Covering the Statues During Lent

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paramedicgirl

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What is the history behind covering the statues and the crucified Jesus with purple cloths during Lent? Does your Catholic Church follow this practice?

Does your church drape a white cloth around the crucified Jesus for the Resurrection? A woman in our church takes care to see that all of the above is done, (along with removing the holy water from the fonts after Ash Wednesday).
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
This is the practice in my Parish. except for the white cloth, never seen that.
www.oldstpatricks.org
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St Patricks, boy do I remember that church. We used to go up there from time to time many years ago. I loved it because they offered the traditional Mass, the Novus Ordo in Latin and the Novus Ordo. A truly beautiful Church in a city full of beautiful churches. St Patricks is right up there near the top. Of course, St. Stephens and the Church of the Annunciation have her beat. 🙂 But not by much. 👍

I really miss being able to go there.
 
Qui: What white cloth? Please explain.

Para: I don’t believe this is universally being done today but it was universal prior to Vatican II. In fact, on Good Friday one of the rites was to expose the crucifix one section at a time - This is the wood of the cross on which hung the Savior of the world. I believe the idea was to reinforce the somber nature of Lent. All the statues had their purple cloths removed by Holy Saturday. I’m sure they’ll be others who’ll follow after me who can explain it better. My parish (a cathedral parish) does not do this and I went to a funeral yesterday at a neighboring parish and they don’t do it either.
 
Our parish removes all statues, takes the corpus off the crucifix and drapes a purple cloth over the horizontal bar of the cross. At the Easter vigil the purple cloth is replaced with white. The corpus is placed back a few weeks after Easter.
 
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palmas85:
St Patricks, boy do I remember that church. We used to go up there from time to time many years ago. I loved it because they offered the traditional Mass, the Novus Ordo in Latin and the Novus Ordo. A truly beautiful Church in a city full of beautiful churches. St Patricks is right up there near the top. Of course, St. Stephens and the Church of the Annunciation have her beat. 🙂 But not by much. 👍

I really miss being able to go there.
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Did you visit my parish when you were in the City on vacation? I really am glad you enjoyed it. Our pastor uses the seminarians for servers at the Tridentine mass. They do A wonderful job serving the Solemn High mass. And it gives these future priests A wonderful exposure to the classical Roman Rite.
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I must say I disagree with you about St.Stephens and Annunciation! St. Patricks has them beat! No contest!

On A sadder note, St. Stephens suffered a lot of Damage from Katrina. That magnificent spire. that could be seen for miles around the city. was almost totally stripped of its copper sheathing. And they took major roof damage. The Church of the annunciation on marais street is closed. Or were you refering to Immaculate conception on Barrone St.? In local language known as “Jesuit Church”

The Archdiocese just merged St. John the Baptist on Dryades st. with St. patricks. You will remember it as having the distinctly east European gold dome.
 
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brotherhrolf:
Qui: What white cloth? Please explain.

Para: I don’t believe this is universally being done today but it was universal prior to Vatican II. In fact, on Good Friday one of the rites was to expose the crucifix one section at a time - This is the wood of the cross on which hung the Savior of the world. I believe the idea was to reinforce the somber nature of Lent. All the statues had their purple cloths removed by Holy Saturday. I’m sure they’ll be others who’ll follow after me who can explain it better. My parish (a cathedral parish) does not do this and I went to a funeral yesterday at a neighboring parish and they don’t do it either.
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I dont know Brother, The OP mentioned draping A white cloth after Easter, On the crucifix. I have never seen it done, nor have I even heard of removing Holy water at the beginning of Lent. Our parish simply veils all images during lent. Even the processional crosses are veiled.
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
I dont know Brother, The OP mentioned draping A white cloth after Easter, On the crucifix. I have never seen it done, nor have I even heard of removing Holy water at the beginning of Lent. Our parish simply veils all images during lent. Even the processional crosses are veiled.
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hmmm - I just realized we don’t use the processional cross during Lent, and we haven’t said the Creed either the past couple weeks on Sunday. Is this correct?
 
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Elzee:
hmmm - I just realized we don’t use the processional cross during Lent, and we haven’t said the Creed either the past couple weeks on Sunday. Is this correct?
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Are you Tridentine, or Novus Ordo? I dont think the creed is supposed to be omitted in the Tridentine mass, I only assist at the Novus Ordo, on weekdays. So I honestly dont know. as for the processional cross, maybe your Pastor has some reason for not using it.
 
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paramedicgirl:
What is the history behind covering the statues and the crucified Jesus with purple cloths during Lent? Does your Catholic Church follow this practice?

Does your church drape a white cloth around the crucified Jesus for the Resurrection? A woman in our church takes care to see that all of the above is done, (along with removing the holy water from the fonts after Ash Wednesday).
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Holy water should not be removed during Lent.

The Crucifix and statues are covered only either during Holy Week or after the Mass of the Last Supper until Easter Vigil. Purple is the liturgical color for repentance. The covering is to symbolize the solemn and serious attitude of the Church during the Triduum.
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
Are you Tridentine, or Novus Ordo? I dont think the creed is supposed to be omitted in the Tridentine mass, I only assist at the Novus Ordo, on weekdays. So I honestly dont know. as for the processional cross, maybe your Pastor has some reason for not using it.
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Novus Ordo. I’ll have to ask about the processional cross. My guess is since he removes the corpus from the crucifix above the altar maybe he doesn’t use the processional cross because it has a corpus on it?
Not sure.
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
Did you visit my parish when you were in the City on vacation? I really am glad you enjoyed it. Our pastor uses the seminarians for servers at the Tridentine mass. They do A wonderful job serving the Solemn High mass. And it gives these future priests A wonderful exposure to the classical Roman Rite.
.
I must say I disagree with you about St.Stephens and Annunciation! St. Patricks has them beat! No contest!

On A sadder note, St. Stephens suffered a lot of Damage from Katrina. That magnificent spire. that could be seen for miles around the city. was almost totally stripped of its copper sheathing. And they took major roof damage. The Church of the annunciation on marais street is closed. Or were you refering to Immaculate conception on Barrone St.? In local language known as “Jesuit Church”

The Archdiocese just merged St. John the Baptist on Dryades st. with St. patricks. You will remember it as having the distinctly east European gold dome.
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It is my home town… St Stephens and the Church of the Annunciation were the churches I went to as a youth. I attended Annunciation School then St Stephens High School, both closed years ago. I’m just an old" yat" I guess . Annunciation was a beautiful church sorry to hear it closed also… I’m really sad to hear about the damage to St Stephens. My kids were baptized there, went to elementary shool there and then my son to Jesuit and my daughters to Archbishop Chapelle.

Take care always, and I hope the hurricane left you in good shape. You and your family will be in my prayers.
 
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palmas85:
It is my home town… St Stephens and the Church of the Annunciation were the churches I went to as a youth. I attended Annunciation School then St Stephens High School, both closed years ago. I’m just an old" yat" I guess . Annunciation was a beautiful church sorry to hear it closed also… I’m really sad to hear about the damage to St Stephens. My kids were baptized there, went to elementary shool there and then my son to Jesuit and my daughters to Archbishop Chapelle.

Take care always, and I hope the hurricane left you in good shape. You and your family will be in my prayers.
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My dear friend palmas,
I never knew you were A native new Orleanian! I have always enjoyed your posts. and I agree with your view point on A lot of things. Now I have even more reason to enjoy your posts!

On another note, Father Reynolds died in 2000 after 40 years as pastor of St. Patricks, He was replaced by Msgr klores, One of the professors at the Seminary. He is truly a wonderful Priest, and Cure of souls. I thought you might like to know this in case you knew Father Reynolds.

Thank you for your prayers, and illuminating posts. God Bless.
As for the Hurricane, it “left me” and thats about all I can say.
 
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palmas85:
It is my home town… St Stephens and the Church of the Annunciation were the churches I went to as a youth. I attended Annunciation School then St Stephens High School, both closed years ago. I’m just an old" yat" I guess . Annunciation was a beautiful church sorry to hear it closed also… I’m really sad to hear about the damage to St Stephens. My kids were baptized there, went to elementary shool there and then my son to Jesuit and my daughters to Archbishop Chapelle.

Take care always, and I hope the hurricane left you in good shape. You and your family will be in my prayers.
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Code: 
  My cousins went to St. Stephens for grade school. I haven't been in that church in a long time so I can't comment on the inside. Jesuit is still the number 1 school ever  ;). It sad to see that it had so much damage but we're doing great
  At Our Lady of the Rosary where I go to daily mass (go to St. Patricks for Sunday Mass now) after Holy Thursday they cover all the crucifixes with a violet cloth and there is no Holy Water for Good Friday.
 
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brotherhrolf:
Qui: What white cloth? Please explain.
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For the last few years, a woman has draped a white cloth around the crucified body of Jesus on the feast of the Ascension, I think. It is draped around his body so that his body is still visible, but the cloth hangs off his body, mainly the hips.

This is done to the crucifix that stands right behind the altar in the sanctuary.
 
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Elzee:
Novus Ordo. I’ll have to ask about the processional cross. My guess is since he removes the corpus from the crucifix above the altar maybe he doesn’t use the processional cross because it has a corpus on it?
Not sure.
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There must be a crucifix on or near the altar whenever Mass is being said.
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
My dear friend palmas,
I never knew you were A native new Orleanian! I have always enjoyed your posts. and I agree with your view point on A lot of things. Now I have even more reason to enjoy your posts!

On another note, Father Reynolds died in 2000 after 40 years as pastor of St. Patricks, He was replaced by Msgr klores, One of the professors at the Seminary. He is truly a wonderful Priest, and Cure of souls. I thought you might like to know this in case you knew Father Reynolds.

Thank you for your prayers, and illuminating posts. God Bless.
As for the Hurricane, it “left me” and thats about all I can say.
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Thanks so much for the info on Father Reynolds. I did know him. He was an outstanding priest and a credit to the Archdiocese. As an aside, Msgr. Kloss is a very close personal friend of my sisters boss. She and most of my family still live down there. Only my daughter suffered any real damges, she lived down in the 9th ward.

It is indeed a very small world isn’t it?.

Take care always and may God bless and keep you and yours.
 
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tee_eff_em:
Some history here: Covering Crosses and Images in Lent.

(My parish veils our few statues during Holy Week)

tee
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I read the article you posted (by Zenit News) and it states that covering the statues is done on the fifth Sunday of Lent. For some unknown reason, a woman in our church covers the statues the second Sunday of Lent.
 
QUICUMQUE VULT:
I dont know Brother, The OP mentioned draping A white cloth after Easter, On the crucifix. I have never seen it done, nor have I even heard of removing Holy water at the beginning of Lent. Our parish simply veils all images during lent. Even the processional crosses are veiled.
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Ah ha! We have a church here in Baton Rouge which takes the corpus off the cross and drapes the cross with a white cloth to symbolize the resurrection. Then they put a risen Jesus over the tabernacle.

Jesuit? Number one? Not in your widest imagination! I am a proud member of the last graduating class of St. Aloysius and my brother is a member of the first full all Brother Martin graduating class.😃
On a more serious note, both schools took heavy damage. My oldest friend graduated the year after I did from St. Stanislaus. He commuted from Gretna to here so that his third son could continue with Brother Martin’s classes at night, no less, here in Baton Rouge.

Glad to see all my fellow y’ats here. Sad they closed St. Augustine’s. When I went to St. Aloysius for eigth grade we used St. Aug’s school facilities and went to Mass on Friday’s there. While Fr. LeDoux’s choice in vestments is certainly not orthodox, I have long read his columns and enjoyed seeing the photos posted by the TP this weekend.

But what is the name of the church in the Bywater close to the river and several blocks off Elysian Fields? I can’t remember its name but it looked like it took heavy wind damage.
 
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