St Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church
  • Welcome
    • Mission Statement
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Register
    • eMail Sign-Up
    • Adoration Chapel
    • Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother
    • Broadcast Masses
    • Parish History
    • Prayer Request
    • Inclement Weather Policy
    • Employment
  • News
    • Coronavirus Updates
    • Announcements
    • Child Protection Safe Environment
    • Homilies
    • Calendar
    • Bulletins
    • Parish Newsletter
    • Graceful Living Magazine
    • 2019-2020 Annual Parish Report
  • Give
  • Faith Life
    • Alpha
    • Educational
    • RCIA
    • Sacraments
    • Small Groups
  • Youth / Family
    • Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
    • Family Corner
    • Liturgy of the Word with Children
    • Sacraments
    • Youth Opportunities
  • Ministries
    • Volunteer
    • Ministries Sign-Up
    • Ministries A to Z
    • Ministries by Type >
      • Altar Servers
      • Faith Formation
      • Liturgy and Worship
      • Music
      • Operations
      • Outreach
      • Parish Councils
  • Links
    • Catholic Links
    • Featured Links
    • Annual Catholic Appeal
    • Diocese of Toledo
    • Faithful Citizenship
    • Immigration Outreach
    • Lent 2021
    • Moms' Group
    • Natural Family Planning
    • Respect Life
    • Stewardship >
      • Stewardship of Prayer
      • Stewardship of Service
      • Stewardship of Sharing
      • Compass Bible Study
  • Cemetery
    • Bereavement
    • Policies
    • Pricing
    • Board
    • Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother
  • Photos
Altar Servers
Next Altar Server Training
Altar Server training for new and current Altar Servers will be held for youth in 5th – 12th grades. Please attend one of the following sessions:
  • Saturday, May 8, 2021
    8:00-9:00 am – New Servers 
    9:00-10:00 am – Returning Servers
  • Wednesday, May 12, 2021
    3:00-4:00 pm – Returning Servers
  • Thursday, May 13, 2021 
    6:00-7:00 pm – New Servers 
    7:00-8:00 pm – Returning Servers
  • Wednesday, May 19, 2021 
    3:00-4:00 pm – New Servers
Questions? Please email Fr. Michael @ frmichael@stpaulchurch.org.
Picture
What Is an Altar Server?
​Welcome to the ministry of Altar Server at Saint Paul the Apostle Parish! Your willingness to serve is a blessing to all the people who will come to the parish church to worship and praise God.  The church is grateful for your generous gift of time and talent.
 
To be an Altar Server is a special honor and a great privilege in the Catholic Church.  As an Altar Server, you can trace your roots to the order of acolyte, a ministry that once was reserved only for those who were going to be ordained priests! You can look upon being an Altar Server as a special and unique ministry by which you can begin your christian vocation to spread the word and the love of Christ through your actions and words. Even though it is a very important ministry, it is not difficult, and this handbook will help you with the things that you need to know in order to fulfill your commitment.
 
The ministry of Altar Server is open to men and women and to boys and girls fifth grade and up.  Altar Servers are not ordained, but they are commissioned for service by the pastor of the parish and publicly inducted into service.
 
The main role of the Altar Server is to assist the priest and deacon in the celebration of the liturgy.  The most common liturgy we celebrate is the Mass.  Sometimes we celebrate other liturgies including: baptisms, weddings, funerals, stations of the cross, and Eucharistic Adoration. Servers perform specific actions and set an example to the assembly by their active participation in the liturgy:  by their actions, singing of hymns, responses, looking alert, and keeping an appropriate posture.
Picture
How to Become an Altar Server
​Training for new Altar Servers is scheduled several times throughout the year for students in the 5th grade through high school. When future training dates are scheduled, they will be announced in the bulletin and on this website.
Also, the Altar Server Ministry Team at St. Paul Parish has created a training video for Altar Servers.  It is available for viewing on YouTube.  Click on the link below.
Altar Server Training for St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Norwalk [video]
If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Michael Bialorucki at 419-668-6044, ext. 225, or email him at frmichael@stpaulchurch.org.
Picture
Altar Server Ministry Structure at St. Paul Catholic Church
Picture
Pope Francis Encourages Altar Servers:
"The closer you are to the altar, the more you will remember to speak with Jesus
in daily prayer; the more you will be nourished by the word and the body of the
Lord, the better able you will be to go out to others, bringing them the gift that
​you have received, giving in turn with enthusiasm the joy you have received."
Picture
​Saint John Berchmans, Patron Saint of Altar Servers
Picture

​The eldest son of a shoemaker, John Berchmans was born March 13, 1599, in Driest, Belgium, where he was an ordinary young man who knew early in his life that he wanted to be a priest.  During his life, he loved serving at the altar, praying the rosary, meditating about the crucifix, and striving for holiness. In 1615, he entered the Jesuit College and became a Jesuit novice the following year.  He was sent to Rome in 1618 to continue his studies but died there on August 12, 1621, while still a seminarian. After his death, many miracles were attributed to him, and he was beatified on May 28, 1865, by Pope Pius IX, and canonized on January 15, 1888, by Pope Leo XIII. His feast day is November 26.

There is a website devoted to St. John Berchmans, and articles about him can also be found in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Picture
Picture
More Information
Pope Francis' Address to Altar Servers
The Life, Death and Miracles of St. John Berchmans [sjbdevotion.org]
St. John Berchmans [video - YouTube]
Picture
Picture
Calendar
Live Webcast
Ministry Schedule

eMail Sign-Up
Give Online
​Daily Readings
​
Saint of the Day
Norwalk Catholic School
Diocese of Toledo
​
Reconnect Toledo
​
U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops
DISCLAIMER
Links to other websites are provided on this website for informational purposes only. A listing on this website does not
indicate endorsement nor approval, by St. Paul Catholic Church, of any content that may be found on any external site.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Questions or comments about our website?
Contact our Media Matters at St Paul Team.
   Copyright © 2015-2021
St Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
All rights reserved.
  • Welcome
    • Mission Statement
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Register
    • eMail Sign-Up
    • Adoration Chapel
    • Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother
    • Broadcast Masses
    • Parish History
    • Prayer Request
    • Inclement Weather Policy
    • Employment
  • News
    • Coronavirus Updates
    • Announcements
    • Child Protection Safe Environment
    • Homilies
    • Calendar
    • Bulletins
    • Parish Newsletter
    • Graceful Living Magazine
    • 2019-2020 Annual Parish Report
  • Give
  • Faith Life
    • Alpha
    • Educational
    • RCIA
    • Sacraments
    • Small Groups
  • Youth / Family
    • Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
    • Family Corner
    • Liturgy of the Word with Children
    • Sacraments
    • Youth Opportunities
  • Ministries
    • Volunteer
    • Ministries Sign-Up
    • Ministries A to Z
    • Ministries by Type >
      • Altar Servers
      • Faith Formation
      • Liturgy and Worship
      • Music
      • Operations
      • Outreach
      • Parish Councils
  • Links
    • Catholic Links
    • Featured Links
    • Annual Catholic Appeal
    • Diocese of Toledo
    • Faithful Citizenship
    • Immigration Outreach
    • Lent 2021
    • Moms' Group
    • Natural Family Planning
    • Respect Life
    • Stewardship >
      • Stewardship of Prayer
      • Stewardship of Service
      • Stewardship of Sharing
      • Compass Bible Study
  • Cemetery
    • Bereavement
    • Policies
    • Pricing
    • Board
    • Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother
  • Photos