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Feeling closer to God by serving at the altar
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September 27, 2023Scores of altar servers from parishes around the Diocese filled the foremost pews of Corpus Christi Cathedral Sunday afternoon for the annual Altar Server Award Ceremony. Each server was presented with a large Apostolic Cross, hung around their neck by Bishop Mulvey, as they were called up to the altar, one by one. Excited parents and family members crowded the rest of the Cathedral to witness the recognition of the young people who have chosen to serve, with their experience ranging from just a year up to 10 years. Bishop Mulvey gave a talk to begin the ceremony, focusing on preparing oneself properly for Mass by getting familiar with the day’s readings. “God’s word not only makes us good people,” said the bishop. “It makes us free. We must have it in our hearts and live it.” We are called to share the Gospel in “how we carry ourselves.” Bishop wished to remind the young people that God’s way is not our way, and the Gospel helps us to unite our lives with Him.
Jonathan Garza of Immaculate Conception, Gregory, was awarded for serving 10 out of the 17 years of his life. For him, serving at the altar means “being able to help God while being able to be a symbol for the younger kids and being involved in the Church.” His advice to new servers is to be mindful that each priest you serve under has a different personality, and that is what makes them great to learn from. He said new servers should lean on the help of those with more experience and look to God for guidance.
Zoey Hernandez, 15, has been serving at Christ the King in Corpus Christi for three years. She enjoys being able to help her priest. Maximo Gamboa, 14, from St. John Nepomucene, has served for seven years. “I like to serve God,” he said. Watching other servers when he was young was what inspired him to start. His proud grandmother noted that Maximo had received the same recognition as his father before him. “He’s following in his father’s footsteps,” she beamed.
Good friends Timothy Sena, 15, and Dominic Nye, 14, have primarily served at St. John the Baptist in Corpus Christi for three years. When asked what he enjoyed about serving, Timothy quipped, “You get special graces from it. My friends do it. I enjoy it. You learn to be reverent.” Dominic, who sometimes serves at St. Helena’s, said, “I learned about reverence, too.” He believes that serving has allowed him to feel closer to God and become very familiar with the different parts and order of the Mass. A practical lesson he’s learning is how to help other servers become better at assisting the priest. He says, “You learn how to ask something without being rude. We’re all working to help the priest.”
Photos by: Adel Sauceda | STC
