Deacon gives servers the right stuff

This week, children across the Albany Diocese are heading back to school to start another year of "reading, writing and 'rithmatic."

At St. Mary's parish in Cooperstown, new altar servers will be studying "vessels and vestments."

Deacon Randy Velez, who trains the newcomers each autumn, told The Evangelist that the idea came from a nun who ran a religious education program in the Archdiocese of New York, where he used to serve.

Hands-on learning

The nun gave the deacon handouts illustrating all the vessels and vestments used at Mass, so he could easily explain their uses to servers.

When he came to the Albany Diocese three years ago, he brought that idea along with him.

"I would trot out the chasubles, stoles, vessels -- let them see them and handle them," he said. "The kids are always fascinated with these things; you hand them a chalice and say, 'Here, hold this,' and you see them suddenly realize what they have in their hands."

At ease

His goal, he said, is to help the mostly eight- and nine-year-olds become at ease with their surroundings.

"It's important to develop a comfort level with being in the sanctuary," Deacon Velez explained. "I have them practice how to process properly, how to stay together, how to bow -- to develop a kind of 'stage presence.'"

In addition, he asks the children to guess how different items are used during liturgies. Showing them the pall that covers a chalice, he remembered asking, "What do you think this is for?"

A boy responded, "To keep the bugs out!"

"That's right!" said the deacon, explaining that the wine in the chalice is sweet and might attract insects.

Class room

Kids aren't the only ones who learn a lot during "vessels and vestments."

"I've always made it a point to invite parents to come," Deacon Velez told The Evangelist.

Often, he doesn't even notice them listening from the back of the quiet church -- until after the class, when an adult invariably comes up to him and says, "I didn't know that!"

Re-learning

One reason for that ignorance, the deacon believes, is the poor faith formation that sometimes occurred in the wake of Vatican II.

That 1960s' Church council, which made radical changes to the liturgy (including the switch to English), also resulted in "a lot of experimentation" in religious education.

As a result, some of those post-Vatican II Catholics, who "are now the parents of these children," were poorly educated about the Mass.

"The liturgical aspects have become weak because we don't pay enough attention to them," stated the deacon. He pointed out that in many parishes, lectors and Eucharistic ministers need to be reminded that they are performing an important ministry.

Missing pieces

Education is important because it helps new generations of Catholics keep the faith, Deacon Velez said.

When he did Baptism preparation in his previous position, "it could be very difficult," he noted. "Parents often didn't have a grounding in the sacraments. Why would you want to have your child baptized if you didn't understand what Baptism is?"

He recalled a man who once approached him to ask about "the red book" used at Mass, referring to the Sacramentary (also called the Roman Missal). The deacon defined the book as "the priest's script," explaining that all the prayers for Mass are in it.

"He was very surprised to find there were several Eucharistic Prayers," Deacon Velez remembered. The man wanted to know why the prayers would change "if Jesus said things one way," and where the Sacramentary came from.

Final product

Deacon Velez remarked that, when the training is completed, "I would like to be able to say, 'Go into the sacristy and bring out another purificator,' and have the kid know what to do."

Besides, he added, being well-trained makes it easier for children to serve at Mass, regardless of whether there's a visiting priest or other change.

"The kids at St. Mary's are really terrific -- sharp, interested in doing this," the deacon noted. "We have a good group."

(Deacon Velez's interest in "vessels and vestments" also comes out of his two-year experience as sacristan at St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, N.Y., during his own training for the diaconate. The deacon calls his ministry "very gratifying. Many people say they wish they had the opportunity to make a difference...and sometimes, you get them.")

Deacon's wife assists elderly

Deacon Velez is only half of a "dynamic duo" at St. Mary's: His wife, Connie, leads the parish's ministry to the homebound.

"Connie is the real brains of the outfit," he noted with admiration.

In addition to senior parishioners in adult or nursing homes, he said, "there are a lot of people who are just elderly or incapacitated, and, especially in the winter, they're not able to participate in Mass on Sundays. Connie leads a small group of ladies who make visits to homes during the week, bringing the sacrament.

"We want to make sure folks are still part of the parish, that they stay connected to the community." (KB)

(9/6/07)