Saturday, October 31, 2009
11am at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross
(Braintree, MA) - Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will celebrate Mass with more than 1,000 altar servers and their families from across the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, October 31, 2009. This annual Mass is held in recognition of altar servers and for their commitment to serving Christ and the Church. The Mass will take place at 11:00am at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1400 Washington Street, Boston, MA.
The Cardinal will also announce the recipients of the Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Service Awards, given to eight youth who have exhibited exemplary character of service to God and His Church. Please look for next week’s Pilot to learn about the recipients of these two awards (www.thebostonpilot.org).
Cardinal Seán said, "Generations of Catholics have experienced and learned the value of service to the Church by becoming altar servers actively engaged in the participation and celebration of the Eucharist. Through this experience we pray that they not only grow closer in their relationship with God but that being an altar server inspires them to consider the possibility of choosing a vocation in the Church. We are blessed by their commitment to the Mass and we give thanks for the important role they play in assisting our priests and parishes.”
Fr. Daniel Hennessey, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese, said, “The Altar Server Appreciation Mass is a wonderful opportunity for the Archdiocese to recognize and thank the many young men and women who dedicate themselves by serving at God’s Holy Altar. The Eucharist is the center of our lives as Catholics and to see so many young people interested in making the celebration of the Eucharist reverent and beautiful is truly inspiring. During this Year for Priests, we hope it will also be an opportunity for the Altar boys to consider if God may be calling them to be Priests.”
During the Mass, the Cardinal will bless and recognize the nearly 600 altar servers in attendance. He will also present them with a small gift in appreciation for their service.
Awards
The Pope John Paul II Award will be awarded to one Junior Server and one Senior Server who have shown exemplary service to their parish and their community by their imitation of Pope John Paul II. The recipients will be young men of dedication and zeal in service to others, especially at the Altar.
The Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Award will be given to one Junior Server and one Senior Server who have shown exemplary service to their parish and their community by their imitation of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The recipients will be young women of dedication and zeal in service to others, especially at the Altar.
The Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of approximately 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 292 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156, 000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of more than one million patients annually in Catholic hospitals and 200,000 individuals through its social service outreach. Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit www.rcab.org.