Decorations on a priest's stole?

[sunny0009]

Can anyone help find the answer to this question?
Our parish school is closing and we are having a stole made for our pastor as a gift from the children. Is it permissible to have the children’s name’s on the stole? We were thinking of having them sign it to personalize it. Of course, we don’t want to do anything improper and we’ve received differing answers from those we’ve asked.
Thanks!

 

[AJV]

I doubt that there’s an explicit rule written down saying “no names”. However, the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) says

1. It is fitting that the beauty and nobility of each vestment derive not from abundance of overly lavish ornamentation, but rather from the material that is used and from the design.

Ornamentation on vestments should, moreover, consist of figures, that is, of images or symbols, that evoke sacred use, avoiding thereby anything unbecoming.

My personal opinion would be to see if there is some other way you could get the children to personalize the gift or something else to personalize, like a card? (not a unique idea, I know, but you get my train of thought).

Since the vestments are sacred, as the GIRM says, it is appropriate that the symbols sown on them be sacred as well. Having the names signed on it may distract from that objective.

You’ll be the best judge for your pastor but another thing to consider may be that some priests *may *feel awkward or uncomfortable wearing such stoles, for one reason or the other. Especially if it’s not at Mass, and the stole is then clearly visible.

 

[EasterJoy]

If there aren’t too many children, it would not be inappropriate for each to put a handprint on it, with their signatures on a card. I’m not an artist, but I think some artistic types know how to silk-screen from painted originals, too. In that way, the handprints could be overlaid in a particular pattern, so that many more handprints could go on to the stole without making an inscrutable mess. The handprints of children would not violate the requirement for sacred imagery, for the Lord said that anyone who was not like a little child would not enter into the Kingdom.

It isn’t uncommon for a priest to wear only an alb and a stole for penance services. If your parish does a First Reconcilliation service, you might consider the liturgical season during which your pastor does it, and choose the color accordingly. Or just do purple, since penance services in general are usually done during Advent and Lent.

You could also have each child “sign” their patron saint, instead of their own name…sort of a “Litany of the Saints” stole. Again, if you have someone with the know-how, the children could write these names in large print, then have them reduced (if necessary) with a photocopier, laid out in a particular pattern, and silk-screened onto the stole itself.

 

[Rawb]

Would it be allowed to have the children sign the inside of the stole? That way when it was worn at Mass only the Sacred Imagery would be seen, but the priest would know.

You could have the children each write “I’ll pray for you, Father _____! ~Name” and then the priest is wearing the prayers of the children on the inside of his stole.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Would it be allowed to have the children sign the inside of the stole? That way when it was worn at Mass only the Sacred Imagery would be seen, but the priest would know.

You could have the children each write “I’ll pray for you, Father _____! ~Name” and then the priest is wearing the prayers of the children on the inside of his stole.

I like this idea, along with a tag: “Dry Clean Only.”

 

[sunny0009]

Signing the inside was actually one of the suggestions we got. I think we might roll with that.
Thanks!

 

[Gertabelle]

Can anyone help find the answer to this question?
Our parish school is closing and we are having a stole made for our pastor as a gift from the children. Is it permissible to have the children’s name’s on the stole? We were thinking of having them sign it to personalize it. Of course, we don’t want to do anything improper and we’ve received differing answers from those we’ve asked.
Thanks!

Two things:

1. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is beautiful and not distracting. On the two Sundays of the year that the priests wear “rose” vestments, our parish priests wear this hideous vestment that has some strange black glob on the front of it. I spent much of the mass allowing myself to be completely distracted by this black glob, until I finally figured out it was supposed to be two silhouettes of facial profiles, with the faces looking in opposite directions. Anyway, keep it simple, and keep it beautiful.
2. Depending on the amount of time, talent, and children you have, you might consider doing something with a bit of machine “embroidery.” Trace each child’s hand onto the stole, and then have someone with the know-how sew/embroider over those lines in a single color (e.g., gold, or black). The result would probably not be recongnizable as a collection of handprints, but it could show the beauty of our unity, each of us as a part of the Body of Christ.

God bless you with this beautiful project.

Gertie

 

[jmdsc]

Can anyone help find the answer to this question?
Our parish school is closing and we are having a stole made for our pastor as a gift from the children. Is it permissible to have the children’s name’s on the stole? We were thinking of having them sign it to personalize it. Of course, we don’t want to do anything improper and we’ve received differing answers from those we’ve asked.
Thanks!

A parish came to me with a similar request. (I am a designer that believes that NO words should ever be on liturgical art!) We finally came up with the idea of creating art out of the names. In other words, we flipped, skewed, stretched, adjusted, etc. until we came up with a design that only looked like letters if you knew thats what it was originally or was able to study it for quite some time.

Remember when we were kids and we would write our names heavily in back crayon and then when the paper was folded together and rubbed - the crayon would transfer to the blank side and make a bug/alien/etc? This was the basis of the thought behind our design.

As it turned out - not only was it one of the most unique stoles I have ever created, but one of the most beautiful and fun!

All this would take is someone with an embroidery program, machine and an imagination!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Forgot- Having made a stole or two in my time, please get some fusible interfacing to sew between the two layers. It really helps the stole’s life and helps it stand out from the chasbule or lab in a good way.