Girl Altar Servers

Girl Altar Servers Question from on 05-30-2007:

Dear Father Levis, My 10 year old daughter would like to become an altar server. In the past I have always discouraged her by telling her that altar serving should be reserved to boys because it helps promote vocations to the priesthood. However, at the parish where I attend mass we have only two children that serve on a regular basis, one boy and one girl. There are quite a few Sunday Masses where there are no servers. Even in our homeschool group it is very difficult to get boys to serve at our First Friday Masses (girls do not serve in our homeschool group) or at special masses like our Graduation Mass for our high school students. It is very difficult to explain to my daughter why she cannot help fill this void when none of the boys are willing to serve. What would you advise? Is it all right for her to serve when there are no boys available or willing to serve?

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 06-01-2007:

Dear Lynn, Your post is so sound, many thanks! However, I still suggest you counsel your beautiful daughters not to serve at the altar. The very absence of servers (since the boys are not willing) proclaims to all in the parish the jejune situation of the Liturgy in the parish. That is a bare and bold truth. Other things seem more important to potential servers than this august privilege. Their absence from the altar steps is like a sad hymn at a funeral. YOur daughters surely would immediately solve one of the pastor's problems, but it is no more than a quick fix. Let the parish experience the need and want of priests. Server-less masses will display this need which is dramatic, pathetic, immediate. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis