The patron saint of altar servers is St. John Berchmans (1599–1621), a young Belgian Jesuit who loved to serve Mass and became a saint by doing small duties with great love; the boy martyr St. Tarcisius, who died protecting the Eucharist, is also their patron. Many saints and popes, including St. John Paul II, began their life of faith serving at the altar. Below are the stories of the patron saints of altar servers, a prayer for altar servers before and after Mass, and what serving at the altar means.
A short altar server’s prayer, written for this page:
Lord Jesus, I am about to serve at your altar.
Help me to be reverent, attentive and careful,
to pray the Mass with my heart and not only with my hands,
and to bring your peace to everyone I serve. Amen.
St. John Berchmans
John Berchmans was born in 1599 in Diest, in what is now Belgium, the son of a shoemaker. As a boy he got up early every day to serve two or three Masses before school. At seventeen he entered the Society of Jesus and was sent to study in Rome. He was known not for anything spectacular but for doing ordinary things perfectly: “If I do not become a saint when I am young,” he wrote, “I shall never become one.” He died of fever in Rome in 1621, at twenty-two, holding his rosary, crucifix and rule book, and was canonized in 1888. He is the patron of altar servers and of young people. The Roman Martyrology remembers him on August 13, the day of his death, and the Jesuits keep his feast on November 26.
St. Tarcisius
Tarcisius was a boy or young acolyte in Rome in the third century, during the persecutions. According to tradition, he was carrying the Holy Eucharist to Christians in prison when a pagan mob stopped him and demanded to see what he was holding. He refused to let them profane the Body of Christ and was beaten to death, still clutching the Sacrament to his heart. Pope St. Damasus wrote an epitaph for him in the fourth century. He is the patron of altar servers and of First Communicants, and his feast is August 15.
Other saints who served at the altar
- St. Stephen and St. Lawrence, the great deacons and martyrs, who served at the altar and cared for the poor. See the St. Stephen prayer and the St. Lawrence prayer.
- St. Dominic Savio, the student of St. John Bosco, who loved to serve Mass. See the St. John Bosco prayer.
- St. Pius X, who as a boy served Mass in his village of Riese and as pope opened Holy Communion to young children.
- St. John Paul II, who served Mass as a boy in Wadowice. See the St. John Paul II prayer.
Prayers for altar servers
Written for this page.
Before Mass
Lord, open my heart to the great mystery I am about to serve.
Keep my mind from distraction and my body from carelessness.
Let me carry the cross, the candles, the book and the water
as if I were carrying them for you alone.
St. John Berchmans, pray for me. Amen.
After Mass
Thank you, Jesus, for letting me serve at your altar today.
Forgive my mistakes and distractions,
and let the grace of this Mass go with me into my day. Amen.
For all altar servers
Lord, bless the boys and girls, men and women who serve at our altars.
Make them reverent and faithful, and if you call any of them to the priesthood or religious life,
give them the courage to say yes. Amen.
See also the prayer before Mass, the prayer after Mass, the order of the Mass and the prayer for vocations.
What altar servers do
Altar servers assist the priest and deacon at Mass: they carry the cross and candles in procession, hold the book, bring the bread, wine and water to the altar, help the priest wash his hands, and ring the bells at the consecration where that custom is kept. In the old Latin Mass the server also answered the prayers at the foot of the altar on behalf of the people. Serving at the altar has long been a school of prayer, and many priests discovered their vocation as servers.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of altar servers?
St. John Berchmans, the young Jesuit who loved to serve Mass, and St. Tarcisius, the boy martyr of the Eucharist.
When is the feast of St. John Berchmans?
August 13 in the Roman Martyrology; the Jesuits celebrate him on November 26.
Who is the patron saint of acolytes?
St. Tarcisius, an acolyte martyred while carrying the Eucharist, is honored as their patron.