Advertisement
| Also on Encarta |
|
|
 |
Acolyte
Encyclopedia Article
Acolyte, in some Christian churches, a layperson who assists the clergy during religious services by performing minor duties. Acolytes may be either adults (sometimes called servers) or young people (sometimes called altar boys or altar girls). In the Roman Catholic church, the term also applies to an official church ministry in which a man is officially installed to assist the deacon and priest. This ministry was considered one of the minor orders until 1972, when Pope Paul VI eliminated all minor orders.
© 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
 |
|
More from Encarta |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Hotmail
Messenger
My MSN
MSN Directory
