The ministry of acolytes

This Friday (September 22), 11 men of our diocese preparing for their ministry as Permanent Deacons will become acolytes. It is another step in their formation. However, what does that mean? What will change for them?

The ministry of acolytes is instituted at the very last stage of a man’s priestly formation, right before diaconate and presbyterate. “Acolyte” derives from a Greek term, akolouthos, which means “server,” “companion,” or “follower.”

In the Roman Catholic Church, a person is installed in the ministry of Acolyte to assist the deacon and the priest in liturgical celebrations, especially the Eucharistic Liturgy. Besides the deacon and the priest, the acolyte is the one closest to the altar. To be instituted as an Acolyte, a seminarian or deacon in preparation first has to be a candidate and a lector, which means he has to be at least five years in formation.

The General Instructions of the Roman Missal indicate the duties of an acolyte (no. 178-193). Two of them that are of particular significance are setting up the altar and distributing Holy Communion. In the early Church, St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine spoke of “angels surrounding the altar and helping the priest” when celebrating Holy Mass.

An acolyte prepares the altar on which the Lord becomes the Bread from Heaven. And while seminarians and deacons in preparation already can distribute Communion, after becoming an acolyte, they will be close to the altar during the consecration – a visible sign for the people that they are preparing for the Holy Orders. But unlike a deacon, an acolyte kneels during the entire Eucharistic Prayer, like the congregation and altar servers.

There is a beautiful prayer in the Acolyte Institution, “Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of His Church” – an invitation for the eleven future deacons to be conscious of the vocation that God is calling them to, and to try to correspond as best as they can.

“This is one more step in their Formation process before Ordination in the Fall of 2024,” said Deacon Michael Mantz. “These men and their spouses have worked hard over the last four years. They have been steeped in the academic, spiritual, pastoral and human dimensions of Diaconal Formation,” he added, thanking Bishop Mulvey and the priests of our Diocese for their continued support.

The installation will be at St. Philip the Apostle Parish on 9/22/23 at 6:30 p.m.