A priest wore only a stole over street clothes for a Mass I attended

[DIERM]

Was the Mass still valid?

If that was his only faux pas, it probably was valid.

There is a huge difference between something being illicit and invalid

To be illicit means to be against some rule, norm, or instruction; to be invalid means to not be effective…so, not vesting might be (but, then again, might not be) illicit, but that should not make the sacraments ineffective.

 

[TomH1]

If the priest was in the wrong for not wearing certain vestments that is his problem. He is accountable for what he does/does not do. I do not see any need for the length of this discussion.

Early on someone quite rightly said Mass can neither be valid nor invalid. Those terms apply to sacraments. The sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated during the liturgy called the Mass, and has clearly defined requirements for its validity. What the priest wears does not impact on its validity.

 

[DeniseNY]

When I was a kid I attended a small Byzantine parish that couldn’t afford AC. Our 70 year old priest would wear heavy vestments with little airflow, and celebrate a 90 minute liturgy in 95 degree weather.

I think good ol’ Fr. Bob will survive being fully vested.

I think if he’s able to withstand that, that’s fantastic. Some people just do not do well in heat. I can get extremely sick and have come close to fainting a couple of times. If my pastor got like this, I would rather he make a prudential decision about vestments rathr than faint and crack his skull open during Liturgy.

 

[phil19034]

Hello everyone. I went to Mass earlier at a parish and the priest only wore a stole over his street clothes. He said at the beginning of the Mass that he did that because the air conditioning was broken and it was hot in the church. Was the Mass still valid? I’m assuming it was. I did receive the Eucharist because I assumed the Mass was still valid but I was very uncomfortable with the priest not wearing all of the vestments.

Wait a second… he wasn’t even wearing an Alb and/or Chasuble?

 

[AngelusDomini]

I really do feel for clergy wearing layers of vestments during hot weather. When I was in Spain it was normal to see priests celebrate in a light alb with a stole with shorts and short sleeve shirt underneath. In some of the cathedrals there would be the full works but only because a Gothic Cathedral is one of the coolest places one can be in hot temperatures.

 

[phil19034]

I have heard of priests who will wear a summer Cassock without pants when it’s hot outside. I’ve been told (by the priest who do this) that it’s a lot cooler (temperature wise) to do this vs. wearing pants (even without the Cassock).

However, many priests today don’t want to wear a cassock OR refuse to wear shorts/boxers under their cassock.

I remember telling one priest I know about priests who wear shorts/boxers under their cassock and they said “NEVER.” I would never wear a cassock without pants underneath.

So, this is ONE reason why we rarely see priests today wearing cassocks and one reason they sometimes get hot.

But to be fair: priests in the West are used to air condition. And few have a thin, lace Abs. Heck, hot temperatures is one of the reasons why lace become popular to begin with. The more lace, the more it breathes.

This is also why the Roman Chasubles are the fiddleback style and not robe like. Those fiddleback Chasubles were able to breath on the side because they did not cover his sides. And if he was wearing a thin alb with lace, he wasn’t as hot as wearing polyester.

NOTE: I once wore a polyester alb (with AC) during a holy hour when I was serving at Altar. It belonged to the deacon. I was sweating during the whole service. So yeah, polyester vestments are the worst.

 

[Crusaderbear]

Maybe a clever way to remind the parishoners they need to get the AC fixed!

 

[Pitcairn17]

So much liturgical pearl clutching in this thread. It’s already been established that vesture alone doesn’t invalidate confection of the Eucharist. Somebody needs to have mercy on this priest.

 

[jimXroberts]

The discussion seems to be wandering off topic. According to the GIRM, when celebrating Mass, the priest should wear an alb, cincture, stole and chasuble. Concelebrating priests can be excused chasuble and in exceptional circumstances the principal celebrant can dispense with the chasuble. Failed air conditioning may be exceptional circumstances, but the priest should have worn an alb as well as the stole. He is not obliged to wear anything under the alb, although socks are advisable.

 

[OraLabora]

although socks are advisable.

Unless a discalced Carmelite

I hope at least boxers are worn underneath! But I can tolerate bare feet in sandals. That’s practically what I wear on my feet all summer.

 

[Holly3278]

He was only wearing a stole over his street clothes.

 

[Lane]

I don’t see why not. Why would it matter what he’s wearing ? Jesus didn’t have fancy vestments and different colors for different times when he was preaching… I like to see priests in their vestments it looks nice, but I don’t think it would be necessary for mass…

 

[phil19034]

And while his choice of wearing simply the stole has apparently caused immeasurable distress to some members here on CAF, I implore you to give that priest the benefit of the doubt on this one. He’s the only one who can accurately tell how he was feeling in the heat. Even if he suffers from no chronic illness and has managed to wear brocade vestments in the middle of a humid August with no A/C in the past, it does not mean that he was up to it yesterday. Instead, praise God he was there to consecrate the Host and thus the faithful were able to receive the Body of Christ.

While I understand what you are saying here, I think I would be more understanding if he was wearing a short sleeve shirt with a roman collar (even if a white one).

My issue with this whole thing is it sounds like he didn’t even try to dress it up a little by at least wearing a Roman collar.