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We came across a lot of pictures of "alternative" altar boy vestments when putting together the commemorative book for my parish's 100th anniversary. What did those alternative vestments that were used in my parish until the early 1970's look like? VERY MUCH like a Roman cassock and surplice! ;-)

"Should the institution of 'altar boy' be dismantled and re-built?"

No. It is a long standing custom approved of and used by every Greek Catholic and Orthodox jurisdiction I know. The use of non-tonsured lectors, even women lectors, is a farily widespread custom also, although some jurisdictions do not allow women this function.

I am unsure where you are heading with this or what point you are trying to make. Because we allow altar boys to wear the sticharion everyone should be allowed?

Fr. Deacon Lance

Joe:

What, exactly, is your point here? What is it that you don't like about the current practice, and how would you propose that it be remedied?

I can't speak for Joe, but can speak for myself. How should it be remedied? Follow the Orthodox models from which our Church came, not import the (current) Latin models. Just my $.02.

John,

The Orthodox use altar boys and untonsured readers, male and female, too. The only innovation is extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion which is barely in use and where it is in use it is of necessity in 90% of the cases due to the disability of the priest. It does not appear we are deviating all that far from Orthodox practice to me.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Why must there alway be a point? I brought up the phenomenon of lay folks vesting for services outside the altar, not altar boys. This is a public forum and I thought intelligent folks like you can discuss it. Maybe you have better insight?

Fr. Deacon John noted how we already have altar boys who are not ordained or tonsured serving wearing vestments. But, of course, it was noted how the altar boy serves inside the altar.

It was mentioned that the type of vestment that altar boys mimicked, the sticharion, mimicked teh subdeacon. Interesting enough, our church only later adopted the sticharion for its altar boys. This, like other attire, was a later phenomenon and separate issue. Some of our bishops even dress up in full Orthodox attire these days. This was not so in the past. My first bishop wore a red cap and cassock.

Just investigating this topic. I can, in turn, ask - and I have - where the Church is going with this and what point it wishes to make. There is no reason to take offense. I am simply noting how our church is now allowing lay ministers to vest for services they perform only outside the altar. I guess it all depends on what side the question you are on.

Should we? I spent all my childhood wearing a cassock and surplice in the Greek Catholic Church. I was the boy who rang the handbells at the "Consecration." I didn't wear a sticharion until I attended seminary school.

Your question nicely returns us to my original inquiry regarding the current phenomenon of laity vesting in sticharia outside the altar. You tell me the answer. I don't know.

Best regards,
Joe

This is beginning to remind me of Seinfield. I think it's now time to stop.

While attending the Liturgy at the Basilica attached to the monastery at Grottaferrata I noticed there were 2 styles of stikarions being worn by the servers. The ones who carried candles and stayed outside the holy place wore stikars made of fine cloth used for the priests vestments. While the ones who served in the holy place wore plain white ones.

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