The altar serves all

Emily Benson, staff writer for The Evangelist.

I was scrolling through the news a few weeks ago when I stopped to read a column. It was a fairly slow morning (coffee in hand, heated blanket turned up far too high), but this wasn’t a slow, peaceful stop. A few lines into the article, I sat up a little straighter, not in interest, but confusion. 

The column itself was a response to a submitted question: Should girls be altar servers? The question itself was easy in nature — and, in fact, a great opportunity to offer insight into altar serving as a whole — but the written answer dropped the ball. 

For context, this question was submitted by a 14-year-old boy who is an altar server at his local parish. He notes that some churches he’s attended saw altar serving as a gateway to the priesthood, making it a role best suited for boys and men. Confused about varying opinions (he mentions serving with girls at some churches, while others have shied away from it), he sought insight to better understand who the church is looking for to fill these roles. 

In place of a direct answer, the columnist states that whether or not girls “should” be altar servers depends on who you ask. The column then discusses how altar serving became available to girls when it was typically only open to boys and men.

This wasn’t a question of whether girls were allowed to serve in this role, but whether they should. And the lack of concreteness in the answer further exacerbates the point of the question in the first place. 

For the roles that women and girls can fill in the Catholic Church — roles that have already been green-lit for both sexes by the highest decree in the church — there is still this looming, archaic afterthought around whether or not women are qualified to fill them.

So I’ll answer the question instead: Yes, girls should be altar servers. Let’s talk about why.

Following the work of Pope Francis’ Synod of Synodality, there is growing momentum to explore what Catholics are seeking in their parish spaces. The final document of the synod, which was approved by Pope Francis in October 2024, called for greater lay participation, mandatory pastoral councils and continued study on women in ministry and seminary formation. 

All of these points came from synodal discussion on a global scale. The church was polled and the results are in. How women can continue to be involved in church ministry and church leadership remains an organically asked question by Catholics around the world, and supporting the involvement of girls and young women in roles like altar serving is a great way to live out this call.

I have heard people say altar serving is important for young men because it can be a stepping stone to the priesthood — and I absolutely agree with this. An “acolyte” (the canonical term for altar serving) used to be filled by young men studying to become a priest — and while this is no longer a requirement — the line drawn between altar serving and the priesthood has remained over the years, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Having that exposure at a young age to the sacraments, to serving in church and knowing one’s parish priest can absolutely be a planted seed for further involvement in the church down the line. 

But the altar-serving ministry does not need to be an exclusive club in order to make this true. Encouraging girls and young women who want to be involved in Mass does not equate to pushing boys and young men away. How much young men may want to grow their faith is a personal journey discerned at their own pace, regardless of who they serve with.

There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to serve at Mass, and that exposure to serving in the church benefits young women as much as it does young men, planting the seed for potential involvement in church ministries as an adult, or an interest in pursuing the sisterhood. 

I was never an altar server, but I did read at Mass in high school. I remember the anxiety and excitement I’d feel beforehand (I must be a masochist because I’m a terrible public speaker), but despite the pre-reading jitters, there was always something joyful about being behind the podium. 

Looking out at the crowd of parishioners, I felt something I never would have experienced from the pews: I wasn’t just hearing about my faith, I felt immersed in it. How beautiful, I thought, to be a part of something bigger than myself, even for a few minutes. 

Being up on the altar is a powerful experience, and it would behoove us as Catholics to allow as many young people as possible to encounter the beauty and mystery of our faith.