September 2026 Registration Now Open
The partnership between the Guild of St Stephen and Maryvale for the ‘Certificate in Altar Server Studies’ is entering its second year, and registration to join the next intake on the course in September 2026 is now open.
The course costs £500 per person and lasts 6 months with one meeting online via Zoom per month. There are no ‘exams’, just a single 1000 word essay at the end of the course to complete as well as attendance at the online sessions. Participants must be aged 18 or over. Dioceses and parishes are encouraged to fund or part-fund this programme for prospective learners. You can discuss help funding this course with the priest in charge of your parish or Diocese Formation team.
This is not a practical course on ‘how to serve Mass’, rather it is to assist with the further spiritual development and ongoing formation of the server, and to contribute to the ongoing development of the life of the parish and diocese.
A mid-course survey of students on the initial run of this course found that all students found that the course did not take up more time than they expected. Almost all students found the live sessions with the course tutors useful and found the pastoral reflection format after each module valuable, and felt part of a community that was learning together.
"I am impressed with the level of writing and the content of reflection that the students have done. In many ways, their writing is better than some of the students pursuing degrees!" - Course Tutor
For full information, dates and to register please visit the Certificate in Altar Servers Studies page.
The students on the first run of the course together with some of the tutors outside St Mary’s College, Oscott.
