This will be a brief overview of the roles of the various people you may see ministering at the altar at OLMC.
Starting with the one in the middle seat whom everyone should recognize is the priest. The priest, during the celebration of the Mass, wears a chasuble, which matches the liturgical color of the Mass and often contains a single vertical stripe down the middle, sometimes splitting into three branches at the top of the chest. During the Mass, the priest is responsible for offering the Sacrifice and confecting the Eucharist. Only a priest (bishops are also priests) is capable of doing this, and the other ministers assist him in properly celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Christological nature of the priest during the Mass is to be configured to Christ the High Priest and Christ the Sacrificial Lamb. We have two priests assigned to us at OLMC: our Pastor, Fr. Robert Aliunzi, and his parochial vicar, Fr. Gabriel Terrill. We also frequently have other priests not assigned to us assist in celebrating our liturgical schedule.
Next, seated at the right hand of the priest is a deacon. The deacon wears a dalmatic, which matches the liturgical color of the Mass, has sleeves unlike the chasuble, and often contains two vertical stripes on the sides of the chest, with two horizontal bars connecting these stripes near the top and bottom, resembling a ladder. While a deacon is not a priest, he shares in having a Christological nature during the Mass, which is to be configured to Christ the Servant, as Christ was when He washed the disciples’ feet. As such, during the Mass, the deacon is responsible for serving both the people in proclaiming the Gospel and serving the priest in assisting him in preparing the altar for the sacrifice and then assisting in offering that sacrifice to our Heavenly Father.
Seated to the left of the priest is typically at OLMC, the Master of Ceremonies (MC), who is not a member of the clergy but a member of the laity like ourselves. The MC wears a black cassock with a white surplice. The role of Master of Ceremonies has existed within the Catholic Church since before the year 400, and its purpose is to direct and arrange the liturgy to ensure it is proper and flows smoothly. The MC assists and conducts all ministers of the altar, providing direct guiding assistance to the priest and instruction to the altar servers as the lead altar server (Prefect).
Lastly, there are the altar servers seated on each side of the sanctuary, flanking the tabernacle. At OLMC, they are vested in colors according to rank, with the newest altar servers (Postulants) wearing white, more experienced servers (Novices) wearing red, and expert servers (Oblates) wearing black.
We are looking for two volunteers at each Mass to assist with setup and cleanup for Masses on a biweekly basis. See Joseph after Mass for more details and to sign up. Email liturgy@olmctempe.com if you have any questions or call the Parish Office at 480-967-8791.
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