Article written by Theresa Anthony
In a simple but moving Commissioning and Investiture ceremony, 92 young people came forward to commit themselves to the service of the parish as altar servers.
Their presence signified their desire to serve Jesus at the Eucharistic Table and the community through the Holy Catholic Church.
Rev Father George Harrison took a moment to thank the parents who proudly and willingly supported their children in their misson to serve. It was a poignant moment when the parents came forward during the Rite of Commissioning to make the sign of the cross on their sons’ and daughters’ foreheads and present them with a wooden cross, which they will wear every time they serve.
With the regular servers given leave from their duties, former altar servers, some of the fathers and uncles of the newly commissioned, stepped forward to take their place at the sanctuary. Some of them had last served 10 to 20 years ago, but their pride and dedication to duty speaks volumes about why the young people are willing to come forward to serve.
Prior to the commissioning, the young people shared their reasons for coming forward, and a big part of this was the camaraderie and friendships that were being created – a bond that was clearly seen among the seniors who came forward to serve.
An additional pleasure was seeing young girls as part of this fraternity, a change that took a long time coming.
God bless each and every one of these young people as they serve and grow in the service of God and the parish, under the able leadership of Chief Server Kevin Kennedy, Assistant Jaeron Anthony, and Advisors Reuben Nair and Timothy Maria.