Acolyte Manual

Acolytes help create a worship experience that helps people have an experience of God. The only requirements to be an Acolyte are a willingness to serve and the ability to follow these instructions.  Note: This is a work in progress….

General Instructions.

You are a leader in the service. The congregation looks to you to help set the tone for our worship. Your demeanor and dress should show your desire to make our worship meaningful for everyone.

Participating: Follow the service, read the congregation’s parts, and sing as you are able. Participate fully, and by your example, show others how it’s done.

Sitting, standing & kneeling. During the liturgy, do what the celebrant does. If they are standing, you stand, if they kneel, you kneel, if they sit, you sit. Important exception: If the priest stands up to give the absolution after confession, you remain sitting or kneeling. Also, you don’t need to stand during the sermon, announcements or during the preparation or distribution communion, unless you are helping with them.

Moving. During the service, you don’t just walk somewhere, you process. By that, we mean that you walk slowly, formally, with an erect posture. Somewhere between normal walking and a military march.

Bowing: You bow once to the cross over thehigh altar before lighting or extinguishing the candles. During the processional, you bow to the processional cross. The person carrying a cross does not bow. (We used to bow more often, but these days, that seems to be overdoing it.)

Things do not always go as planned. Be prepared to be flexible!

Before the Service.

Arrive 15 minutes before the service starts so you’ll have time to introduce yourself to the other liturgists, vest (get dressed), light the candles and agree on who’s going to do what.

The crucifer should find out from the celebrant if there are any special requirements. Make sure the celebrant knows how many acolytes there are and what they will be doing.

· Every service has a crucifer who carries the cross.

· If there are two acolytes, one is the crucifer and the other is the Gospel bearer.

· If there are three acolytes, one is the crucifer, one is the Gospel bearer and the other processes the Grace Church. At the Gospel, process a cross and the Gospel book .

· If there are four acolytes, one is the crucifer, two are torch bearers, and one the Gospel bearer. At the Gospel, process the cross, torches, and Gospel.

· If there are five acolytes, one is the crucifer, two are torch bearers, one the Gospel bearer and one processes the Grace Church banner. At the Gospel, process the cross, torches, and Gospel.

· If there are six acolytes, one is the crucifer, two are torch bearers, one the Gospel bearer, one processes the Grace Church banner and one processes the second cross. (Or, process the cross, two torches, two flags and the Gospel). At the Gospel, process the cross, torches, and Gospel.

Dress using vestments in the choir room.

Light the Candles

If one acolyte:

1. Light the two candles in the Peace Chapel. Right first, then left.

2. Enter from a side door, process to the front of the high altar and bow to the cross.

3. When the Pascal candle [tall candle in the aisle] is out, light it first.

4. If this is a Eucharist, process to the low altar to light the Epistle candle (on the congregation’s right) and then the Gospel candle (on the congregation’s left).

5. Go to the high altar and light the office candles starting with the candles closest to the cross and work your way out. Right side first.

6. If the torches are out, light them.

7. Bow to the cross over the high altar.

8. Process out the side door to your left.

If two acolytes:

1. Light the two candles in the Peace Chapel.

2. Enter from a side door, and process together to the front of the high altar and bow to the cross.

3. When the Pascal candle [tall candle in the aisle] is out, light it first.

4. If this is a Eucharist, turn around and proceed to the low altar to light the Gospel candle (on the congregation’s left) and Epistle (on the congregation’s right) candles in unison.

5. Go to the high altar and light the office candles starting with the candles closest to the cross and work your way out.

6. If the torches are out, light them.

7. Bow to the cross over the high altar.

8. Process out the side door to your left.

Prepare for the Procession.

1. The crucifer should make sure that all the acolytes know what their duties will be during this service.

2. Get the objects to be processed from their places.

3. Assemble in the hallway inside the upper Belmont door.

4. At this time, the celebrant may lead the liturgists in a prayer.

5. Line up in the order of procession (all except the first cross are optional):

a. The first (or only) cross.

b. Two torches, processing beside the cross.

c. Two flags.

d. Grace Church Banner

e. Choir

f. Second cross.

g. Gospel Book.

h. Chalicer

i. Officiant(s).

6. Go to the back of the church.

The Procession.

1. Begin the procession when people begin singing the first hymn.

2. The crucifer processes slowly to the low altar, turns around facing the congregation so those following can bow to the processional cross. If there are torches, they stand beside the crucifer.

3. If the Gospel book is being processed, place it on the altar.

4. After all have bowed, process the cross to its holder at the end of a choir stall, and then process to a seat near the other worship leaders.

5. If there are torches, they follow the crucifer and place their torches in the holders at the end of the choir stalls.

6. Go to the seats provided for the chalice and acolytes.

At the reading of the Gospel.

If there is one acolyte:

1. During the Gospel hymn, go to the front of the low altar, pick up the Gospel book, and process it to the middle of the congregation.

2. Turn around facing the celebrant and hold it so that the celebrant can open it to the correct page.

3. After the reading, process the Gospel Book back to the low altar and replace it on the altar.

If two acolytes:

1. One processes the cross and the other follows carrying the Gospel book.

2. When they reach the middle of the congregation, they turn around, facing the celebrant.

3. Hold the Gospel book so that the celebrant can open it to the correct page.

4. When the reading is complete, the crucifer goes first, followed by the gospel book, followed by the celebrant.

If four acolytes:

1. One processes the cross, followed by the torches, followed by the Gospel book. At the reading of the Gospel, the torches stand to either side of the Gospel book.

2. When they reach the middle of the congregation, they turn around, facing the celebrant.

3. Hold the Gospel book so that the celebrant can open it to the correct page.

4. Following the reading of the Gospel, the celebrant will stand aside, and the crucifer will pass between the torches to return the cross to its place. The torches follow and return the torches to their places. The acolyte carrying the Altar Book processes it back to the low altar. .

Prepare the Elements

After the offertory sentence, acolyte acting as server should be ready to assist the celebrant in setting up the elements on the low altar.

1. Hand the pall (tent) with the chalice, etc. under it to the celebrant.

2. Take the Host Box (the round silver box with the wafers in it), remove the lid, and be ready to hand the host box to the celebrant.

3. Get the wine cruet (the larger one), and be ready to hand it to the celebrant with the handle toward them. The celebrant will return the host box to you at the same time as they take the wine cruet. Put the cover back on the host box and put it back on the credence table.

4. Get the water cruet and be ready to hand it to the celebrant with the handle toward them.

5. The celebrant will return the wine cruet to you at the same time as you hand them the water cruet.

6. Replace the wine cruet on the credence table.

7. Pick up a towel from the credence table and place it over your left arm (like a waiter), hold the lavabo (bowl) in your left hand and face the celebrant.

8. The celebrant will hand you the water cruet, and place their hands over the bowl. Pour the water over their hands until they begin to rub their hands. They will then take the towel from your arm and dry their hands. They will then place the towel on your arm.

9. Return the bowl, towel and water cruet to the Credence table.

10. Return to your seat.

Collect the Offering.

1. At the presentation hymn (typically the Doxology), the acolyte appointed should go to the front of the low altar to take the plates from the ushers.

2. Turn around and give the plates to the celebrant, who will probably raise them up and then return them to you.

3. Put the plates on the high altar.

4. Return to your place.

At the Communion.

1. Before the celebrant starts with “The Lord be with you” chalice bearer and all the acolytes should be standing in a row not far from the altar, with the chalice bearer on the right, closest to the celebrant.

2. After the chalice and acolytes have received communion, sit down.

3. If you wish, receive laying on of hands for healing.

After the Communion.

When the celebrant returns to the altar, the acolyte acting as server should be ready to assist the celebrant in returning the various items on the altar to the credence table.

1. If the celebrant extends the chalice or paten (bread plate) towards you, he or she probably wants you to pour some water in them to clean them. Do so.

2. The celebrant will take items from the altar and hand them to you to place on the Credence table.

3. Once the altar is cleared, sit down.

4. During the closing hymn, the crucifer gets the cross from its stand and processes to the back of the church. If there are torches, wait for them to join you. Others who processed should recess in the same order.

5. At the back of the church, crucifer turns around so that those following him/her can bow if they wish.

6. After the dismissal words, return the cross, torches and Gospel Book to their places.

Extinguish the candles:

1. Come in a side door, process to the front of the high altar and bow to the cross over the high altar.

2. If this is a Eucharist, turn around and process to the low altar to extinguish the Gospel (on the congregation’s left) and then the Epistle candle. (The rule is that the Gospel candle should never burn alone.)

3. Process to the high altar and extinguish the office candles starting with the outside and work your way towards the cross.

4. If there are torches, extinguish the torches.

5. When the Pascal candle [tall candle in the aisle] is out, extinguish it last.

6. Bow to the cross over the high altar.

7. Process out the side door on your right.

8. Extinguish the two Peace Chapel candles (leave the red candle burning)

9. Return the candle-lighters to the acolyte room, and your vestments to the choir room.

KWLyon from various sources. 1/25/2014