eucharist,” Wayne says. “When you receive the Eucharist, you are receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Whenever you assist at the altar, you are honored to be able to assist the priest and deacon.”

An acolyte performs many duties during the Mass. Typically, an acolyte will carry the cross during the entrance and exit processions. They hold the book for the priest and assist the deacon in setting up the altar prior to the presentation of gifts. An acolyte will also act as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion during Mass, and after Communion, they assist the priest and deacon in purifying the sacred vessels.

Some of these duties may be carried out by other lay ministers, such as altar servers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, if an acolyte is not present. However, the ability to help purify the sacred vessels is a unique responsibility of an acolyte that other lay ministers cannot perform.

“Being an acolyte allows you to be more implicitly aware of every detail of the Mass,” Wayne says. “Any time you serve at the altar during Mass, you are more aware of the details and this helps you to grow spiritually.”

To become an acolyte and to have the honor of assisting the priest and deacon, you must be a confirmed male Catholic. You must also be dedicated to attending Mass and partaking in the sacraments regularly. Here at St. Vincent de Paul, acolytes are trained by Deacon Bruce before becoming installed by the bishop.

If you are interested in learning more about the Acolyte Ministry, please email Wayne Sulak at acolytes@svdpcc.org.

Acolyte Bill Hoelscher assists with the Presentation of the Gifts during Mass.

Acolyte Jerry Walton serves as an EMHC.

Acolyte Wayne Sulak carries the cross during the exit procession.