Hi all,
Me and my sisters are writing a poem for my dads 60th, we are stuck on one verse about him being an altar boy, having googled all descriptions are a bit deep, so can anyone please tell us in laymans terms what an altar boys does many many thanks in advance,
PD
Edit: sorry for wrong forum some how posted while reading back through
sooooo many jokes that can be made.....and yet for once I shall behave myself 😯
My father was an altar boy
But it left him rather bitter
The Priest, whilst kind
Sneaked up behind
And ......
There you go, you'll need to finish it off yourself.
No need to thank me 🙂
Wasn't there a priest who was defrocked for catching the altar boys behind the organ? Oh no, that was the choir boys.
The altar boy has to set up, light the candles then assist through the communion mumbo-jumbo, serving up the wine and water and tidying up afterwards. He is also known as an accolyte. Does that help?
[i]*embarrassing personal memoirs*[/i] I was brought up a strict left-footer and used to be forced to serve on the altar when mad Father Carter said mass in the village hall (he had been in a concentration camp in Japan so was a bit unstable and the side of his face bled permanently). The regular altar boys were from an even more devout family down the road called Merrow-Smith but when they went on holiday to Lourdes or wherever I had to do the job. That meant getting a key, going down early on my rod-braked Raleigh (I was a singlespeeder several decades before you lot)and unlocking the cupboard containing all the vestments and gold and silver chalices. You wouldn't dare leave them in a village hall nowadays. One day I dropped the chalice, which was probably priceless and put a big dent in it. Luckily I wasn't there when Fr. Carter spotted the dent. One Sunday I was trogging back and forth doing my duties behind the altar when Fr. Carter genuflected (knelt down) and I tripped over his legs and fell flat on my face in front of the entire congregation. I can still see my elder sister almost wetting herself with laughter in the front row. She's gone to heaven now so the incident is mostly forgotten until now. Oh well.
Thanks Sweepy, you did that for me 🙂
APF
just generally helps during mass.
Normally light the candles before hand.
Bring the host and wine up to the altar for the priest to bless.
rings the gong during the concercration.
Just general moving bits and bobs round the altar really