The Corps of Acolytes and Lectors

The laity of Christ Church take a very active role assisting the worship of the parish.  The Acolyte Corps at Christ Church is made up of devoted parishioners who feel a calling to assist the clergy in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and so help enrich the worship experience of all in the congregation.  Serving as an acolyte proves a rich resource for one's prayer life and spiritual growth.  Children may enter the acolyte corps, and are given careful training both in the duties and choreography of a server and in the meaning of each part of the Mass they assist.  With its proximity to the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, Christ Church also serves as a training ground for many seminarians who want to learn the traditions of formal, elaborate, solemn ceremony for which the parish is noted.  Solemn High Mass at Christ Church requires altar servers, a crucifer (cross bearer), torch bearers, a thurifer (incense bearer), and for more festive Solemn Masses, banner bearers, additional crucifer, and an incense boat bearer...all under the watchful eye of a master of ceremonies, who assists the clergy and "stage manages" the Service.

Acolytes who feel a further calling in assisting with the Holy Eucharist may be trained to serve as Subdeacons (Communion Ministers).  After being licensed by the Bishop, a Subdeacon chants or reads the Epistle, helps the Deacon prepare the Altar for the Celebrant, administers the Chalice during Holy Communion, and assists the clergy in putting away the Communion vessels during a Solemn Mass. 

At Low Masses on weekdays, and very early Sunday morning, one acolyte assists the priest in the Lady Chapel: reading the first Bible Lesson and leading the Psalm, leading the Prayers of the People, assisting at the Altar and serving the Chalice.  The Sunday Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. is celebrated with modern language and simpler ceremony, either in the chancel (choir stalls) before the High Altar or from the nave crossing at a free-standing Altar.  But, this Mass, too, requires two to three devoted servers to carry cross and incense and assist at the Altar.  The corps of acolytes also serves the church for the occasional Service of Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Sacrament and at other special Services such as Stations of the Cross and Benediction in Lent.  Finally, acolytes share the work-load with the clergy four days a week when they serve as Lay Readers for the Office of Morning Prayer.

Lectors at Christ Church read the First Lesson from the Holy Scriptures during the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses on Sunday.  A lay lector may also read both Lessons from the Bible at Choral Evensong.  The corps of Lectors includes young people, and children who read the sacred Scriptures are trained in projection, articulation, and pronunciation of unfamiliar Biblical words.  The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is the Biblical translation most often used at Christ Church, sometimes alternated with the previous Revised Standard Version.  For Services attached to nostalgic tradition, such as Christmas Midnight Mass, the King James'  Bible may be used.  The apex of the liturgical cycle of Bible readings occurs at the Great Vigil of Easter, when lay lectors recount the history of God's great acts of salvation found in the Old Testament.

Schedule for Servers and Lectors

                                                11:00 a.m. Solemn Mass