Some parish ministries have a target age range built into their names — youth and young adult ministry. Others cast a wider net — choir members, lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. Yet wider still is the age range of another ministry, easily spanning six or seven decades: altar servers.

A role that has deep roots in the first centuries of Church history, altar servers are entrusted with tasks related to assisting at the holy Mass, such as carrying the crucifix during the procession, holding the book for the celebrant and assisting with the washing of the priest’s hands during the liturgy.

St. Steven’s Catholic Church in Sun Lakes, Ariz., and St. Mary Magdalene in Gilbert, Ariz., are two parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix where altar servers span from as young as 10 to as old as 80-something. Senior-aged volunteers expressed how much they love the ministry.

This is especially true for the senior-aged altar servers who are women.

“It’s an answer to a 70-year-old dream for me,” said Dottie Wodraska, whose ears perked up during a pulpit announcement over two years ago. She and her good friend, Kathleen Parkhurst, heard the plea for volunteers, including “women and girls to step up and be trained” at St. Steven’s. 

Both of Wodraska’s brothers became altar servers in the Archdiocese of St. Louis around age 10. Girls could not participate at that time, nor could they altar serve when her daughter turned 10, more than 40 years ago. But things have since shifted. Wodraska’s granddaughter, now in college, was an altar server as a teen in Philadelphia. She was excited when her grandma was finally able to participate, too.

St. Steven’s was originally intended to serve a retirement community, and even as Valley growth brought young families to the parish, the senior population has always responded generously to filling the need for altar servers, explained Dcn. David Runyan.

Senior altar servers at St. Steven’s step in wherever needed, which is often during the Saturday vigil Mass, especially in the summer, as well as daily Masses year-round, including funerals.

At St. Mary Magdalene, younger altar servers cover weekend Masses while senior-aged volunteers serve during the week and double as sacristans, a role that carries responsibilities such as preparing the altar and arranging the vestments, sacred vessels and liturgical books.  Additionally, these servers are the only ones permitted to serve at Masses at nearby assisted living facilities, a monthly outreach that started about three years ago.

Senior servers with physical limitations take them in stride. If they are unable to kneel or genuflect, they do a profound bow during the consecration.

“It doesn’t take away from the liturgy at all,” Wodraska said.

A grace-filled ministry

Paul Maurer was called into the ministry eight years ago.

As a daily Massgoer with his then 11-year-old son, a group of retirees at the parish noticed his steadfastness and offered to train Maurer as a backup sacristan. He agreed, and altar server training was embedded into the process. He has been part of the ministry ever since and is currently training another senior-aged altar server. His son, now 19, was also trained as an altar server around the same time as his dad and has since advanced to master of ceremonies.

“I just love serving the Lord and doing God’s will,” the elder Maurer, now in his 50s, said.

Growing up, his mom took him and his sisters to an Episcopal church just twice a year. He recalled a sense of peace. Maurer was fully initiated into the Catholic Church in 2005 and learned in that process it had been Jesus who bestowed that peace as a child. The experience of serving at the altar in adulthood is fostering private discernment of the diaconate.

“We all feel called in one way or another,” Steve Simek said of the altar server ministry. He recalled the presence of servers helping get him through his parents’ funerals. The 70-something altar server now does the same for others at St. Mary Magdalene. Simek joined the ministry at least seven years ago after once being a server as a teen.

“We used to say it’s an honor, but actually, it’s a blessing.”

Some of the female altar servers at St. Steven’s couldn’t agree more. 

“Daily Mass has so many spiritual people in the pews and there I am up on the altar, and I feel unworthy and very, very privileged to be there,” Parkhurst said. 

Serving is in her DNA. She recalled attending daily Mass as a young adult and noticing a priest celebrating Mass whose arthritis made it difficult to turn the pages of the Roman Missal. Parkhurtst briefly approached the altar to do it for him.

“From that day forward, I thought, ‘One of these days, I’ll be able to go up there officially and help,'” she said.

Now parishioners call Parkhurst and Wodraska the “altar angels” or “altar twins.” They often serve together on Saturdays.

Being at the altar so close to where the priest is raising the host is something special, Wodraska said, calling her role in the ministry fulfilling and grace filled. 

The six or so senior men who are also St. Steven’s altar servers have become like spiritual brothers to her. Wodraska credits the camaraderie and the prayer in the narthex before each Mass when all the ministers gather together.

“It adds to the reverence of what we’re doing,” she said.