The Altar Servers’ Group – I became a member of the Altar Servers’ Group probably in 1947, when its chairman was Bronek Z., who, as I remember, guided the younger boys skillfully and decisively. The Group had a certain seniority hierarchy that established the rules of altar service and each boy’s position within the group. The older group consisted of boys who performed direct liturgical duties and knew the Latin text of the altar servers’ responses. The second, much larger group consisted of the youngest boys, known as the assistants, and I belonged to it at first. At that time, the Altar Servers’ Group had its own statutes and board, and could organize meetings, trips, and so on. The chairman kept a register of the Group’s members, drew up the altar-service schedules for the entire week, and acted as an intermediary conveying the parish priest’s wishes and instructions. The service schedule was very important, because each boy knew when, in what capacity, and even at what time he would serve at Mass. The faithful in the church, watching the priest leave the sacristy, first saw two rows of altar servers, with the youngest boys at the front and the most important, oldest in terms of service, at the back; those boys were the ones who served the priest. It happened that a dozen or more altar servers took part in a service, and each of them aspired to be in the pair serving the priest, which often led to disputes. Undoubtedly, the ornament of an altar server’s “service uniform” was a long cassock in green, red, or violet, a cape of the same color, and a patterned white surplice. As my years of service passed, I gradually advanced from the first pair higher and higher, until the day came when I was honored with directly assisting the priest and operating the bells. Older colleagues left, Bronek left, and after him I inherited the position of chairman; I became the oldest one, the person who animated the Group’s activities. Unfortunately, it was precisely then that the authorities abolished the autonomy of altar servers’ groups and dissolved all organizational structures at the church. I therefore held the position of chairman unofficially, and acquired some additional duties connected with it. These new duties gave me a great deal of satisfaction and, to be honest, flattered my boyish vanity, because I could “rule” the younger boys, draw up service schedules, or even send the little ones to set in motion the great bell calling the faithful to services. I had no problems with the bell-ringing, since this activity was an opportunity for amusement. Setting the several-ton bell swinging required some strength and ingenuity before its sound reached the required rhythm. The long rope used to set it swinging whipped briskly up and down in time with the bell’s movement, together with the little boys hanging from its end. Sometimes it was necessary to quiet the amused boys, who were jumping and laughing more than a meter into the air. I had no problems ringing the bell, but I did have problems drawing up the service schedules, because almost none of the altar servers wanted to go in the first pair for Mass. There was rivalry over the more honorable position, and sometimes it led to shoving or even a boxing match, as happened once. The boys formed a circle in the sacristy, and the fight began; I forced my opponent to flee. I thought that in this way I had convinced him that I was right, but I was mistaken… When I left the church at dusk, a group of boys was waiting for me on the corner of the street (the “Veritas” shop today); my defeated opponent, Bolek M., blocked my way in the company of several big lads. To be continued.