It was founded as a confraternity in 1905 by Fr. Hamilton MaDonald at Westminster Cathedral in London with the blessing of Cardinal Francis Bourne. That same year Pope St. Pius X have his approbation to the Guild along with his blessing. In 1906, it was raised to the status of archconfraternity. In 1907 its first handbook was published, a classic resource for those who serve at the altar.
The Guild has since been well-known in Great Britain and in other places in the British Commonwealth. When I was a boy it had been at my parish since the 1970s, the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota. Another prominent community to have the Guild is the Oratory of Saints Gregory and Augustine in St. Louis, Missouri.
Below is the official emblem.
The Guild's red cord and medal are easily recognizable at various parishes that have the privilege of being affiliated with such a fine parent organization. The oval shaped double-sided medal itself has deep meaning and the red cord is in commemoration of the blood of St. Stephen, shed for Christ and the glory of His Church.
The front contains the details of the Chi-Rho, an ancient monogram for the name of Christ, which combines the Greek letters X and P. It was the symbol of victory that Christ revealed to Constantine and led him to victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in Rome: “In hoc signo vinces!” or “In this sign thou shall conquer!”
Also inscribed on the front is the motto: "Cui Servire Regnare Est" (“To serve Him is to reign”), in reference to Christ. Altar servers are in imitation of Christ, who did not come to be served, but to serve. The patron St. Stephen also served at the altar in his capacity as an ordained deacon. Blessed is he who serves the Lord at His holy altar.
At the bottom is a twin set of palm branches, another symbol attributed to the victory of the martyrs. The palm symbolizes the triumph of the spirit over the flesh in the earthly battle for eternal salvation.
Written in Latin on the back of the medal are the words, Sancti Stephani Archisodalitas ("Archconfraternity of St. Stephen").
The Guild has a new website here.
Romanitas Press has helpful info here.
The SSPX has a helpful site here.
Generations of servers have benefitted from The Altar Servers' Handbook, a classic resource issued many years ago by the Archconfraternity, seen below.
To quote the great Cardinal Griffin in his preface to the handbook: "To serve at the altar, as to sing in the choir, is next to the priesthood the highest privilege which a layman can enjoy. He represents the faithful and takes a most intimate part in the rich treasures of the Church's liturgy and ceremonial. Those sacred ceremonies should be carried out with devotion, dignity and attention to detail."
