The Guild of St Stephen
The Archconfraternity of St. Stephen had it’s beginnings in 1901 not very far from our parish – in the convent of the Sacred Heart at Brook Green, Hammersmith, when a newly appointed priest Father Hamilton Macdonald began to run training classes for the altar servers at the Convent to help them better understand the Mass and so better serve God.
The Archconfraternity, or Guild of St. Stephen as it is more often called, continues to promote good serving. Membership of the Guild is open to those who can serve Mass and have shown a desire to conform with the object of the Guild. A server on becoming a member of the Guild promises “…to serve with reverence, understanding and regularity, for the glory of God and my own eternal” salvation”
When Father Keith was newly appointed as Parish Priest, rather like Father Hamilton, he undertook the training of servers and on 26th December 2000 the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr and patron of Altar Servers he re-established the Guild in the parish with the enrolment of some 16 servers. There are now over 50 enrolled members of the Guild serving Mass on a regular basis with several more due to be enrolled on the Feast of St. Stephen 2002.
Altar Serving at Our Lady of Fatima is open to anyone who has received their First Holy Communion and has a desire to serve God at the Altar, to help lead people in prayer by their own example of reverence and respect for Jesus present in the Eucharist. If you would like to know more about joining our parish team of servers then speak to Father Keith to find out more and organise training.
If you want to know more about the Guild of Saint Stephen you can check out the Guild’s web site at www.guildofststephen.org
The following article by Laura appeared in ‘Light in White City” the parish magazine in 2001.
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Have you noticed recently that most servers are wearing a cross or a medal? Ever wondered what it is for? Well, this is your answer…The medal represents the Guild of Saint Stephen. This is a guild which all servers who have been serving for over a year could belong to. It was named after the patron saint of altar servers, Saint Stephen. All altar servers were invited to a mass on Saint Stephen’s Day, the 26th of December and told about receiving a medal.
None of us really knew what it meant but we all turned up wondering what was going to happen. It was quite an acievement that nearly thirty of us managed to attend on Boxing Day morning, tearing ourselves away from our Christmas presents.During the mass, we had to make some promises about how we were going to serve. I felt a sense of anticipation, not knowing what was going to happen next, nervous and excited at the same time. If you had been serving for over a year, you would receive a medal and if you had been serving for under a year you would receive a wooden cross, in preparation for next year. Each server received a certificate of enrolment. After the mass, all the congregation came up to us to congratulate us on becoming a member of the guild of Saint Stephen.There were about 20 altar servers there, their ages ranging from 7-17. In 10 years time, if we are still serving we will receive a silver medal and after that who knows?
NEW M.C.’s APPOINTED
Due to other commitments Matthew, our Parish M.C. tended his resignation just before Christmas. On Saint Stephen’s Day 2009, following consultation amongst the Servers, Fernando was appointed as Parish M.C. with Jamie, Stephanie U, Kevin and Adrian to assist him. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin to undertake this important ministry amongst the Servers. Our thanks to Matthew for his years of serving and service here at Our Lady of Fatima.