It might not be a large parish, but St Anthony of Padua, Toongabbie, has a junior altar serving ministry that would rival some of its bigger neighbours.
The ministry has flourished since its rejuvenation in 2016, with 44 servers aged 10- to 18-years-old assisting with the celebration of the parish’s three weekend Masses and their Tuesday evening devotion Mass to St Anthony.
“It’s astronomical and uncommon for a parish of our size to have so many servers,” Master of Ceremonies and Altar Server Coordinator Anthony Michael said.
“In the past, altar serving didn’t seem to be a nourishing ministry or experience for young people, but now, it’s seen as a social gathering and allows them to come together and what, I feel, keeps them involved.”
Training builds confidence
Altar serving is open to children after receiving their First Holy Communion and they are trained over three different stages:
- General altar serving duties such as carrying the candles.
- Cross bearer and book-bearer.
- Thurifer.
With each stage, there is a sense of leadership in that those in the higher stages train the younger servers. Once the servers reach 18, they can then be trained to be senior servers, helping with the preparation of the altar.
Junior altar servers during their training. Image: Supplied
“One of the great things is watching them grow in terms of their confidence, their belief in themselves and their own faith journey. They start off really anxious and nervous, and in a few years, they’re helping other kids with what to do and role modelling the reverence of serving at Mass,” Anthony said.
“The thing I always teach the kids is that we are not making the Mass more sacred, but we are making what’s hidden to be more visible and highlighting the sensorial experiences during the Mass to realise the beauty and the divinity of what’s going on.”
Anthony was grateful for the leadership of senior server Jodie Rodrigues, who lead the training since 2011 and had recently stepped away. “She had a unique ability to plan, organise and teach whilst also being relatable and connecting to our young children in a way that enhances a sense of belonging.”
Junior altar servers during their training. Image: Supplied
Giving back a key to serving
One of the parish’s newest altar servers, Shaylin Arulnayagam, was inspired to join the ministry through the influence of her older sister.
“My interest grew to help out in church, and so I decided to do that by becoming an altar server,” she said.
“My favourite part of being an altar server is carrying the candles to the altar and helping when Communion takes place.
“I learnt more about leadership and making new friends by being involved in the parish.”
Anushan Winton started off as a junior server at the age of 13 in 2018, following in the footsteps of his brother. Now, he is being trained by Anthony as a senior server.
Junior altar servers are commissioned during Mass. Image: Supplied
“Initially, I felt as if it was my duty to become an altar server and give back to the community in which I was raised and learned my Christian values,” Anushan said.
“As I got older and matured, I started to really appreciate how being an altar server brought me closer to God.
“Helping the Mass run just a bit more smoothly and doing my part makes me feel as if I’m carrying a small part of the cross that Jesus did.”
Bringing “life and youth” to the parish
Anthony said that the ministry is greatly supported by Parish Priest Fr Joby Ittira, and by the wider community, who value having such a strong serving ministry.
“We’ve had a lot of people saying that it adds reverence to the Mass,” he said.
“I’ve also had really positive feedback from the parents of the servers, which, I think, gets them to be more excited in the life of the Church and engages the families more in the community.
“Our community continues to have a great influx of migrants from the South Asian countries, and they bring with them their passion for their faith, which then filters down to their children.”
Anushan said that having such a strong altar serving ministry brings “life and youth” to the parish.
“It is a privilege to be part of a community that values the role of young people in the Church,” he said.
“The younger people are ultimately the next generation who are going to carry on and spread the faith in the future.”
Junior altar servers with Fr Joby in the sacristy. Image: Supplied
Strengthening connection to faith, community
Anthony hopes that when the children leave the ministry, that the faith development they experienced will nourish them in other aspects of parish life.
“Our intention is that they don’t just come to Mass to serve – they live out their faith life in the wider community in a way that connects to who they are.”
For Anushan, he feels that being an altar server has made him a well-rounded person.
“Serving at the altar, we get a ‘front row seat’ to the sacredness of it all, which helps us stay present and truly in the moment.
“This role has helped me become more disciplined in my faith and more committed to living out the values of the Church in everyday life.”
Parishioner Linda Mackett. Image: Supplied.
Seamstress to the stars!
One of the unsung heroes of the altar serving ministry is parishioner Linda Mackett, who helps sew and design the albs for all the servers.
Linda has been sewing the albs for four years, having taken over from an older parishioner from Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish, Greystanes.
Each alb takes approximately 4-5 hours to complete, and at the beginning of every training cycle, Linda will get the children to try on sample sizes and make adjustments when necessary. She will also take home the albs if she notices the sleeves or hems are too short.
“I’ve loved sewing and knitting from a very young age, so this is a very rewarding ministry,” she explained.
“It’s so nice to see the kids growing up and becoming more confident as they work their way through the training and the ministry.
“I’m very honoured and pleased to be involved in this ministry. It gives me a great deal of joy.”
This article was originally published in the 2025 Season of Creation | Spring edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine. You can read the digital version here or pick up a copy in your local parish.
