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Dear Fr. Thomas,

But not everywhere in Greece is there even a deacon!

My husband has also confirmed this, as his family moved back to Greece when he was seven. These are his recollections from small village churches and monasteries.

He said that when there is only a priest, each individual holds the cloth under their chin and then carefully passes it on to the next person.

Sometimes I think that people around here think I am 'Alice in Wonderland' making things up as I go!

I think that I will just shut up and bite my tongue from now on.

Sadly,
Alice

Alice, I have never been to Greece, although I may get there someday. If you say you saw it being done that way, I believe you. You are more of an authority than those of us who were never there.

Charles

Dear Charles,

Thank you for your charitable words.

With love in Christ,
Alice

Absolutely, there is no doubt that this is done,and I certainly don't think you were making it up! God forbid! And the practice is not "wrong" per se, since the whole issue of the communion cloth is more a practicality (making sure that the precious blood does not spill on the floor) than a prescription of the typicon. I was only pointing out that in the Russian Church, this direction was added in the service books to clarify who should hold the cloth. It is merely a fairly common tradition, but not universal. As I said, Russian Churches also are not full of deacons, and so the task usually falls to men or older boys. I do remember one morning liturgy where I had no one to hold the cloth, and I did exactly as you described. People seemed to understand what to do intuitively. No big deal.

I can't remember what the practice was when I was on Mount Athos... Too many years ago! I need to go back!

Priest Thomas

Matthew,

You state: "Once again you tend to go to great lengths to equate an isolated incident and say they are the same thing as a not so isolated incident or occurrences that are common. Why do you do that? If you want to get even ok you win, we loose now you don't have exaggerate anymore."

I believe I equated two instances that are equally isolated. In neither are Church are female servers allowed. In both they have been employed in a few parishes.

It is not about getting even or keeping score but being honest about things that affect our Churches.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I haven't seen this posted elsewhere on this board so I am putting it in this thread as it is germane to the topic.

PBS - BELIEF & PRACTICE: Altar Servers, October 22, 2004 Episode no. 808 [pbs.org]

OK, the Orthodox and the Catholics both have them.

It is not the traditional practice with either.

Time for another topic, perhaps?

Agreed - it's been done to death .