Any Parish following this part of the GIRM?

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I was just wondering if any parishes out there have the lay lector and lay cantor wearing an alb and cincture while participating in the Mass?

Our parish has instituted the changes, but the lay lector and cantor still do not wear vestments? I realize that this probablly falls under the exception of “other lawfully approved attire.”

I am just wondering if anyone has seen this at mass?

Thanks!
 
Where is this found in the GIRM? Is it couched in mandatory language or suggestive language, like the saying of the Credo and Pater noster in Latin?

As a lector, I have not been asked to wear any vestments.
 
Happily, our parish does! Even though we do not have a cantor, our lectors wear an alb. I, however, am ferverently waiting for the new explanation of the role of eucharistic minister to kick in.

Steve Chechet
 
"119. In the sacristy, the sacred vestments (cf. below, nos. 337-341) for the priest, the deacon, and other ministers are to be prepared according to the various forms of celebration:

For the priest: the alb, the stole, and the chasuble;

For the deacon: the alb, the stole, and the dalmatic; the dalmatic may be omitted, however, either out of necessity or on account of a lesser degree of solemnity;

For the other ministers: albs or other lawfully approved attire.96
All who wear an alb should use a cincture and an amice unless, due to the form of the alb, they are not needed."

Also:

“339. In the dioceses of the United States of America, acolytes, altar servers, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing.”

I haven’t seen this done anywhere around me, just wondering what people’s impressions are with this.

Thanks!
 
Ham1 said:
“339. In the dioceses of the United States of America, acolytes, altar servers, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing.”

I haven’t seen this done anywhere around me, just wondering what people’s impressions are with this.

Thanks!
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It is permitted that the lector and cantor wear an alb. It is not mandated. Personally, I disagree with the practice. Lector and Cantor are perfectly respectable lay ministries. There is no good reason to confuse them with sacred ministers or to “clericalize” the laity.

Justin
 
In addition, Lector is actually Instituted role and is actually rare. And as minor Orders, are restriced to males.

Most serving in that role are actually commissioned READERS.

GIRM
  1. In the absence of an instituted lector, other laypersons may be commissioned to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture. They should be truly suited to perform this function and should receive careful preparation, so that the faithful by listening to the readings from the sacred texts may develop in their hearts a warm and living love for Sacred Scripture.86
 
If you catch the Sunday Mass from Notre Dame University on the Hallmark Channel (11 a.m. Eastern) you will see a variety of lay ministers in albs or cassock/surplice.

I don’t know why the use of choir robes is not more common (I never see these). I think they relieve us of the spectacle of fashion shows during Mass.
 
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1962Missal:
It is permitted that the lector and cantor wear an alb. It is not mandated. Personally, I disagree with the practice. Lector and Cantor are perfectly respectable lay ministries. There is no good reason to confuse them with sacred ministers or to “clericalize” the laity.

Justin
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I’m a cantor, and I agree - especially since I’m a woman. However, I’ve seen cantors where something akin to a choir robe - which I’d think would be ok. Not sure. So far I haven’t been asked to wear anything special. I just make sure I dress in nice conservative attire.
–Ann
 
I think lectors or EEMS etc wearing any robes only leads to further role confusion.
 
As a cantor I wear a choir robe with a stole (*not * like the priest’s stole) in the proper liturgical color.

'thann
 
In my parish (and I think it is the only one in my diocesis that does so), readers (are those the same as lectors?) wear a brown robe. I don’t know it that is an alb or not - I’m not sure that I would recognize the difference between them (if there is any). EEHCs wear white robes (or albs?).
 
In my parish, it’s just street clothes. Same for all of the other parishes I have attended in this part of Houston.

But when I went to my uncle’s funeral last year in Kansas, the readers wore albs. This was the only time I have seen this.
 
I don’t think it would be correct for a female to wear the cassock and surplice, as this is clerical garb, that has been traditionally borrowed by altar boys.

While watching a Mass on EWTN from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, I noticed that the MC, acolytes and altar servers were vested in the cassock, surplice, and Roman collar in some instances, while the lone female altar server was vested in an alb. It seemed very appropriate to me.
 
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cmom:
I think lectors or EEMS etc wearing any robes only leads to further role confusion.
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Readers like altar servers are sanctuary based ministries. While I think it would be sad if EMHC wore vestments of any kind, I can see how it would be appropriate for a reader.
 
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Crusader:
I don’t think it would be correct for a female to wear the cassock and surplice, as this is clerical garb, that has been traditionally borrowed by altar boys.

While watching a Mass on EWTN from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, I noticed that the MC, acolytes and altar servers were vested in the cassock, surplice, and Roman collar in some instances, while the lone female altar server was vested in an alb. It seemed very appropriate to me.
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Clearly, the GIRM dictates an alb for lectors and cantors and not a cassock and surplice.

My parish does the same thing with altar servers which I think is great. The boys wear a cassock and surplice and the girls wear an alb with cincture. The other thing that I like is that the servers are either all boys or all girls. They are never mixed.

Also, the GIRM clearly spells out the role of EM’s and DOES NOT specify any liturgical garb for them. I agree such a thing would be VERY confusing.
 
#153 of Redemptionis Sacramentum states: “Furthermore, it is never licit for laypersons to assume the role or the **vesture **of a Priest or a Deacon or other clothing similar to such vesture.”

If you go here www.adoremus.org/0404Liturgy.html and read Helen Hull Hitchcock’s article on Redemptionis Sacramentum, she seems to think that the use of the alb and cincture for altar servers would be excluded. This because the alb and cincture are part of a Priest’s vestments.
 
dantheman said:
#153 of Redemptionis Sacramentum states: “Furthermore, it is never licit for laypersons to assume the role or the **vesture **of a Priest or a Deacon or other clothing similar to such vesture.”

If you go here www.adoremus.org/0404Liturgy.html and read Helen Hull Hitchcock’s article on Redemptionis Sacramentum, she seems to think that the use of the alb and cincture for altar servers would be excluded. This because the alb and cincture are part of a Priest’s vestments.
Click to expand...

Well how does #153 fit in with…

"GIRM #119. In the sacristy, the sacred vestments (cf. below, nos. 337-341) for the priest, the deacon, and other ministers are to be prepared according to the various forms of celebration:

For the priest: the alb, the stole, and the chasuble;

For the deacon: the alb, the stole, and the dalmatic; the dalmatic may be omitted, however, either out of necessity or on account of a lesser degree of solemnity;

For the other ministers: albs or other lawfully approved attire.(96)
All who wear an alb should use a cincture and an amice unless, due to the form of the alb, they are not needed."

Sounds pretty darn specific to me.
 
Well how does #153 fit in with… "#119

I’m guessing that the instruction in #119 when using the word “ministers” has in mind clerics or instituted ministries–really the equivalent of what used to be the minor orders. As Brendan pointed out, Lector is an instituted ministry and few parishes have them. What we commonly call ‘Lectors’ should really be called ‘Readers.’ Even altar servers are not instituted as Acolytes.
 
So you have any info on the difference between instituted lay ministers and readers?

I have never heard of this distinction but I am interested to learn about it. Please post any info or links…Thanks!

Also, after reading Hitchcock’s article and RS#153, it seems that RS#153 is dealing specifically with extraordinary ministers in the liturgy. I am not sure that a lector or cantor would constitute an “extraordinary minister.” As I said above, it seems that the GIRM does not permit the wearing of vestments by EM’s.
 
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Ham1:
So you have any info on the difference between instituted lay ministers and readers?

I have never heard of this distinction but I am interested to learn about it. Please post any info or links…Thanks!

Also, after reading Hitchcock’s article and RS#153, it seems that RS#153 is dealing specifically with extraordinary ministers in the liturgy. I am not sure that a lector or cantor would constitute an “extraordinary minister.” As I said above, it seems that the GIRM does not permit the wearing of vestments by EM’s.
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You might try this link, www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=649 The info on instituted ministers is contained in the second response. Also, RS #153 is in the chapter on Extraordinary Functions of Lay Faithful.
 
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