Altar Servers' Handbook

The Archconfraternity of St. Stephen is a guild for altar servers begun in May 1905 by Fr. Hamilton MacDonald at Westminster Cathedral in London, England with the permission of Cardinal Francis Bourne.

In November 1905, Pope St. Pius X gave his approval to the Guild (then a confraternity, prima primaria) and his permanent apostolic blessing. In 1906, he raised it to an archconfraternity; this saintly pope also enriched the Guild with many indulgences. The following year, the Guild's first handbook was published.

The following extracts from The Altar Servers' Handbook (1962 edition) admirably demonstrate the underlying spirit of the Guild.

Three Fold Object of the Guild
The object of the Guild is the sanctification of the Altar-Server by teaching him that to serve in the Sanctuary is a great religious privilege, by instructing him the manner of observing the rites and ceremonies of the Church according to the rubrics and decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites and the interpretations of the most generally accepted authorities, and by encouraging him to understand the meaning and the purpose of the ceremonies in which he takes part.

Paraphrased (for easy memorization) as:
To sanctify the server by instructing him:

That to serve at the altar is a great religious privilege.

How to serve according to the Church.

What the ceremonies mean.

Four Rules of the Guild
To serve at the altar reverently, intelligently and punctually.

To make the short acts of preparation before, and of thanksgiving after, serving Mass.

To observe silence in the sacristy, and great reverence in the sanctuary.

To recite daily the Guild prayer.