Altar servers: heavenly grace

Teresita Carreón recalls the moment 13 years ago when “our daughter disappeared.”

It was the Mass for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. One moment the young girl, Lucero, was there. The next ...

“We saw her enter in the procession,” Carreón said, “dressed as an altar server.”

It was Lucero’s cousin, a few years older, who served as the inspiration for her to want to be there, at the altar, serving the Lord. Although she does not remember that time in detail, since she was only 4 years old, Lucero keeps in her memory how funny it was that the cassocks she wore were far too big for her.

Currently, about 65 children are serving as altar servers at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, and their interest in continuing to do so has remained strong over the years. In turn, they serve as an inspiration for others to feel a deep interest in joining them.

Teresita works as the volunteer coordinator for all the altar servers. For parents, she said it is important to pay close attention to the needs of children, especially their spiritual needs, since these are what strengthen their faith and prepare them to avoid dangers at different stages of their lives.

“It is also important because, on some occasions, that very close bond with God can be the beginning of their vocation to religious or priestly life,” Carreón said. “And it is precisely this contact that will help them in the process of discernment.”

How does a desire to serve arise in children? Why is it important? What motivates them to remain involved with the Church?

While it began early for Carreón’s two children, Lucero, now 17, and 12-year-old son Leonardo Piñón, big sister’s path to serving emerged from a troubling period that included depression.

“During that time, I thought my parents didn’t understand me, and if any of my friends didn’t talk to me, I thought I had done something wrong,” she said. “During those years I closed myself off a lot, I hurt myself.”

With help, Lucero began to understand many things. She started attending Mass more frequently even when she did not feel like praying, yet feeling that God was the only one she could talk to.

Today, Lucero, a student at Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School, considers the experience to have been truly rewarding for her because it helps her “stay connected with God.”

With enthusiasm and pride, Lucero serves at many Masses. Some children, learning what she does, ask her to share her knowledge and experiences. Today, on some occasions, she helps as a facilitator in the formation of new altar servers.

Her family sees her future as a religious sister, however, she leaves everything “in God’s hands.” For now, Lucero envisions herself as a doctor or a nurse.

Payton Attocknie has been an altar server since he was 8 years old, first at Historic Sacred Heart and now at the shrine.

It was catechist Angie Tarango who taught him about the sacraments and who eventually encouraged him to become an altar server.

“I found love with God from that day. I got to serve God and not only just be in the pews, but I just got to be up close with him,” he said.

For Attocknie, now a student at Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School, serving God is a great privilege, from helping make all the preparations and arrangements before and after each service, to joining in prayer with his fellow servers, deacons and priests before each Mass begins.

He said one special moment was serving as an altar server for the celebration of the Native American Mass that is usually held in the fall, honoring National Native American Heritage Month.

“It just hit my heart really hard because of how we're celebrated here during Mass,” he said, “and how all the tribes and Native people come together to just have Mass, especially because there are not many Catholic Native Americans and we’re just in a Catholic Church. That means a lot.”

Attocknie and his family are citizens of the Comanche Nation.

The future looks promising.

“I sort of feel like becoming a priest because the Church has made very significant impacts on my life, through life and then through seeing death, and just special moments in my life the Church is always there in the center of my life and God is always there for me,” Attocknie said.

Mateo García, 8 years old, has served as an altar server since he was 3 and a half at Historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a motivation that arose from seeing other children do it. He shared this desire with his grandparents, who always support him.

Msgr. Don Wolf and Mateo GarciaAfter five years, García said happiness comes from being close to God, praising and serving him. Close to Monsignor Don Wolf, they both share the hope that one day García might become Pope.

Kadom Reeves’ first encounter with the Catholic Church was at 8 years old in Missouri. There he received the Sacrament of Baptism and First Communion and began to serve as an altar server. The following year his family moved to Oklahoma, and he began serving at Saint Eugene Catholic Church and then later at the shrine.

“I started serving more at different churches and right now, I am one of the archbishop’s head servers,” Reeves said.

One of Reeves’ most profound memories as an altar server is his experience at a powerful Mass celebrated in 2022 at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Although many people have told him he would be a great priest, he said, “I'm still trying to figure out what my calling is … for now, I want to go into law school because that's what most of my family has gone into.”

At Sacred Heart Catholic Church at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, altar servers are more than helpers at Mass – they are young hearts learning that joy is found in giving themselves to God. These young altar servers remind people that holiness has no age requirement. Their reverence, courage and joy at the altar inspire families, strengthen parishes and plant seeds of vocation.
 
Bella Gutiérrez is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photo: (Top) From L to R: Kadom Reeves, Lucero Piñón and Payton Attocknie are altar servers at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at the Bl. Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City. Photos Bella Gutiérrez/Sooner Catholic.