Introduction

The Society of St Tarcius (Societas Sancti Tarcisii) is the Latin Mass Society’s sodality or guild for altar servers. In December 2018 is was relaunched with new statutes and a newly-designed medal for members to wear. Like the Confraternity of St Stephen, it has different grades corresponding to the members’ expertise.

The Society of St Tarcisius (SST) has three objects:

1.  To promote the dignified, devout, and accurate service of the altar in the traditional Roman rites.
2. To promote the spiritual formation of altar servers, in the spirit of St Tarcisius, who accepted death rather than allow the profanation of the Most Holy Sacrament.
3. To establish standards for the correct pronunciation of liturgical Latin and service at the altar and to arrange for training and development of members to meet these standards.

A fuller account of the Society can be found on this pdf.

The SST uses the detailed ‘Ceremonial Notes’ for servers drawn up by Louis Tofari of Romanitas Press, which can be found here

The SST maintains a list of members with their levels of expertise, and organises Masses for its membership.

Those joining are presented with a metal medal on a silk cord with the SST’s emblem, which can be worn (with permission of the celebrant) while serving the liturgy.