Acolyte Installation

This past Sunday, my classmates and I advanced another step closer to ordination as we were installed as acolytes in the College's Immaculate Conception Chapel. It's a pretty big annual event for the whole house, since it's the last formal step prior to diaconate ordination. As such, it was a great day for all of us in the Second Year class and also another hopeful reminder of the aim that we're working toward.

The Most Reverend Thomas Rodi of the Archdiocese of Mobile presided at the Mass and installation. Three of my classmates are from the Mobile diocese, so it was fitting that he was there. It was also quite nice, I must say, to hear a good Southern homily again, and delivered without a text at that. His words were encouraging and affirming and spoke of the relationship that must exist between the doors of the church and the altar. Just as the doors of the church permit us to enter and approach the altar, so too does the altar send us, now renewed by the Eucharist, back through the doors out to the world to renew it as well. All that we do at the altar, he said, must be done with this in mind.

My row and I stand and declare that we are "present" at the beginning of the rite of institution.

What exactly is an acolyte? Some background might be a little helpful here. Until about 40 years ago, acolyte was the second to last of the "minor orders" (coming after porter, lector, and exorcist and before the final one, subdeacon) which were considered the lowest of the ordained states and steps on the way to priesthood. After 1972, however, the minor orders were suppressed and replaced with two "instituted ministries," lector and acolyte. Those who have been instituted lectors and acolytes continue to have a recognized canonical status, but they are no longer considered to be "ordained" in any way and thus are laymen rather than clergy. While the provision allows for any layman to be instituted in these ministries, it's been the practice of nearly every American diocese to formally install as lectors and acolytes only those men preparing for priesthood. There is, at times, some debate about this practice, especially since many dioceses already use lay people as lectors and even occasionally as acolytes, though only temporarily and only for a particular parish, like a deputized extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.

According to Pope Paul VI, acolytes are those who are "set aside in a special way for service to the altar." The duties of the acolyte are basically those of the commonly-known altar server; or, better said, the modern altar server typically performs the duties of the acolyte, namely, assisting the priest and deacon in the celebration of the Mass. Acolytes are specifically charged with handling and purifying the sacred vessels. They can also serve as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and bring the Eucharist to the sick and home-bound, if necessary. Unlike the altar servers or lay Eucharistic ministers often seen in parishes, the abilities of an acolyte to perform these functions are permanent and universal, i.e. able to be done anywhere in the world. And, apparently, before 1983, an acolyte was also given power to bless things, specifically fruits, nuts, and fishing gear. I've no idea why. According to some snarky seminarian humor, "fruits" and "nuts" might be used to describe just about anybody!

Archbishop Rodi says the prayer of the rite as he hands me the paten, symbolic of the sacred vessels.

My classmates and I (front row, far right) with (from l to r) our rector, Archbishop Rodi, and Bishop Aquila of Fargo

As I mentioned, this is just a step toward priesthood, the goal we're striving toward ultimately. I recently came across this link, which I think is inspiring (maybe a little too much, even), and I thought I'd share it with you.