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History
God’s chosen people, and we find “servers” in the pages of the Old Testament. Before the great temple was built by King Solomon, boys were dedicated to the service of God in certain holy places. In 1Samuel 2:3, we read a boy Samuel who served God in sanctuary of Shiloh. Later, when the Temple was built in at Jerusalem, the men of the family of Levi, the Levites, assisted their priest in their duties of sacrifice, praise and blessing.
Altar servers also go all the way back to Last Supper where in the Gospels Jesus tells his apostles to secure this particular upper room and prepare it for them to celebrate the Passover meal.
The first Masses were celebrated in homes for families, their relatives and intimate friends. The acolytes, or altar servers, who helped the celebrant were very likely the children of the host, or persons who were within the small circle of believers.
The early Church continuing the tradition of men and boys assisting public worship. From the underground Church, persecuted in Rome, we have the story of Saint Tarcisius, a young Christian given the dangerous mission secretly taking the Blessed Eucharist to the prisons. He was caught and tortured, but he did not reveal the sacred Gift he was carrying.
In the fourth century, the Church gave official status to those assisting the clergy in worship. These assistants were called “acolytes”, which comes from the Greek word for “followers” and “attendants”. Acolytes were ordained to this office, a “minor order” as distinct from the major orders: bishop, priest, deacon. Gradually, the order of acolyte lost its distinct rule and became only one of the steps towards to priesthood. In recent years the ministry of acolyte has been broadened. No longer it seen in terms of a step towards priestly ordination but in terms of service (ministry) within the Church community. The ministry has now been restored to the laity who exercised it in the early Church.
Servers really developed from ministry of acolyte. First there were not enough deacons to assist the bishop or priest in the ceremonies of the Mass. Their role was deputed to acolytes and other clerics. But as the Church grew, there were many places where the only ordained man was the local priest, so the assistant role of acolyte was deputed to men and boys, the altar servers. As the ceremonies of the Church developed so were the various form of ritual required many assistants, especially for solemn celebrations.
Here and abroad, Mass servers are often called “Knights Of the Altar”, a thoroughly anachronistic title. There are two groups, one was organized by the Salesians, and the other which is diocesan. Knights of the Salesians are categorized as “Adelpos”, “Christophoros”, and other impressive Greek words. On other hand, the Knights of diocesan parishes use medieval classifications: Junior Knight, Senior Knight and Grand Knight. In the Archdiocese of Manila and other parishes, the functions of the acolyte are deputed to the Ministry of Altar Servers (for the youth and young boys).
In the Parish, On April 10, 1971 a ministry composed of young boys was organized under the guidance of Fr. Braulio Peña, O.P. and the task is to assist the priest during the mass. It was formely known as Acolytes Club.
In the year 2005 our Parish Priest Fr. Jaime C. Alamillo, O.P. reorganized the ministry. He guided aspirant young boys and men who want to become new altar servers. Youth from the parish, university and nearby schools expressed themselves to join serving in the Church. They have given 3-5 months formal training and formation before investiture. In the same year the ministry welcomes altar servers-student from the other places that staying here in Manila. Altar servers-student would like to continue in serving God and they are from Diocese of Iba (6), Diocese of Balanga (2), Diocese of Lucena (1), Diocese of Imus (1), Diocese of Parañaque (1), Diocese of Pasig (1), Diocese of Legaspi (1), Diocese of Tuguegarao (1), Diocese of Ilagan (1), Diocese of Urdaneta (1) and Diocese of Cubao (1). Around 100 newly invested and installed members creating six batches of altar servers in the parish (Punla, Pagsibol, Pag-usbong, Paglago, Pagsasanga and Pagsamyo) thru active recruiting in 3 and half years.
The Church is giving Altar Server a serious responsibility – to take on the sacred role of chosen men. This is a great honor. Pope John Paul II says, “…you are far more than ‘helpers of the parish priest’. Above all, you are servants of Jesus Christ the eternal High Priest. Thus, you are especially called to be young friends of Jesus1” and “…you will be little apostles who obtain the graces of the Lord for so many souls, and prepare for yourselves a great and precious treasure in heaven.2”
1 John Paul II, Message to Altar Servers, 1 August 2001
2 John Paul II, Message to Altar Servers,28 February 1987
References: Serving at the Altar by Anscar Chupungco, OSB, Ministry of Altar Servers; and Norms of Piety for Knights of the Altar, Gregory Gaston, Theogical Centrum
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GENERAL AUDIENCE
St Peter's Square
Wednesday, 2 August 2006
...Today, seeing you here before me… I think of the Apostles and I hear Jesus' voice saying to you: I do not call you servants but friends; abide in my love and you will bear an abundance of fruit (cf. Jn 15: 9, 16).
I ask you to listen to this voice! Christ did not only say this 2,000 years ago; he is alive and saying it to you now. Listen to his voice with great openness; he has something to say to each one. Perhaps he is saying to some of you: "I want you to serve me in a special way as a priest, thus becoming my witness, being my friend and introducing others into this friendship".
Listen faithfully, therefore, to Jesus' voice. Each person's vocation is different, but Christ wants to make friends with everyone, just as he did with Simon, whom he called Peter, with Andrew, James, John and the other Apostles.
He has given you his word and continues to give it to you, so that you may know the truth, know how things truly are for human beings, and thus, so that you know how one ought to live in the right way, how one ought to face life so that it may become true. Thus, each of you, in your own way, will be able to be his disciples and apostles.
Dear Altar Servers, you are, in fact, already apostles of Jesus! When you take part in the Liturgy by carrying out your altar service, you offer a witness to all. Your absorption, the devotion that wells up from your heart and is expressed in gestures, in song, in the responses: if you do it correctly and not absent-mindedly, then in a certain way your witness is one that moves people.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the bond of friendship with Jesus. You are very close to Jesus in the Eucharist, and this is the most important sign of his friendship for each one of us. Do not forget it.
This is why I am asking you not to take this gift for granted so that it does not become a sort of habit, knowing how it works and doing it automatically; rather, discover every day anew that something important happens, that the living God is among us and that you can be close to him and help him so that his mystery is celebrated and reaches people.
If you do not give into habit, if you put your innermost self into carrying out your service, then you will truly be his apostles and bear fruits of goodness and service in every context of your life: in the family, at school, in your free time.
Take to one and all that love which you receive in the Liturgy, especially to places where you realize that they lack love, where they do not receive goodness, where they suffer and are lonely.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, try to take Jesus to those very people who are outcast, who are not very popular or have problems. With the power of the Holy Spirit, it is precisely there that you must take Jesus.
In this way, the Bread you see broken upon the altar will be shared and multiplied even more, and you, like the Twelve Apostles, will help Jesus distribute it to the people of today in their different walks of life.
So it is, dear Altar Servers, that my last words to you are: May you always be friends and apostles of Jesus Christ!
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MASDAN, LINGKOD NG PANGINOON
Official Hymn of MAS-SRP
(M)(T) Bro. Jed Carlo Espedido
Koro:
Masdan ninyo! mga lingkod ng Panginoon.
Tagapaglingkod ng bayan ng Diyos.
Halina, O bayan magpasalamat
sa biyayang ating tinanggap.
I
Pinili mula sa bayan,
Upang magpahayag ng Salita ng Diyos.
Mag-alay ng sarili'ng kalugod lugod sa Diyos
II
Sinugong mga kabataan
Naghahayag ng awa at pagmamahal.
Pag-asa, kapayapaan, pagpapala ng Diyos.
III
Kami'ng mga kabataan,
pagtungo kay Kristo na aming Diyos.
Sa gabay ni Mariang Reyna;
Minamahal naming Ina.
Koro:
Masdan ninyo! mga lingkod ng Panginoon.
Tagapaglingkod ng bayan ng Diyos.
Halina, O bayan magpasalamat
sa biyayang ating tinanggap.
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OFFICERS 2008 - 09
Parish Priest and Spiritual Moderator :
Rev. Fr. Jaime "James" C. Alamillo, O.P.
President: Bro. Brian Joseph Santos
Vice President: Bro. Gexter Abad
Secretary: Bro. Kevin Donaldson Romero
Assistant Secretary: Bro. Florencio Opilac
Treasurer: Bro. Lance Angelo Baldovino
Assistant Treasurer: Bro. Paolo Larena
Property Custodian:Bro. Ricky Malicse
Assistant Property Custodian: Bro. McFlynn Teodoro
Chairman of Committee on Public Information: Bro. James Patrick Jaring
Chairman of Committee on Training and Formation: Bro. Matt Bonifacio
Chairman of Committee on Liturgy: on going nomination of the new liturgist
Chairman of Committee on Special Events: on going nomination of the new events coordinator
Representatives
Worship Ministry: Bro. Matt Bonifacio
Education Ministry: Bro. Gexter Abad
Service Ministry: Bro. Brian Joseph Santos
Temporalities Ministry: Bro. Lance Angelo Baldovino
Family Life Ministry: Bro. Joseph Christian Villaflor
Youth Ministry: Bro. James Patrick Jaring
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LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER
POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO PRIESTS
FOR HOLY THURSDAY 2004
In the light of this, dear brother priests, I would ask you, among other initiatives, to show special care for altar servers, who represent a kind of “garden” of priestly vocations. The group of altar servers, under your guidance as part of the parish community, can be given a valuable experience of Christian education and become a kind of pre-seminary. Help the parish, as a family made up of families, to look upon the altar servers as their own children, like “olive shoots around the table” of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (cf. Ps. 127:3).
With the help of the families most involved and catechists, be particularly concerned for the group of servers so that, through their service at the altar, each of them will learn to grow in love for the Lord Jesus, to recognize him truly present in the Eucharist and to experience the beauty of the liturgy. Initiatives for altar servers on the diocesan or local level should be promoted and encouraged, with attention to the different age groups. During my years of episcopal ministry in Krakow I was able to see the great benefits which can accrue from a concern for their human, spiritual and liturgical training. When children and young people serve at the altar with joy and enthusiasm, they offer their peers an eloquent witness to the importance and beauty of the Eucharist. Thanks to their own lively imagination and the explanations and example given by priests and their older friends, even very young children can grow in faith and develop a love for spiritual realities.
Finally, never forget that you yourselves are the first “Apostles” of Jesus the High Priest. Your own witness counts more than anything else. Altar servers see you at the regular Sunday and weekday celebrations; in your hands they see the Eucharist “take place”, on your face they see its mystery reflected, and in your heart they sense the summons of a greater love. May you be for them fathers, teachers and witnesses of Eucharistic piety and holiness of life!
John Paul II
18 May 1920 -2 April 2005 | 
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