Have you ever seen a Boy bishop? No? Well, look at these photographs and you will. They feature a prayerful band of altar boys from Saint Thomas the Apostle parish in Ann Arbor chanting Vespers upon this month’s Feast of Saint Nicholas. So, what exactly are they doing? And why? Parishioner Dan Brandt, who co-organized the event with fellow parishioner Joe Lipa, now explains. Dan writes:
The custom of the “Boy bishop” originates from medieval England and was commonplace in cathedrals and large parish churches in the 12th century. A boy from among the altar servers was elected each year on December 6, during Second Vespers of Saint Nicholas, and the diocesan bishop would symbolically stand down during the Magnificat at the words deposuit potentes de sede or “He hath put down the mighty from their thrones”.
The boy would then ascend the throne at the words et exaltavit humiles or “And He hath exalted the lowly”. Historically, the Boy bishop would then preside over all the liturgical ceremonies outside of the Holy Mass, of course – until the Feast of Holy Innocents on December 28.
There is a particular fittingness to this custom occurring during Advent during which we are awaiting the birth of a child who is the true High Priest in every sense. Witnessing a young boy vested and chanting, while holding a mitre and crozier, reminds us of the reality of Christ, even as a babe, possessing the fullness of the priesthood.
A lot of the motivation behind this custom was to:
(a) teach children about the dignity of the episcopal office,
(b) intimately acquaint children with liturgical prayer,
(c) manifest a desire for the presence of the bishop,
(d) and to highlight the importance of humility and the love God has for the small.
There is something holy about the playful appearance of a child donning vestments for liturgical prayer that reflects the childlike attitude the faithful should have towards God, even in context of very formal ceremonial.
Really, the childlike appearance is a visible manifestation of how the actual bishop himself must feel in the presence of God when at the altar.
Also, by celebrating this on Saint Nicholas' Feast Day, there is also an echo of the love Saint Nicholas had for children.
The Boy bishop in this case was Miguel Skrobola. He was elected as Pope Pius XIII by the altar servers at Saint Thomas in a mock conclave that our parish held right around the time that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV ascended the Papal Throne! He has a talent for singing comes from a devout family of musicians.
A Saint Thomas parishioner generously made a beautiful bishop's mitre, crozier, and pectoral cross and, totally unexpectedly, we obtained some red cassocks from a nearby parish looking to get rid of them.
I'd say that the boys learn not only the structure and beauty of a pontifical liturgy, but also inculcate a love and respect for the priesthood and episcopacy, a love of praying the prayer of the Church, and they are helped to understand that they are made for worship.
