Pins, Badges and mini-vestments

[EllieMary]

Apologies if this is not the appropriate place, I’m new at this.

Our Liturgy committee is planning to provide Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist with pins/badges and either a sash or stole in colours yet to be decided.

I am personally dismayed at this idea, since I love the quiet movement of EM’s from the congregation to the alter, with no fuss, just beautiful reverence.

The idea of badges and liturgical clothing seems excessive, distracting and and devisive.

I’m looking for ways to think this through, so hope to hear your comments.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Yikes.

I don’t suppose your liturgy committee would be amenable to the idea that since you are ‘extraordinary’ ministers, there is no need to call specific attention to yourselves nor to have special ‘vestments’ that make you look all cool and official and demi-priestly and, well, ‘special’, and that, in fact, using the money for said vestments and donating that money to charity, in the name of all the EME/EMHCs of your parish, would be the kind of ‘garment’ that you think most appropriate for those in this ministry, instead?

In fact, I would be sorely tempted myself, if the committee went ahead and gave me the sash, etc., to ‘forget’ to bring it and wear it (regularly), and to try to convince as many as possible to follow my lead.

 

[EllieMary]

Thanks Tantum Ergo. Quiet ‘disobedience’ is always useful! However we are being quietly disobedient about a number of issues at present, so maybe it’s time to speak up. I’m just reluctant to stick my neck out!

 

[Tantum_ergo]

You have to wonder how this idea came up. It didn’t come out of the blue, I’m sure. Maybe if enough people (tactfully) said, “You know, it’s sweet of the liturgy committee to think of us, but this sort of ‘vestment/sash’ stuff just makes us uncomfortable, because we aren’t trying to differentiate ourselves as though we were something ‘special’ or ‘set apart’ from everybody else, and especially are concerned that this kind of ‘attire’ makes us look as though we are trying to dress like priests or have an ‘official’ status that is like a priest. We would much rather just continue to dress with the respect we give to God in church at any time by wearing modest clothing, and to dispense with any of these frills which are neither appropriate nor necessary to us as laypersons.”

And if they bleat, “But we already bought the sashes”, insist that they be returned. If they can’t be returned, then whoever thought up the whole mess has kind of proven that he/she isn’t really capable of thinking things through before making decisions and covering all the bases --which is ‘useful’ for others to know. And where did the money come from and who made the decision. . .certainly it wasn’t YOU!!! But if they cannot be returned, well, people can take those sashes and find quilters to make them into quilting squares, you can gather up other materials, and you can make a nice quilt for the church and raffle it off to help defray the expense for the darn things.

 

[Phemie]

If nothing else you can tell them that the stole is a symbol of ordination and since none of you are ordained, or you’d be ordinary ministers of Holy Communion, you can’t wear a stole.

If they are really set on wearing something that sets them apart, why not wear albs?

GIRM 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.

 

[peary]

Apologies if this is not the appropriate place, I’m new at this.

Our Liturgy committee is planning to provide Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist with pins/badges and either a sash or stole in colours yet to be decided.

I am personally dismayed at this idea, since I love the quiet movement of EM’s from the congregation to the alter, with no fuss, just beautiful reverence.

The idea of badges and liturgical clothing seems excessive, distracting and and devisive.

I’m looking for ways to think this through, so hope to hear your comments.

Being an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist is extra-ordinary enough without calling attention to one’s self via badges or sashes or semi-stoles. It’s probably the liberal ladies in your bunch who still have notion of female priests some time in the future.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

In my parish we used to have a small medallion to wear but have not done so for several years. It’s pretty obvious the person holding the cup is the EMHC; the one at the ambo proclaiming the epistle is the Reader; the one at the mike is the cantor, Unless there is a problem in your parish with unassigned people taking over these duties why do you need further identification?

 

[Aramis]

Apologies if this is not the appropriate place, I’m new at this.

Our Liturgy committee is planning to provide Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist with pins/badges and either a sash or stole in colours yet to be decided.

I am personally dismayed at this idea, since I love the quiet movement of EM’s from the congregation to the alter, with no fuss, just beautiful reverence.

The idea of badges and liturgical clothing seems excessive, distracting and and devisive.

I’m looking for ways to think this through, so hope to hear your comments.

The appropriate vestment, according to the GIRM, is alb and amice. Which I’d recommend.

 

[EllieMary]

Thanks Claire, Phyme, peary, Aramis and Tantum Ergo, you’ve given me useful food for thought. EllieMary

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Apologies if this is not the appropriate place, I’m new at this.

Our Liturgy committee is planning to provide Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist with pins/badges and either a sash or stole in colours yet to be decided.

I am personally dismayed at this idea, since I love the quiet movement of EM’s from the congregation to the alter, with no fuss, just beautiful reverence.

The idea of badges and liturgical clothing seems excessive, distracting and and devisive.

I’m looking for ways to think this through, so hope to hear your comments.

A lay Extrardinary Minister is not permitted to wear a stole during a liturgy. An Alb is the proper liturgical vestment for a Lay person. I see nothing wrong with a small pin or badge.

 

[EllieMary]

Thanks for your opinion Br Rich. My problem is that I find the whole idea quite offensive, and I’m trying (a) to work out why and (b) to not be equally offensive in my own attitude. It’s great to hear different points of view, and possible better ideas. EllieMary

 

[japhy]

Our Liturgy committee is planning to provide Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist with pins/badges and either a sash or stole in colours yet to be decided.

Things that appear to be vestments for the ordained (which includes stoles but excludes albs) are not to be worn by the non-ordained. I don’t know about pins/badges. But if you’re going to give EMHCs a commonality, I think the Church prefers the alb. (I’d personally not do that, but given what some EMHCs wear, perhaps it’s necessary…)

 

[peary]

A lay Extrardinary Minister is not permitted to wear a stole during a liturgy. An Alb is the proper liturgical vestment for a Lay person. I see nothing wrong with a small pin or badge.

The focus needs to be on the Eucharist, not the minister.

 

[Chatter163]

My problem is that I find the whole idea quite offensive, and I’m trying (a) to work out why and (b) to not be equally offensive in my own attitude.

Frankly, I find the whole idea of having a “liturgy commitee,” one that issues decisions and devises gimmicks, offensive. :bigyikes:

 

[Phemie]

Frankly, I find the whole idea of having a “liturgy commitee,” one that issues decisions and devises gimmicks, offensive. :bigyikes:

It depends on whether they know their stuff and their place.

Some priests like having a well trained liturgy committee in place. In our parish the liturgy committee was responsible for ensuring that everything was in place for any specific liturgy, that the various ministers were properly trained and scheduled, that the choir knew what was coming up & when, and that things would be done according to the documents so that Fr. didn’t have to even think about the logistics.

 

[EllieMary]

You have put your finger on the problem Chatter163. Unfortunately we are stuck with lay committees and priests on temprary appointment only.These good men have not felt able to make decisions or give much leadership. The congregation is truely suffering in many ways although we do have access to the Sacraments.

Peary I’m hanging onto that thought, thanks. EllieMary

 

[KathleenElsie]

Here goes and I will probably be slammed for this.

Unless every person in the pew wears the same uniform then no EM should be allowed to be set apart. If I have read the “rules” correctly the EM is to come from the pew as needed not assigned a time, place and day.

 

[Larowyn]

My parish gives crosses to the Extraordinary Ministers to wear around their necks at the Masses they are assigned to serve, but the readers aren’t given anything. I’m doing both tonight at Mass and I’m not going to wear my cross. The Altar Servers wear wooden crosses, but since they also wear surplices and cassocks I see no problem with it.

 

[Chatter163]

It depends on whether they know their stuff and their place.

Some priests like having a well trained liturgy committee in place. In our parish the liturgy committee was responsible for ensuring that everything was in place for any specific liturgy, that the various ministers were properly trained and scheduled, that the choir knew what was coming up & when, and that things would be done according to the documents so that Fr. didn’t have to even think about the logistics.

Ah, but that is not really what the OP or I described, which was a group that made decisions and promoted novelties…It goes without saying that the priest should not be burdened with the minutiae of Mass, and that it will take others to relieve him of these concerns. But this is not the same situation as the type of “commitee” that was being discussed.

 

[peary]

Here goes and I will probably be slammed for this.

Unless every person in the pew wears the same uniform then no EM should be allowed to be set apart. If I have read the “rules” correctly the EM is to come from the pew as needed not assigned a time, place and day.