It’s hard for girls who are altar servers to understand that there was a time, not so long ago, when only boys could play that role in the Catholic Church.

“I always thought it was kind of weird when I heard about it, because I’ve always been able to do it. Two of my sisters have done it, and my dad used to do it when he was growing up,” says Brandi Krones, 16, an altar server since fourth grade at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1234 Ky.

“Sometimes I go to church with my grandparents in Eudora. They used to have a different priest who was a lot older, and there were only boys (as altar servers) back then. I actually remember that.”

Today the term “altar boy” is almost completely outmoded, since the vast majority of dioceses in the United States also welcome girls to assist parish pastors at the altar.

In fact, since the Vatican gave its final confirmation to allow female altar servers in the United States in 1994, so many girls are participating in churches across the country that it’s seen as commonplace.

Precisely half of the altar servers at St. John — 34 of 68 young people — are girls, according to Kathy Mulinazzi, who’s been scheduling them for duty during weekend Masses at the church for the past 15 years.

“I know that now it’s just commonly accepted (for girls to serve). We don’t pay attention to the number of girls and boys any more. It’s just one of the many ministries that take place at Mass,” says the Rev. Charles Polifka, pastor of St. John.

“When we train altar servers, I just assume that it reflects the percentage of boys and girls in the parish.”

Emily Doyle finds it odd girls used to be excluded from the role of helping priests with ritual tasks during Masses.

Altar server Becca Hinshaw, 14, right, holds holy water for the Rev. James Shaughnessy at the start of Mass at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Hinshaw is among the growing number of girl servers wanting to participate at Mass.

“I didn’t really know that girls weren’t able to serve at a certain point in time. It is cool that they now get to. I’ve seen more girls serving at our church than there are guys,” says Emily, 12, an altar server at St. John for the past two years.

In her opinion, girls sometimes do a better job than their male counterparts.

“I think that sometimes the guys don’t really like to serve. They have to do it because their parents want them to, and so they goof off,” Emily says.

Ministry in its own right

In the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, which includes all of Douglas County, girls have been permitted to assist priests as altar servers since 1991, when the Vatican gave its provisional permission in the United States.

But it’s still up to the bishop of each diocese to determine the policy on this issue.

Probably a majority of parishes in the diocese that includes Lawrence have roughly equal numbers of boys and girls who participate in Masses as altar servers, according to Michael Podrebarac, liturgy consultant for the archdiocese.

Altar servers Ashlee Ellis, left, and Becca Hinshaw select their vestments before Mass at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Girls account for about half of the 60 servers at Corpus Christi.

“In the early days, female altar servers were seen as the exception. Now it’s just taken for granted that anyone can serve at the altar. It’s not a remarkable thing anymore, the same as women serving as lectors or Eucharistic ministers,” he says.

Some Catholics have expressed concerns that allowing girls as altar servers could crowd out some boys from participating — and possibly cut into the number of boys who might otherwise use that role as the first step to priesthood.

Podrebarac doesn’t see it that way.

“While we are concerned — and rightly so — with the shortage of priests, I haven’t seen anything empirical that suggests that ending the exclusive role of male altar servers has contributed to that. There was a grave shortage of vocations long before there were girl altar servers,” he says.

Podrebarac welcomes the girls who are flocking to altars in the diocese.

“I think that from a liturgical point of view, there’s nothing inherent in the work of an altar server that makes it restricted only to boys,” he says.

“That breaking of the identity of the altar server as a step toward the priesthood, and instead being seen as a ministry in its own right, has been a good thing for all of the children.”

‘You don’t want to mess up’

There are about 60 young people who participate as altar servers at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 5001 W. Sixth St.

As is the case at St. John, that number is split about evenly between boys and girls.

“I would’ve rather had girls (serving) earlier than they were permitted to,” says the Rev. James Shaughnessy, pastor.

Rebecca Hinshaw, 14, has been an altar server for the past four or five years at Corpus Christi.

“It got me more involved with the church services, because when you’re in fourth grade, you’re not that interested in what’s going on. I think it’s fun,” she says.

Sometimes it’s a little unnerving, helping the priest in front of a whole congregation.

“I’m always afraid to trip on the stairs, so I get really nervous when I’m walking to the altar. Once I get up there, I’m OK.”

Being an altar server has been a good experience for Ashlee Ellis, too. Ashlee, 14, has been assisting Shaughnessy during Masses for a couple of years.

“You just kind of help Father Jim out by helping carry the wine and bread to the altar and washing his hands, and you hold the Bible when he reads it,” she says.

“It’s pretty easy. The hard part is being in front of everybody, because you don’t want to mess up. I’m always nervous I’m going to forget something.”