[Mershon]

"So, they're basically altar boys with better vestments?"

See my response above to Catholic lady. In addition, I would think that being "an altar boy with better vestments" would be much more important to the liturgy (holding the sacrificial OBLATION) than being replaced with 9-year-old altar girls with pigtails whose feet don't even reach the floor when sitting.

[sinkspur]

I was referring to subdeacons, not deacons. I think the order of deacon is tremendously important; I wouldn't be doing it otherwise.