What do you think?
Rate this book
Ceremonies Explained for Servers: A Manual for Altar Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, and Masters of Ceremonies
Ceremonies Explained for Servers may well be called the "mother of all servers' manuals". This is the most detailed guide available for servers and those who train and supervise them at the altar.
In accessible language, Ceremonies covers the roles of servers in a wide range of Catholic liturgical celebrations. These are described in full, such as: the Mass in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms, the seven sacraments, the ceremonies of Holy Week, the Liturgy of the Hours, funeral rites, the liturgies that are celebrated by a bishop and major blessings.
Ceremonies also provides accurate explanations for each of these rites, with Catholic teaching on the liturgy and sacraments and a history of the ministry of servers. The skills, techniques and discipline involved in serving are explained, such as: how a procession should move, how to assist with incense, team-work and responding in emergencies and unforeseen situations.
A spirituality of this ministry runs through the manual, with an underlying theme of service and vocation. In an encouraging personal way, Ceremonies sets out high spiritual ideals that can inspire and guide those who enhance Catholic worship through their ministry.
In accessible language, Ceremonies covers the roles of servers in a wide range of Catholic liturgical celebrations. These are described in full, such as: the Mass in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms, the seven sacraments, the ceremonies of Holy Week, the Liturgy of the Hours, funeral rites, the liturgies that are celebrated by a bishop and major blessings.
Ceremonies also provides accurate explanations for each of these rites, with Catholic teaching on the liturgy and sacraments and a history of the ministry of servers. The skills, techniques and discipline involved in serving are explained, such as: how a procession should move, how to assist with incense, team-work and responding in emergencies and unforeseen situations.
A spirituality of this ministry runs through the manual, with an underlying theme of service and vocation. In an encouraging personal way, Ceremonies sets out high spiritual ideals that can inspire and guide those who enhance Catholic worship through their ministry.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
330 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2019
34 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Elliott
14 books9 followersPeter John Elliott was an Australian bishop of the Catholic Church who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 2007 to 2018. He was also an author, writing a number of published works that predominantly concern the celebration of Catholic liturgy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 26, 2020
A fantastic resource. I loved working through this volume and it should be in every parish. Full review below
...
This book is a true treasure. It is a book that should be in ever parish. Or in the hands of all who help to form altar servers. I, myself, have served at the altar off and on for the last 40 years. First as a child. Then while at university, then when in university a second time, and now as an adult who serves when there are no alter servers or with my own children. And I can state I would have loved to have come across a book like this years ago.
I was expecting a book that would be very text heavy. Broken into chapters and lots of dense paragraphs. That is not what you get with this volume. From the Forward to the Index there are 180 Sections in the book. But each section is written in a series of points. And there are a total of 1037 point in the book from the first section to the final appendix. The chapters in the volume are:
Foreword
Preface
1. The Server
2. The Liturgy
3. Ceremonial Actions
4. The Mass
5. The Traditional Latin Mass
6. The Sacraments
7. Funerals
8. The Liturgy of the Hours
9. Other Ceremonies
10. Holy Week
11. Serving the Bishop
Appendix 1. LIGHTING CANDLES
Appendix 2. SETTING OUT VESTMENTS
Appendix 3. PRAYERS FOR SERVERS
Index
A sample from the first section is on the server:
“1. The Server
1. You are a server. As you assist the priest, who leads the worship of the Church, so you make Catholic worship more reverent, efficient, and beautiful. Your work for God is very important, and this manual is designed to help you.
2. At the altar, your service is directed firstly to God, secondly as help to the clergy, and thirdly as assistance to the people who have been gathered by God for worship. Your actions are visible. You appear in public, but you are never a performer. By your faithful duty, you remain always a servant of Jesus Christ in the community of his Church.
3. A good server is not only skilled in a “craft” or duty at the altar but a humble and sincere person. The good server is a member of a team, working together in harmony with others, serving for the glory of God, learning that work at the altar is prayer in action. The good server is careful and reverent, even if there is only some small duty to perform.”
Another sample section is:
“Serving Today
11. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) authorized a great reform and renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, the public worship of the Catholic Church according to the Roman Rite that developed in Western Europe. As we are part of the Roman Rite, we have to work out the best ways we can all play the various roles given us by the Church in celebrating her liturgy, for example, those who sing in the choir. But servers in particular have an important place in the celebration of Mass and the sacraments. Their efficient and devout assistance is second only to the action of the priest and deacon in its power to enhance, enrich, and strengthen the liturgy in our churches.
12. What does the Church expect of you? Obviously the Church expects you to know what you are doing. Servers should not wander around the altar, uncertain, clumsy, and confused. This manual has been written to promote efficient serving, which can only occur when servers know what they are doing. Great care has been taken in this manual to bring together the official directions of the liturgy and the best practices of style and technique. Serving is a craft, which the Church expects us to carry out well.
13. The Church also expects something deeper than knowing how to serve. An altar server is a Christian lay person who plays a key role in the celebration of the liturgy by carrying out a true liturgical ministry. That word “ministry” means “service”. By assisting the priest, the Church sees your service as a ministry to God, a ministry to God’s People.”
This book would have been great benefit to share with my children. Especially the section on serving with the bishop. My Children have served at confirmation masses and other masses where the bishop has visited our parish. To be able to prepare better for these occasions would have been a blessing. Of other importance are the sections on serving at Funerals, or the Liturgy of the hours.
This is truly a wonderful resource. It was great to read, and even just reading it for my own was edifying and will help me serve better and help me help my children to serve better. I know I stated it before, but this book should be in ever parish. It will help to form servers, and all who assist on the altar. It can be used as a guide for training. And sections can be shared with servers before preparing for special services. A much-needed book to restore the holy to the practice of serving at the altar. I cannot recommend this book to you enough.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
...
This book is a true treasure. It is a book that should be in ever parish. Or in the hands of all who help to form altar servers. I, myself, have served at the altar off and on for the last 40 years. First as a child. Then while at university, then when in university a second time, and now as an adult who serves when there are no alter servers or with my own children. And I can state I would have loved to have come across a book like this years ago.
I was expecting a book that would be very text heavy. Broken into chapters and lots of dense paragraphs. That is not what you get with this volume. From the Forward to the Index there are 180 Sections in the book. But each section is written in a series of points. And there are a total of 1037 point in the book from the first section to the final appendix. The chapters in the volume are:
Foreword
Preface
1. The Server
2. The Liturgy
3. Ceremonial Actions
4. The Mass
5. The Traditional Latin Mass
6. The Sacraments
7. Funerals
8. The Liturgy of the Hours
9. Other Ceremonies
10. Holy Week
11. Serving the Bishop
Appendix 1. LIGHTING CANDLES
Appendix 2. SETTING OUT VESTMENTS
Appendix 3. PRAYERS FOR SERVERS
Index
A sample from the first section is on the server:
“1. The Server
1. You are a server. As you assist the priest, who leads the worship of the Church, so you make Catholic worship more reverent, efficient, and beautiful. Your work for God is very important, and this manual is designed to help you.
2. At the altar, your service is directed firstly to God, secondly as help to the clergy, and thirdly as assistance to the people who have been gathered by God for worship. Your actions are visible. You appear in public, but you are never a performer. By your faithful duty, you remain always a servant of Jesus Christ in the community of his Church.
3. A good server is not only skilled in a “craft” or duty at the altar but a humble and sincere person. The good server is a member of a team, working together in harmony with others, serving for the glory of God, learning that work at the altar is prayer in action. The good server is careful and reverent, even if there is only some small duty to perform.”
Another sample section is:
“Serving Today
11. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) authorized a great reform and renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, the public worship of the Catholic Church according to the Roman Rite that developed in Western Europe. As we are part of the Roman Rite, we have to work out the best ways we can all play the various roles given us by the Church in celebrating her liturgy, for example, those who sing in the choir. But servers in particular have an important place in the celebration of Mass and the sacraments. Their efficient and devout assistance is second only to the action of the priest and deacon in its power to enhance, enrich, and strengthen the liturgy in our churches.
12. What does the Church expect of you? Obviously the Church expects you to know what you are doing. Servers should not wander around the altar, uncertain, clumsy, and confused. This manual has been written to promote efficient serving, which can only occur when servers know what they are doing. Great care has been taken in this manual to bring together the official directions of the liturgy and the best practices of style and technique. Serving is a craft, which the Church expects us to carry out well.
13. The Church also expects something deeper than knowing how to serve. An altar server is a Christian lay person who plays a key role in the celebration of the liturgy by carrying out a true liturgical ministry. That word “ministry” means “service”. By assisting the priest, the Church sees your service as a ministry to God, a ministry to God’s People.”
This book would have been great benefit to share with my children. Especially the section on serving with the bishop. My Children have served at confirmation masses and other masses where the bishop has visited our parish. To be able to prepare better for these occasions would have been a blessing. Of other importance are the sections on serving at Funerals, or the Liturgy of the hours.
This is truly a wonderful resource. It was great to read, and even just reading it for my own was edifying and will help me serve better and help me help my children to serve better. I know I stated it before, but this book should be in ever parish. It will help to form servers, and all who assist on the altar. It can be used as a guide for training. And sections can be shared with servers before preparing for special services. A much-needed book to restore the holy to the practice of serving at the altar. I cannot recommend this book to you enough.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
October 23, 2025
An excellent handbook and guide for serving at the various forms of Catholic liturgies. Both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms of the Mass are described in detail, and their are sections dedicated to liturgies that take place throughout the year, as well as for ceremonies of the other sacraments. Not only is an explanation given for what is done when, but also a why behind each action made.
This is a must read for those who are dedicated to serving at Catholic liturgies, and especially for those who are entrusted with training and supervising new or younger servers. All parishes who take their serving seriously would do well to have a copy on hand.
This is a must read for those who are dedicated to serving at Catholic liturgies, and especially for those who are entrusted with training and supervising new or younger servers. All parishes who take their serving seriously would do well to have a copy on hand.
March 13, 2025
For the usus recentior, but with brief reference to the usus antiquior, this is a fairly thorough book describing the vestments, furnishings, vessels, prayers and ceremonies and their action and necessities pertaining to servers. Organized in 11 chapters and referenced by paragraph number like many church documents.
One thing lacking compared to older manuals are diagrams showing the "choreography" of the different rites but I anticipate this is in large part due to the flexibility (or laxity if one prefers) of the modern use in this regard. A solid book by a bishop who cares for due ceremony, probably important for a lead server or server trainer, even an MC although I presume an MC has books at hand that go into greater detail than this. Not really for the 10 year old serving in a suburban parish on the weekends. Recommend
One thing lacking compared to older manuals are diagrams showing the "choreography" of the different rites but I anticipate this is in large part due to the flexibility (or laxity if one prefers) of the modern use in this regard. A solid book by a bishop who cares for due ceremony, probably important for a lead server or server trainer, even an MC although I presume an MC has books at hand that go into greater detail than this. Not really for the 10 year old serving in a suburban parish on the weekends. Recommend
December 6, 2023
Excellent resource
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews