Acolyte
in the Roman Catholic Church, one of the inferior orders of the clergy, whose office it is to attend upon the deacons and subdeacons in the ministry of the altar, to light and hold the candles, to bear the incense, to present the priest with wine and water, etc.
In the primitive Church, the acolytes were in holy holy orders, and ranked next to the subdeacons; but, at the present time, the duties of the acolyte are very often performed by laymen and chorister boys.