PARTICULAR INSTRUCTIONS
THE SEVER IN THE SACRISTY
Behavior. All servers should take a prde in punctualty, personal cleanliness and good behavior, and while serving strictly avoid staring about them. The service in which they assist is no common service but sacred and solemn, and the place is most holy, therefore must the server constantly remind himself of the presence of God and His holy angels if he would serve well.
The Sacristy is the antechamber of the sanctuary and within the precincts of God's house; therefore the server will regulate his conduct and behave well there, after the example of the Holy Child and His saints. As a member of the Guild of St. Stephen he will place himself under the protection of that faithful deacon and brave martyr, invoke his intercession and follow his example.
THE SERVER AT THE ALTAR
The first thing that every server at Low Mass should be concerned about is the correct pronunciation of the Latin. Those servers who have never learnt Latin, and they are the majority, should invariably use a book or card when serving. It is so easy to make mistakes without realizing it, and these mistakes tend to increase until in the course of time the answers will no longer be Latin at all but merely a succession of sounds somewhat resembling that language.
He should follow the Mass. His duty is SERVE the priest. He must, therefore, attend to what the priest is saying and doing, so as to be ready to answer at the correct time, and be rather beforehand than behindhand with his ministrations. It is for the priest and not the server to set the pace.
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