Formally, and still in traditional catholic orders (FSSP, ICTK, SSPX, etc) only young men, among whom the Church hoped to recruit for the priesthood, and seminarians, who need the training, are altar servers; and thus altar boy was the usual term until Canon 230 was changed with the promulgation the code of Canon Law in 1983 which provided the option for females to serve at the altar. The term altar server is now widely used and accepted due to this. An Acolyte is one of the minor orders which is ordained by a Bishop. The title of Acolyte is still only given to men as it is an ordained minor order. This term is now usually reserved for the ministry that all who are to be promoted to the diaconate, whether permanent or transitory, must receive at least six months beforehand (canon 1035 of t