September 28, 2010 - Altar Server Appreciation Mass

Saturday, October 2, 2010
11am at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross

(Braintree, MA) – Bishop Robert Hennessey, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston/Central Region, will celebrate Mass with an expected 700 altar servers, families and friends from across the Archdiocese of Boston on Saturday, October 2, 2010.  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 Bishop 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).
 
Rev. Daniel Hennessey, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese, said, “The Annual Altar Server Appreciation Mass is always a great event because it helps us all to see what a grace and privilege it is to worship God at Holy Mass.  The servers who attend, and all those who serve at Mass attest to the love they have for God and His Church and the importance of weekly Sunday Mass.  These young people love the Mass because they love God and believe in the Eucharist.  Their witness is inspiring.”

During the Mass, Bishop Hennessey will bless and recognize the expected 400 altar servers in attendance. 

To learn more about the Altar Server Appreciation Mass please visit www.vocationsboston.org. 

Awards

The Pope John Paul II Award will be awarded to two Junior Servers and two Senior Servers 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 two Junior Servers and two Senior Servers 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.