Archconfraternity of St. Stephen

The Guild for Altar Servers or Archconfraternity Guild of St. Stephen was set up in 1904 by Father Hamilton MacDonald as an organisation for altar servers. The patron saints of the Guild are the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen, St. Thomas More, and St. Pius X.

The Bronze Medal, after 1 years of serving.

The Silver Medal, after 10 years of serving.

The Silver Medal of Merit, after 20 years of serving.

The Gold Medal, after 50 years of serving.

Others

The Wooden Cross, Some Parishes have wooden Crosses for Altar Servers have started, before getting their Bronze Medal.

The "Centenary" Medal, This medal was commissioned for the Centenary of the Guild in 2004.

The Gold Medal of Merit, after 50 years of serving, but enrolled after the age of 13.

The Guild of St. Stephen is an international organisation of altar servers founded in England in 1904 by Father Hamilton McDonald when he formed a society of Altars Servers at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in London. In 1905, St. Pius X, Pope gave his approbation to the canonical establishment of the guild at Westminster Cathedral and in 1906, the Sacred Congregation of Rites made the guild an Archconfraternity prima primaria, enabling all the parish branches to be linked with it. The guild spread and, in 1934, Pope Pius XI enabled all guilds of altar servers throughout the British Commonwealth to be affiliated with the Archconfraternity at Westminster.

A confraternity is a sort of club, or society, for people who are interested in the same things and want to do these together. The Catholic Church uses the word 'confraternity' as the official name for societies set up in a parish. Another, word instead of 'confraternity', guild.

An Archconfraternity is a guild, which has been given special power by the Church authorities in Rome. It has special privileges and facilities. Because it is an Archconfraternity it can allow other guilds to share in those privileges and facilities.

That is what the Guild of Saint Stephen is. The main Archconfraternity is based on Westminster Cathedral, in London. It has many Guilds in parishes in Great Britain and elsewhere affiliated to it. Strictly speaking, only the Guild at Westminster Cathedral should call itself Archconfraternity, but parish Guilds call themselves branches of the Archconfraternity.

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Wikipedia