On Saturday 5 October, over 200 altar servers gathered at St Chad’s Cathedral for their annual Mass of Thanksgiving.

This was the first time in several years that so many altar servers have gathered for the annual Mass for the Guild of St Stephen. 

Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Longley and was served by altar servers from St Mary’s the Mount in Walsall- the Mass is served by a different parish every year.

The Mass is an opportunity for servers from all across the Archdiocese to come together as we give thanks for their faithful service. Together, we prayed the Diocesan Prayer for Vocations, and Altar Servers made a renewal of their promises.

The Guild Promise:
I offer myself to God almighty,
To Blessed Mary our Mother
And to our holy patron, Saint Stephen,
And I promise to do my best
To serve regularly with reverence and understanding,
For the glory of God, the service of his Church
And my own eternal salvation

In his homily, Archbishop Bernard ptaised the work of Altar Servers:

"Serving at the altar gives you assurance and confidence, built on your friendship with Our Lord.  

"It reflects the trust that he has placed in you, to look after the sacred vessels used in the Mass, to guide the People of God in prayer and to set a good example."

Read full homily

The Guild of St Stephen is an international organisation of altar servers, founded in England in 1904.

Altar servers take Saint Stephen - one of the first seven deacons chosen to assist the apostles in service (Acts 6) and the first martyr of the Church - as their patron.

The objectives of the Guild are:

• To encourage, positively and practically, the highest standards of serving at the Church's liturgy and so contribute to the whole community's participation in a more fruitful worship of God.
•  To provide altar servers with a greater understanding of what they are doing so that they may serve with increasing reverence and prayerfulness and thereby be led to a deepening response to their vocation in life.
• To unite servers of different parishes and dioceses for their mutual support and encouragement

The Guild of St Stephen for the Archdiocese of Birmingham is administered by the Diocesan Vocations Office. If you are interested in the priesthood or permanent diaconate and would like to know more, please visit the Vocations Office website.

Archdiocese of Birmingham Vocations Office

Photo Gallery Guild of St Stephen Mass of Thanksgiving 2024