The Vocation of An Instituted Acolyte: Liturgy, Charity, and Witness

One of the distinct features of the Ordinariate is the extensive use of instituted acolytes. These acolytes form a visible part of its liturgical worship, doing roles that are not often seen in other parishes. While they are not clerics in the formal sense, nonetheless they have a special vocation to which they are called and fill an important role in the Church’s life today.

It will be helpful to provide some background about instituted acolytes, which relates to that of subdeacons and acolytes. The subdiaconate and acolyteship arose as distinct clerical offices during the early Church, probably around the 3^rd century. Subdeacons served as assistants to deacons and helped them fulfill some of their lesser functions.  In time, they took on a particular role in the liturgy to complement that of the priest and deacon. Since the 12^th century, subdeacons were considered the lowest of the major orders in the Latin Church [in other Eastern Churches, the subdeacon is a minor order]. Flowing from this, acolytes were the highest of the minor orders, and historically served in roles like carrying the candles, water, and wine at Mass, in addition to assisting the sacred ministers in a general capacity. Because of this, in many places today altar servers are called “acolytes,” although this is something of a misnomer. In 1972, Pope Paul VI abolished the minor orders in a motu proprio called Ministeria Quaedam. Under that legislation, the major order of subdeacon was abolished but not the ministry, which is now spread between the acolyte and the lector. Under current law, instituted acolytes fill the role of subdeacons at Solemn Masses, and may be called subdeacons subject to episcopal discretion.

When I became a Catholic ten years ago, I had no notion that I would one day be an altar server, let alone an instituted acolyte.  By God’s mysterious providence, I ended up as one of the masters of ceremonies at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Baltimore. Fr. Nathan Davis, then a lay MC, literally plucked me out of the pews and trained me for service at the altar. He and others instructed me with all of the attention to detail necessary for that role, and deepened my knowledge and love of the Mass. In 2017, at the nomination of my pastor, Fr. Albert Scharbach, I went to Houston to be formally instituted as an acolyte for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter along with my fellow MC Sean Metcalf. I remember that weekend fondly. Bishop Steven J. Lopes stated that we are authorized to do the work in his name; this means that we have been instituted with authority, and therefore responsible to and for the law. In his words, this authority is both a calling and a commission.

This commission fills a real need in the Church. People are hungry for truth and beauty in a modern world that offers little of either.  The vocation of an acolyte is more than just serving at the altar; it is helping others encounter God via the sacred. Ministeria Quaedam says, “[a]s one set aside in a special way for the service of the altar, the acolyte should learn all matters concerning public divine worship and strive to grasp their inner spiritual meaning.”

To this point, earlier this year I gave an instruction about the faithful’s postures during Mass, where I focused on the spiritual importance of how we comport ourselves when we worship. I explained why we bow at certain points, when to kneel and stand, and how these things can help us to pray. Moreover, when I train new altar servers, I try to impress upon them the dignity of that role, and the gravity with which they should carry it out.  G.K. Chesterton famously quipped, “anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” I think it’s safe to flip that on its head and say that if anything is worth doing perfectly, it is the Mass! There is an inner life to the liturgy that needs to be brought out, and God speaks to the Church in a special way when the Church worships.  To explain both what happens at Mass and why helps people to enter into the sacred mysteries, and it enables them to participate more fully. This is the true “active participation” intended by the Second Vatican Council that has been so misunderstood in recent decades.

I was instituted as an acolyte for the Ordinariate with roughly thirty others, some of whom have become friends. These men come with a wealth of knowledge, deeply love the Church, and want to bring the Gospel to a wounded culture that cries out to be healed. A couple of them, in addition to their liturgical functions, sing in their choirs and are very involved in parish life. They have given their time, energy, and resources to labor in the vineyard, and go to great lengths to assist the Ordinariate as it grows. It is clear that their work is bearing fruit!

Christ has called us in a special way to serve in this ministry, but its scope must be wider than service at the altar. The vocation of the instituted acolyte is subdeaconing and liturgical formation; it is assisting the priest and singing in the choir; it is the assiduous study of Scripture for the instruction the faithful; it is serving the needy and praying for those in trouble; it is supporting the parish in its operation and doing the mundane behind-the-scenes tasks that keep everything running smoothly. The vocation is all these things and more, because ultimately, the acolyte must respond to Our Lord’s call saying, “yes, Lord, I will serve.” So in the end, the vocation of the instituted acolyte is simply to be a Christian. If we live faithfully as Christians, we will succeed as acolytes. 

An authentic Christian life requires integrity, and integrity means having no double-mindedness about our service, and living lives integrated with the Gospel. We live in a world and a Church where this integration has sadly been all too rare, and so we acolytes must be vigilant that we live an authentic witness as Catholics. The witness which acolytes must bring forward in their office is, as Ministeria Quaedam states, “to be carried out in the liturgy and the practice of charity”. If an acolyte lacks charity, he will fail in his vocation and be the clanging cymbal about which St Paul warned the Corinthians.

In his famous prayer reflecting on his own vocation, St John Henry Newman said, “[God] has committed some work to me that He has not committed to another.” We must recognize that whatever vocation God calls us to, it is special in His eyes, and will give us the grace to do it if we ask. In the Gospel of St Mark we read that our Lord Jesus Christ “went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him” (Mark 3:13).  Christ went up to the mountain- that place that signifies holiness, prayer and union with God- to draw us closer to Himself, to invite us to a unique calling that is the fulfillment of His will. His work is a personal call that requires a personal response. Lest we think that we have been made acolytes because of the good work that we have done, we should remember the words of St Therese of Lisieux, “God calls not those who are worthy, but those whom He chooses.” 

Nothing we’ve done or will do is worthy of the vocation that we have been given, except to respond to God’s grace and ask that we may serve in it faithfully. If we do, we will hear the wonderful words of Our Savior when we step into the threshold of the eternal, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Mt 25:21).
 

Drew Hall is an instituted acolyte for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Baltimore, Md.