Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Trinity Cathedral Parish

Acolyte Manual

2014 – 2015

The Rev. Canon Emily Hylden, Director

Vergers:

Mr. Frank J. Brunson

Mr. E. Wade Mullins

Mr. James P. Newman

Mr. Christopher H. Ray

Contents

Theology of the Acolyte Guild3

Acolyte Positions 4

Expectations and Procedures5

Dress, Behavior, Posture6

Appendix A - Sunday Morning Procedure7

Appendix B - Information and Vocabulary10

Appendix C – The Holy Eucharist, Rite II (Prayer A)11

Theology of the Acolyte Guild

Just as the Old Testament prophet Samuel was called as a young person to serve in the temple of the Lord, you have been called by God and affirmed by your church community to serve at the altar of God here at Trinity Cathedral parish. It is an exciting and significant call.

All of us who help in worship humbly approach the altar of God every Sunday to admit again our need for God’s love and his forgiveness, for the ways that we haven’t lived the way we should, and to receive God’s healing and redemption in and through the Eucharist. We are giving thanks for God’s great gift to us in Jesus Christ, which we receive in our hearts, through the words of the sermon and in the bread and wine we consume.

As Christians, we are challenged to put God first in all we say and do. As an acolyte, you have the charge and opportunity to serve God with both your body and mind as you facilitate worship services. You use your body by carrying holy objects in procession as well as by helping others to set the altar and to safely receive communion. You use your mind by anticipating the needs of other servers and by helping to lead the congregation in worship by your example. These are responsibilities that extend beyond the occasions on which you happen to be wearing your white alb—any time that you are in church, you may be called upon to use your acolyte wisdom to help with worship!

The call to be an acolyte, serving at the very altar of God, where miracles take place every time we gather, is one that requires dedication and reverence. It is not necessarily a time consuming vocation, though it does require a serious commitment to serving our Christ. It is in this spirit that these expectations and directions are offered.

Acolyte Positions:

All students in grades 7 through 12 are welcome to serve in the Acolyte Guild; in order to graduate to the second and third positions, an acolyte should schedule an interview with Canon Hylden; such interviews may take place any time during the year—whenever an acolyte feels ready and desires to engage in deeper ministry. Teams and captain positions will be announced at the beginning of each academic year and will remain in place till the next academic year.

For specific information about procedure during worship services, please consult Appendix A – Sunday Morning Procedure.

(1) Junior Acolytes

Serve as 2nd and 3rd torchesbring offering from chancel to rail as needed; stand at chancel steps during communion as needed.

Skills to master:

- Consistent attendance

- Attentive worship

- Navigating obstacles (music stands, prayer desk, turns) with fellow torch and cross

- Holding and transporting holy objects (crosses, torches, alms basins, etc)

(2) Acolytes

Serve as 2nd and 3rd crosses, as well as 1st torches; bring offering from chancel to rail as needed; stand at chancel steps during communion as needed.

Skills to Master:

- Comfort and familiarity with extenuating processional circumstances and other irregularities that might arise during the Sunday service

- Knowledge and comfort with responsibilities of Level 3 service, especially serving inside the altar rail during the offertory and Eucharistic Prayer.

(3) Senior Acolytes and Captains

Gospel - First Cross - serve at altar during communion

Skills to Master:

- Scheduling: maintain records for team’s attendance; send reminders

- Attendance: provide leadership by attending worship services faithfully.

- Training: graciously answer questions which arise regarding to the completion of acolyte duties from junior acolytes and acolytes.

Expectations and Procedures

Attendance

Please make every effort to attend all training events regardless of level or aspiration.This fall, the Worship Training and Inspiration Event will be held Saturday, August 23rd, from 9 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. If you are unable to attend, please contact your captain to find what you may have missed.

Please be vested by 8:40 a.m. for 9 a.m. services; by 10:55 a.m. for 11:15 a.m services; and by 9:40 a.m. for 10 a.m. services.

Please attend at least one other worship service per month in addition to those to which you are assigned.

Training

The Worship Inspiration and Training Eventis the kick-off training event for the Acolyte Guild during the 2014-2015 season. If you are unable to attend this event, please contactyour team captain to cover material which you may have missed.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about your service or training, please ask your captain, the verger, or Canon Hylden—everyone is eager to help you succeed as an acolyte.

Dress, Behavior, and Posture

Clothing

Please wear black, brown, or navy closed-toe shoes (this ensures no stray wax from candles can injure toes, as well as mitigating any possibility of tripping). You may keep a pair of appropriate shoes in the acolyte vesting room. If furnishing a pair of black shoes is a hardship for your family, please speak with Canon Hylden, who will be able to help you find appropriate attire.

Please avoid clothing that bears bold prints or verbiage.

Behavior

Please do not chew gum while you are in the church building.

Please do not talk with other acolytes or servers during the worship service. Of course, you should participate fully in the service, and of course you may ask procedural questions that you have of a captain, verger, or priest.

Please follow along with your prayerbook and your hymnal as your ministry allows (clearly, you will not be following along in your hymnal as you carry a torch!), making appropriate responses.

Posture

Please fold your hands when you are not holding a holy object. You may interlace your fingers, hold them in a classic prayer position, or clasp them.

Please walk purposefully and evenly. When in procession, be far enough away from the person in front of you that you could not touch their shoulder if you reached out your hand, but close enough that you could accurately hit the back of their head with a water balloon.

Please hold holy objects reverently.

Appendix A – Sunday Morning Procedure

Arrive and vest appropriately by at least 20 minutes before the start of the service.
Receive your assignment from your captain, the Rev. Hylden, or your verger.
Join your acolyte team in prayer for the ministry which you are about to undertake.
Make appropriate preparations for your assigned role (go and retrieve your holy object, and reverently carry it to the appropriate place to be ready for the procession).
Join the procession and walk reverently to your appointed place.
Deposit your holy object appropriately, and walk reverently to your seat.
Open your prayerbook and your hymnal and participate in the service.
At the appointed moment during the singing of the gradual psalm, prepare for the Gospel procession:
Retrieve your holy object and walk to your appointed place.
Lead the Gospel procession as required by your holy object.
Stand at the appointed place during the Gospel Proclamation, with your eyes toward the ground or straight ahead—do not allow your eyes to wander.
Walk back to the appointed place by the altar, as required by your holy object.
Return holy object to required place.
Return to your seat.
At the Offertory, the appointed acolytes:
Enter the sanctuary reverently and proceed to appointed places; (i) to the Epistle side of the altar to be ready to retrieve the alms basin or (ii) to the credence table to help with the setting of the altar for the Great Thanksgiving (see the end of this section, “The Appointed Incredible Acolytes” for your specific duties during the preparation for the Great Thanksgiving).
At the end of the sending out, return to your seat in the nave, open your prayerbook and be ready to pray the post-communion prayer.
After the final blessing, retrieve your holy object and take your position.
Following the verger in procession, leave the Cathedral in the same order in which you entered.

The Appointed Incredible Acolytes:

A. At the credence table:

Immediately retrieve the breadbox and the silver bread dish, and hand to the deacon, bow slightly (simple bow[1]) when you hand off the dishes. Wait to receive the top of the breadbox and the extra bread bags before proceeding to the next step, bow as you receive these items. Place the empty and full bread bags that you receive on the bottom shelf of the niche on the Gospel side of the altar.
Offer the wine flagons and cruets to the deacon, one by one, with the handle pointed out—toward the deacon (bow as you hand them off).
Hand the water cruet to the deacon (bow), that he or she may add water to the chalice and wine vessels. Note: you will not receive the water back for the ablutions until after you, the other acolyte, and the deacon have received the elements from the procession.
Wait for the deacon to finish setting the table, then join the deacon and other acolyte at the altar rail to receive the alms and the elements. The deacon may or may not hand you one of the elements to carry back to the altar.
While the deacon is arranging all the elements and adding water appropriately, drape the lavabo towel over your left forearm. Wait to take the lavabo bowl into your left hand until you have received the water cruet—it will be easier than to juggle them betwixt your hands.
Once you have received the water cruet from the deacon and bowed, pick up the lavabo bowl with your left hand, and wait for the celebrant.
Pour a healthy amount of water over the celebrant’s hands when poised over the bowl, and offer your left forearm, that he or she may easily reach the towel.
When he or she has replaced the towel, bow, and then deposit the lavabo bowl, with the towel draped atop it, and the water cruet, back onto the credence table.
Stand with your hands folded in front of you, above your waist, and allow your gaze to rest upon the altar, as we witness the miracle of the Eucharist!

B. At the epistle side of the altar:

Take the alms basin and round cushion located in the upper part of the niche on the Epistle side of the altar, place cushion inside basin.
Hold basin above your waist in both hands; wait for the altar table to be set.
Once the altar has been set, you, your fellow acolyte, the deacon, and the celebrant will make your way to the altar rail, where the other acolyte and the deacon will receive the elements.
Then you will step forward to receive the alms basin to be stacked in/on top of yours.
Once all basins have been collected and stacked, hand the stack to the celebrant, who will bless the offering, and then hand the stack back to you.
You will take the stack and place it in the upper part of the niche on the Epistle side of the altar.
Move to the outer edge of the bishop’s chair and stand with your hands folded in front of you, above your waist, and allow your gaze to rest up on the altar, as we witness the miracle of the Eucharist!

(1) You will be communicated by the priests and Eucharistic Ministers. Once you have received communion, exit the sanctuary.

(2) Take your appointed station to aid others in navigating the stairs or other perilous obstacles in the Cathedral.

(3) At the end of communion, join the celebrant in sending out the Body and Blood of Christ to the Eucharistic Visitors (at the 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. services)

Appendix B – Information and Vocabulary

If you have any questions regarding your responsibilities or role, please feel free to contact Canon Hylden.

Canon Hylden: ork: 803.461.7325

Vocabulary

Ablutions – purification rite used by priests when approaching the altar to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the people.

Credence Table – the table that holds all the necessary elements to set the altar for the Great Thanksgiving.

Epistle Side – classically, this is the right side of a church when standing by the West door looking toward the altar; however, the Cathedral is set up such that the pulpit is on the right side. Since the pulpit is the place from which the Gospel is proclaimed, and the lecturn is the place from which the Epistle is read, for the purposes of Trinity Cathedral, the Epistle side is the left side. You may also refer to our “Epistle” side as “North.”

Gospel Side – classically this is the left side of a church when standing by the West door looking toward the altar; however, the Cathedral is set up such that the pulpit is on the right side. Since the pulpit is the place from which the Gospel is proclaimed, and the lecturn is the place from which the Epistle is read, for the purposes of Trinity Cathedral, the Gospel side is the right side. You may also refer to our “Gospel” side as “South.”

Great Thanksgiving – the English word for Eucharist (which is Greek).

Narthex – the area of the church building from the west door to the wooden screen that denotes the beginning of the pews.

Nave – the area of the church building in which the pews are located.

Sanctuary – the area of the church building within the altar rail. This is the area that the lone priest entered once a year by himself—the “Holy of Holies.”

Simple Bow – from the shoulders, including the head.

Solemn Bow – from the waist, including the entire upper body, with head bowed, not tilted up (used when reverencing the altar).

Appendix C – The Holy Eucharist Rite II, Prayer A[2]

The Holy Eucharist: RiteTwo

The Word of God

A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.

The people standing, the Celebrant says
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.

In place of the above, from Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost

Celebrant Alleluia. Christ is risen.
People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In Lent and on other penitential occasions
Celebrant Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;
People His mercy endures for ever.

The Celebrant may say

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our
hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may
perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.Amen.

Holy Eucharist II 355

When appointed, the following hymn or some other song of praise is
sung or said, all standing
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

On other occasions the following is used

Lord, have mercy. / Kyrie eleison.
Christ, have mercy. / or / Christe eleison.
Lord have mercy. / Kyrie eleison.

or this
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

356Holy Eucharist II

The Collect of the Day
The Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
The Celebrant says the Collect.
People Amen.
The Lessons
The people sit. One or two Lessons, as appointed, are read,
the Reader first saying
A Reading (Lesson) from.

A citation giving chapter and verse may be added.

After each Reading, the Reader may say

The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.

or the Reader may say Here ends the Reading (Epistle).