Where were they?

Because the person assigned to be the Narrator for the Gospel for the 1030 Palm Sunday service at the Immaculate Conception Parish was out sick, I was the designated replacement--being familiar with the text, having done it at the Saturday Four.

It turned out I also had to double as the Altar Server.

I hope that now that CCD is over for this School Year that the 1030 will have four Altar Servers from now until the fall, or two at least.

When I was young I wanted to be an Altar Server, but my Mother wouldn't let me, because my grades were not good enough. I claim I was a late bloomer. But, today's youth are all as bright as shiny new pennies, so that can't be an excuse. So, I have to ask if they are so over-committed that they can't take a few short lessons on being an Altar Server and then maintain a schedule over time? They are supposed to be at Mass anyway. And, as a bonus, they don't have to learn any Church Latin.

One of the things I learned as an fairly young adult was that the laity in a Parish helping to do things is not a closed collection of some pseudo-parish elite. Rather, they are a over-worked and desperate group of people trying to help a busy Parish Priest minister to the congregation. It would be good if the youth of the Parish learned that point early on and did their own volunteering.

Regards  —  Cliff