Altar servers love to serve at St. Helena’s

 

Rebecca Esparza | for STC
 

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Four of Simon and Christina Purnell’s five children have been or are currently altar servers. For the Purnell family, it’s about giving back and serving the Catholic community they hold dear to their hearts.

“We think it’s important they honor and serve God. There’s nothing that makes a parent’s heart more joyful than seeing your children love God with such reverence,” Christina Purnell said.

Their two youngest children, Kolbe, 14, and Christopher, 13, are altar servers at St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Parish. Both teenagers have been serving since their first Communion.

For Kolbe, his love of the holy Eucharist lights a fire inside of him that keeps him coming back year after year. Christopher enjoys listening intently to the Gospel readings because he believes his attention is sharpest when he is on the altar serving.

The brothers have also become adept at training new altar servers, as well.

“In the beginning, you show them how to set up the altar, then you let them hold the patens during communion, show them when to ring the bells and wash Father’s hands. You slowly let them do a little more over time,” explained Kolbe Purnell.

Kolbe has aspirations of becoming a lawyer someday, while Christopher has his sights set on becoming an orthodontist.

“Being a server helps you grow in your faith. It’s a good way to help your church, too,” Kolbe added.

“Altar servers provide a true service for the Church,” said Father Richard Libby, pastor at St. Helena. “Having altar servers means a priest can concentrate more on preaching the Gospel and offering the holy Sacrifice. We don’t have to worry about placement of the chalice or books, thanks to our altar servers.”

Michael Fergie, a sophomore at Incarnate Word Academy, has been an altar server at St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus since he was in second grade. Rebecca Esparza | for STC

Father Libby said his current roster of 15 altar servers at St. Helena have a devotion to the Mass and love for the Eucharist.

“They are not there to look good, but are there to help the Mass look good. That requires humility and discipline, which all of our altar servers possess,” Father Libby said.

Michael Fergie, a 10th grader at Incarnate Word Academy, has been an altar server at St. Helena since second grade. He prefers to take a more active role in the Mass versus sitting in the pews as a passive participant.

“I always encourage my friends to give serving a try. Becoming an altar server doesn’t mean you’ll become a priest. It’s a great way to show your love to God and help others out,” he said. Fergie, who is also an altar server at IWA, wants to either become an engineer or pursue a field in technology.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for children to learn more about the Mass,” Christina Purnell said. “I’ve always believed in sitting up close to the altar, especially when my kids were little, because if kids can’t see what’s going on, they are not as interested. Once my kids started as altar servers, I could see them become closer to God. I think it’s important for children to learn they have a role to play at church.”

Potential altar servers must complete the sacrament of holy Communion. At St. Helena, registration forms to become an Altar Server can be found online: sthelenacc.com/altar-servers. 

To view the stories and photos from the Altar Server Award Ceremony go to southtexascatholic.com/news/2019altarservers.