How I fell in love with being an altar server at my church

As I sit and wait, thousands of thoughts are running through my mind. Where is everyone? What if I have to do this all by myself? Will I remember my cues? That was how I felt on my first day of altar serving at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church. I was so nervous that day for almost no reason, and little did I know I would fall in love with being up on the altar.

I am now a senior altar server at my church. Altar serving is one of my favorite things to do, and not only is it fun, but it also brings me closer to my faith. Almost every Sunday I am assigned to a Mass, where I help the priest with two other servers and do things such as carry the cross, hold the Roman Missal, and/or set the altar.

Altar serving is a way to help your community while making friends you’ll have for a lifetime. I’ve also gotten to experience masses in a completely different way, and I have become more interested in my faith. By attending Mass and serving I can stay connected with my faith, and it makes learning more about my religion more pleasurable.

Masses are brought to life when you are a part of it. Many families are very busy, running from a baseball game to a piano lesson, but by adding in altar serving to the mix, you can make sure that your faith doesn’t get lost in your life. I’m also looking forward to becoming a sacristan one day, the person who prepares the altar, church and chapel for celebration of Mass and other services, and teaching new kids to become altar servers and to care about their faith.