Thirteen young people at St. Marks Anglican church in Smiths will become Acolytes in a special service to be held next week Sunday. The teens underwent about six weeks of special training, Rector of the church, Rev. Don Moore said this week. Rev. Moore said the teens came to church early every Sunday to undergo the training and were enthusiastic about it.

?They were really very dedicated and I was surprised at their enthusiastic response,? he said. Rev. Moore said he was particularly happy with the turn out as he seeks to build up the church congregation. ?I have always been concerned that there is a gap between when the children leave Sunday school and confirmation,? he said. ?I felt they needed to have something to do in the church. Acolytes are an ancient order in the church and they assist at the altar.?

The teens had to learn what to do in the various ceremonies during regular church services and special services.

Next Sunday Bishop Ewan Ratteray will present them with their certificates and robes to mark their accomplishment.

Ffion Caisey will become Senior Acolyte while Catherine Campbell, Ani, Aram and Seta Douglas, James and Kelly Gilmour, Renee Greenslade, Erin and Morgan Simons, Catrina Stephens, Wendy Tuxworth and James and Nicholas Waddell will become Acolytes.

During the same service Rochelle Simons, mother of Erin and Morgan Simons, two of the new acolytes, will be licensed as a Eucharistic Lay Minister and dedicated as a Parish worker.

Manager of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Ian Powell, has been active in the Anglican church since he was a child, and moving to Bermuda hasn?t damped that spirit at all.

Mr. Powell will also be licensed in that service as a Eucharistic Lay Minister and dedicated as a Parish worker. He has also designed the set of vestments ? ceremonial garments ? that will be used that day.

Mr. Powell said he had been thinking that the church could use some new vestments but kept quiet about it. ?When Rev. Moore said one day ?We really should get a white set?, my little eyes lit up,? he said.

In the Anglican church the ceremonial garb changes with the seasons and religious festivals. The white vestments are used in the Easter season.

Mr. Powell enlisted the help of his wife Marilyn who he explained ?sews very well?.

Mrs. Powell said she spent about two and a half weeks on the project carefully following the directions of her designer husband. ?I think because of the type of work he?s in he has a very good eye for decorating. He knows right away what will work together and exactly how it will look.?

Mr. Powell ordered the fabric from New York and Mrs. Powell set about the work. ?I have free time and there was a need for it, so I did it. I put in ten to 12-hour days,? she said. ?I was in a crunch situation and my husband told me to just do what I could, but I took on the project and I was going to finish it.?

Mrs. Powell said she was working right up to the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. The garments were worn on Easter Sunday. The white vestments designed and made by the Powells will be used in next Sunday?s service which takes place at St. Mark?s at 10.30 a.m. The Bishop will also dedicate Kathy Moore and Rhynda Edwards as Parish workers and Albina Hill as Sacristan. Peter Nash will be the soloist at the service.

Vestments are the ceremonial garments used in the Anglican Church and they include hangings and fabric used on the altar. Here is exactly what Marilyn Powell made for the white vestment set for St. Mark's.

1 Chausble: the loose sleeveless outer garment worn by the minister ? off-white and gold fabric

2 Dalmatics: the robes worn by the Eucharist ministers ? off-white and gold fabric

1 Tunicle: worn by the Crucifer (the person carrying the cross) ? solid gold fabric

1 Superfrontal: the piece of fabric which goes across the front of the altar ?gold fabric with fringe and appliqu?

3 hangings for the pulpit, lectern and a prayer stool for the minister

1Burse: hard book cover

1Pall: cover for a table

1 stole: worn around the neck of the minister about four feet in length and draped equally on either side in the front gold fabric with appliqu? and fringe

Mrs. Powell is waiting on fabric to make one last piece for the white vestments set ? a cope.

Cope: A vestment of dignity which may be worn by any order of the clergy, but is usually thought of as being worn by a bishop - a long and heavy semicircular cloak of rich material.