The Altar Boy

 Growing up in a Irish Catholic household with an aunt in the convent, it is not surprising that I became an altar "server". This was twenty years before Vatican II and the Mass was celebrated in Latin. So it was that I had to learn the Latin responses - by memory and rote - not necessarily understanding the meaning.
If you were assigned the 6:30AM mass - Monday thru Saturday - you had to rise early and carry the "uniform" - a cassock and surplice - on a hanger - a mile and a half to church - after mass rush home for breakfast and back to school for classes. There were very few in the pews at that early mass but there was a row of nuns in the front pew listening to your mumbling Latin - and if your partner was sick you had no one to cover any memory lapses and of course you heard about it later in class. The duties included lighting the candles, presenting the water and wine and ringing the bells at the consecration. Our church had fancy "bells" comparable to a miniature vibraphone with a soft hammer. But you didn't dare improvise - it was strictly do -re - mi then mi -re - do - similar to the signal on the old NBC radio station.
A Benediction service required four servers - two candle bearers, one to carry the incense "boat" and the senior member of the team to carry the incense "shaker". To get the incense to burn you had to light the charcoal in advance which was a messy task. This service required lighting seven branch candle sticks reaching high with a wick on a pole - knowing everyone was watching you.  Tomorrow will address weddings and funerals as observed by a thirteen year old.
tjs
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