Bloody Sacred Linens?

[Crusader]

How does your parish stored sacred linens (purificators, altar cloths, palls, etc.) that have been “soiled” with the Precious Blood before they are correctly soaked and washed?

Mine uses a clearly marked wicker laundry basket from what I have been told. Shouldn’t the linens be in a secure, lockable container (even if they are soaking in water) while they wait to be washed?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Crusader:

How does your parish stored sacred linens (purificators, altar cloths, palls, etc.) that have been “soiled” with the Precious Blood before they are correctly soaked and washed?

Mine uses a clearly marked wicker laundry basket from what I have been told. Shouldn’t the linens be in a secure, lockable container (even if they are soaking in water) while they wait to be washed?

Anything with a stain of Christs’s Blood must be rinsed in the special sink ( I can never spell that correctly without looking and I don’t have anything to look in at the moment) ASAP after Mass. The rinsed purifiactors can then be hung to dry. Once rinsed no special precautions are needed.

 

[Crusader]

Br. Rich SFO:

Anything with a stain of Christs’s Blood must be rinsed in the special sink ( I can never spell that correctly without looking and I don’t have anything to look in at the moment) ASAP after Mass. The rinsed purifiactors can then be hung to dry. Once rinsed no special precautions are needed.

That’s simply not true, nor does it address my point.

(The “sink” you are speaking of is a sacrarium or piscina. A sacrarium drains directly to the earth – it’s not hooked to a sewage or septic system. If you don’t have a sacrarium, you can pour this type of rinse water in a flowerbed for instance.)

First, merely rinsing sacred linens in water does not always remove the Precious Blood. Often it takes a* week* or two of soaking. Second, even if rinsing was always effective, I don’t think many parishes immediately rinse the sacred linens directly after Mass anyways. Where does the Church direct this?

Seems like some sort of lock-box would be appropriate.

 

[RichT]

At our parish the linens are kept in a clothes hamper in a locked room. The room is only open during mass and is monitored. Otherwise, we have a group of people who are part of what we call our linen ministry. They pick up the soiled linens and take them home to clean them according to the instruction of the church. I am not sure of the procedures but I know there is special care in cleaning them.

 

[Crusader]

RichT:

At our parish the linens are kept in a clothes hamper in a locked room. The room is only open during mass and is monitored. Otherwise, we have a group of people who are part of what we call our linen ministry. They pick up the soiled linens and take them home to clean them according to the instruction of the church. I am not sure of the procedures but I know there is special care in cleaning them.

The locked room sounds like a good thing. We have a “laundry ministry” as well, but the soiled sacred linens are not secured before they are cleaned.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

RichT:

At our parish the linens are kept in a clothes hamper in a locked room. The room is only open during mass and is monitored. Otherwise, we have a group of people who are part of what we call our linen ministry. They pick up the soiled linens and take them home to clean them according to the instruction of the church. I am not sure of the procedures but I know there is special care in cleaning them.

Hopefully they are at least rinsed in the sacrarium before being placed in the “clothes hamper”. Rinsing is required to the point that it is no longer discernable as the Blood of Christ. As long as there is more water than Blood of Christ present the stain reverts back to a common wine stain. The same is true if the Blood of Christ is spilled on a carpet. It is not necessary to cut out the part of the carpet and burn it. It is only necessary to pour two to three times the amount of water over the spot and allow it to soak in. Then soak it up in some towels that are then rinse the towels in the sacrarium. The carpet can then be cleaned as necessary.

 

[RichT]

Br. Rich SFO:

Hopefully they are at least rinsed in the sacrarium before being placed in the “clothes hamper”. Rinsing is required to the point that it is no longer discernable as the Blood of Christ. As long as there is more water than Blood of Christ present the stain reverts back to a common wine stain. The same is true if the Blood of Christ is spilled on a carpet. It is not necessary to cut out the part of the carpet and burn it. It is only necessary to pour two to three times the amount of water over the spot and allow it to soak in. Then soak it up in some towels that are then rinse the towels in the sacrarium. The carpet can then be cleaned as necessary.

I do know that the linens are soaked, but not in our sacrarium due to some issues with it’s age. It can only take small amounts of water, and after the chalices are purified, that’s about all it can handle. The water used for soaking is poured in the ground surrounding the roses in the church’s Mary garden.

 

[Crusader]

Br. Rich SFO:

Hopefully they are at least rinsed in the sacrarium before being placed in the “clothes hamper”. Rinsing is required to the point that it is no longer discernable as the Blood of Christ. As long as there is more water than Blood of Christ present the stain reverts back to a common wine stain. The same is true if the Blood of Christ is spilled on a carpet. It is not necessary to cut out the part of the carpet and burn it. It is only necessary to pour two to three times the amount of water over the spot and allow it to soak in. Then soak it up in some towels that are then rinse the towels in the sacrarium. The carpet can then be cleaned as necessary.

1.) Where does the Church direct that “rinsing” take place directly after the Mass?

2.) In a great number of cases, “rinsing” will not remove discernable stains – it takes soaking, many times LONG soaking.

 

[RichT]

I would be curious about this too, as I know the linens are not rinsed or soaked directly after mass, nor were they at my last parish. My last parish did keep them in a locked box between washings, or uhh soakings.

 

[deaconswife]

Not every church has a sacrarium. My home parish does not due to the unusually high water table in the area (there is a underground stream on the street where the church is located). The women who launder the linens take them home and soak them. It usually takes an hour or so to soak them to get any stains out (I know this because my husband and I are campus ministers at a local college and I launder the linens that we use). The water is then disposed of directly into a hole dug in the ground (I dispose of my water in a garden grotto containing a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 

[Crusader]

deaconswife:

Not every church has a sacrarium. My home parish does not due to the unusually high water table in the area (there is a underground stream on the street where the church is located). The women who launder the linens take them home and soak them. It usually takes an hour or so to soak them to get any stains out (I know this because my husband and I are campus ministers at a local college and I launder the linens that we use). The water is then disposed of directly into a hole dug in the ground (I dispose of my water in a garden grotto containing a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It can take better than a week to lift some stains caused by the Precious Blood.

No need to dig a hole. Just use the water for plants or lawn that won’t be walked upon.

 

[RichT]

Crusader:

It can take better than a week to lift some stains caused by the Precious Blood.

No need to dig a hole. Just use the water for plants or lawn that won’t be walked upon.

Actually it’s the lipstick that causes the most problems, not the blood itself. Unless your parish is using some really dark red wine. Under normal circumstances, when the chalice is wiped, there isn’t enough blood there to cause a stain. If there was a spill, however, I could see that particular purificator needing more attention.

 

[Crusader]

RichT:

Actually it’s the lipstick that causes the most problems, not the blood itself. Unless your parish is using some really dark red wine. Under normal circumstances, when the chalice is wiped, there isn’t enough blood there to cause a stain. If there was a spill, however, I could see that particular purificator needing more attention.

Nonsense.

We do use red wine – red burgandy. At times the credence table looks like an ER room floor covered in blood soaked sponges after Communion.

In fact I would suggest that I have NEVER seen a purificator at my parish that was not stained to some degree after Communion.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Crusader:

Nonsense.

We do use red wine – red burgandy. At times the credence table looks like an ER room floor covered in blood soaked sponges after Communion.

In fact I would suggest that I have NEVER seen a purificator at my parish that was not stained to some degree after Communion.

That sould not be the case. Could it be that EMHC are somehow dipping the purificators into the Blood of Christ when distributing Communion?

 

[Crusader]

Br. Rich SFO:

That sould not be the case. Could it be that EMHC are somehow dipping the purificators into the Blood of Christ when distributing Communion?

I don’t agree. If corporals and altar cloths were regularly stained, it would suggest a problem. Not so with purificators. If the EMsHC are doing their job, they are wiping BOTH the inner and outer lip of the chalice, right where a flim of Precious Blood is present – without dipping it into the actual pool of Precious Blood.

 

[RichT]

Crusader:

I don’t agree. If corporals and altar cloths were regularly stained, it would suggest a problem. Not so with purificators. If the EMsHC are doing their job, they are wiping BOTH the inner and outer lip of the chalice, right where a flim of Precious Blood is present – without dipping it into the actual pool of Precious Blood.

We use a red wine at our parish and yes, we wipe the outside as well as the inside of the chalice. The chalices should not be so full that you are touching the precious Blood inside. There is hardly any Blood to be wiped after a person has received. There may be a film but never enough to cause the stains you are talking about. I would suggest there may be a problem if the purificators are getting that stained by the Blood.

 

[RichT]

One other thing. I have seen EMHC’s place the purificator inside the empty chalice after they are done which is a serious no no. That could cause some stains to happen.

 

[Crusader]

RichT:

We use a red wine at our parish and yes, we wipe the outside as well as the inside of the chalice. The chalices should not be so full that you are touching the precious Blood inside. There is hardly any Blood to be wiped after a person has received. There may be a film but never enough to cause the stains you are talking about. I would suggest there may be a problem if the purificators are getting that stained by the Blood.

Did you even read my post before responding? To suggest stains on purificators is something rare simply does not make any sense. To suggest the “film” cannot cause a stain (even when whiped correctly) is to show ignorance of the situation.

I don’t believe I have ever seen a purificator that wasn’t stained to some degree after communion. Then again something that you consider non-stained and treat w/o any special care may be correctly identified as stained in my parish, and thus handled with special care.

Originally Posted by Crusader
I don’t agree. If corporals and altar cloths were regularly stained, it would suggest a problem. Not so with purificators. If the EMsHC are doing their job, they are wiping BOTH the inner and outer lip of the chalice, right where a flim of Precious Blood is present – without dipping it into the actual pool of Precious Blood.

 

[RichT]

Crusader:

Did you even read my post before responding? To suggest stains on purificators is something rare simply does not make any sense. To suggest the “film” cannot cause a stain (even when whiped correctly) is to show ignorance of the situation.

I don’t believe I have ever seen a purificator that wasn’t stained to some degree after communion. Then again something that you consider non-stained and treat w/o any special care may be correctly identified as stained in my parish, and thus handled with special care.

Originally Posted by Crusader
I don’t agree. If corporals and altar cloths were regularly stained, it would suggest a problem. Not so with purificators. If the EMsHC are doing their job, they are wiping BOTH the inner and outer lip of the chalice, right where a flim of Precious Blood is present – without dipping it into the actual pool of Precious Blood.

Maybe you need to back up a minute here. Why do you insist on taking a casual discussion and making it into something so different. You are rude and arrogant and your comments are completely unacceptable. I am sharing my opinions based on what I have seen in my parish. As stain is a visible mark left behind from whatever it is causing the stain. We use a rose` wine so it does not cause stains unless the purificator is actully dipped in the Blood. To simply wipe the chalice does not cause a stain. As far as us treating something with special care I can assure you we do. What? Do you think you have the market cornered on treating things with special care or something? Are you a laundry expert? I don’t know how long these things need to be soaked, but to say it takes a week to lift a stain is certainly questionable.

Anyway, as far as I am concerned you owe me an apology for your rudeness and your unacceptable comments. I will wait patiently for it!

 

[Crusader]

RichT:

Maybe you need to back up a minute here. Why do you insist on taking a casual discussion and making it into something so different. You are rude and arrogant and your comments are completely unacceptable. I am sharing my opinions based on what I have seen in my parish. As stain is a visible mark left behind from whatever it is causing the stain. We use a rose` wine so it does not cause stains unless the purificator is actully dipped in the Blood. To simply wipe the chalice does not cause a stain. As far as us treating something with special care I can assure you we do. What? Do you think you have the market cornered on treating things with special care or something? Are you a laundry expert? I don’t know how long these things need to be soaked, but to say it takes a week to lift a stain is certainly questionable.

Anyway, as far as I am concerned you owe me an apology for your rudeness and your unacceptable comments. I will wait patiently for it!

If you want rudeness and arrogance, please refer to your posting #12:

“Actually it’s the lipstick that causes the most problems, not the blood itself. Unless your parish is using some really dark red wine. Under normal circumstances, when the chalice is wiped, there isn’t enough blood there to cause a stain.”

Are you suggesting that I am unable to identify a stain? Sure sounds like it to me. Or to suggest that wiping the chalice cannot cause a stain? C’mon…

What bothers me the most is that you added red herrings to this discussion. Things that could very possibly confuse others. Things that are not germaine to my original question.

I take the handling of the Eucharist extremely seriously. When I am told that a simple rinsing is all that’s required, or that the linens are not really stained, I have to wonder about the genesis of those comments…

The next time you feel you are owed an apology, reflect on how you casually discounted my concerns about how to handle the Precious Blood. It’s His Blood, not lipstick!