Acolytes: A Call to Follow

"Grant me a true spirit of faith, and humble obedience, so that I may ever behold the Priest as a representative of God, and I may serve alongside of him, willingly following Your Way, the Truth, and a Life in Christ. Amen." - Taken from the Acolyte's Prayer of Preparation

The term "acolyte" (nowadays, also commonly called altar boys) is a very old term in the church, meaning "follower" in Greek. Today, it is a term that has come to mean attendant or helper. Assistants (altar boys or altar servers) were mentioned as early as 3rd century AD by church historians. In many cases, they were young boys who were orphaned and taken in by the church. In return, they offered the church service as assistants to the priests, freeing them to attend to the other spiritual needs of their flocks. The acolytes dedicated themselves to this work, and often lived their entire lives within the church building, serving the church and God; others grew up and became priests themselves.