From Our Pastor

Series on the Mass, Part 5, Prayers While Vesting, cont'd.
Oct. 13, 2019

In the last bulletin, four of the six vestments worn by the priest during Mass were discussed. The first three, in order of being donned by the priest, are the amice, the alb and the cincture. The amice symbolizes the helmet of salvation, the alb purity and the cincture, chastity. Now we come to the stole.

The stole is a long band of cloth placed around the neck of the priest that hangs down across his chest. A simple priest will cross the ends of the stole as he secures it with the ends of the cincture since his powers are tied to those of the bishop from whom he gets his faculties. A bishop wears the stole with both ends hanging straight down since he exercises the fullness of the priesthood. The stole reminds the priest of the Cross of Christ and symbolically of his duty to unite himself to God by accepting His will, thus working toward the end of joy eternal.

The chasuble is the largest of the vestments, covering all the others, and is worn exclusively for the celebration of Mass. It envelopes the priest and symbolizes the charity which must fill him.

The maniple, which is the band of cloth worn on the left arm, was described in the last bulletin and it symbolizes suffering and work. In addition to the vestments, the priest has a three-cornered black head covering called a biretta that is worn to and from the sanctuary and while seated in the sanctuary.

The six vestments, each with its own prayer and symbolism, prepare the priest for that which is why he was called by God: to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Charles Van Vliet, FSSP
Pastor, Regina Caeli Parish