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General Movement

Sitting

  • Posture: Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Head up.
  • Hands: Flat, palms down on thighs.
  • Face forward.
  • When it will not cause a conspicuous delay, Servers should all sit/stand in sync.

Standing

  • Posture: Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Head up.

Walking

  • Posture: Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Head up.
  • Gait: Solemn and stately.
  • Pace: Appear neither to be rushed nor to tarry.
  • Hands: Folded when standing or walking and not holding anything. Off hand over breast when holding something with one hand1.
  • Reverse: Avoid stepping backward, instead turning or rotating.
  • Bending: When picking up something from the floor, for example Hand Bells during the Dominican Rite Mass, bring one knee to the ground to pick it up, rather than bending over.

When in pairs

  • Walk close together and at the same pace.
  • When turning around, turn inward, toward the other server.
  • When turning left or right, turn as a unit.

Head Bow

Perform a Head Bow when the following is said at Mass:

  • The name of Jesus.
  • The name of Mary.
  • If a Mass for a saint's feast, at that saint's name.

Singing

When it is appropriate to sing, the server should do so. However, in the Sanctuary and especially when between the Schola Cantorum and the people, the Servers should sing in a quiet voice so as not to detract from the professional choir's voices.

  1. See DCfMaB > p. 7. ↩