Priests & Deacons: Would you wear black vestments for funerals if asked by the family?

  • Thread starter Thread starter phil19034
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

phil19034

Guest
Hello Priests and Deacons,

If you had a parishioner who wants black vestments when they die, would you wear them?

If yes, would you buy them yourself (via personal or parish funds) to have the black vestments ready for that funeral? Or would you only wear them if the parishioner or family bought the vestments for you?

And if you had black vestments, would you wear them for All Souls Day & offer them as an option for funerals?

I’m asking because I’m thinking about offering to buy some for my parish and perhaps my mother’s parish too so black can be worn at family funerals.
  • Would you buy black vestments if a member of the parish asked?
  • Would you only wear black vestments if a parish member bought them for you?
  • Would you not wear black?
  • If you had the black vestments, would you wear them for All Soul’s Day?
  • If you had the black vestments would you offer them for all funerals?
0 voters
 
Last edited:
We only have 3 active clergy here on Catholic Answers Forums…

@FrDavid96
@edward_george1
@(name removed by moderator)
 
I didn’t know that 🙂

Please tag them, then.

@phil19034 , it really just depends.

I’m sure that, unless in a very low-church/liberal parish, if a parishioner purchased black vestments for a funeral of themselves or a relative, the priest would be more than happy to oblige.
 
thanks…

I can’t remember who the other Deacons are… but I know they are out there. 🙂
 
I don’t think so. It would be a great blessing to have one, though
 
phil19034 said:
would you buy them yourself (via personal or parish funds) to have the black vestments ready for that funeral
Click to expand...
I would suggest that if a parish is going to have vestments that are used for a very small and restrictive number of occasions (From the GIRM: Besides the color violet, the colors white or black may be used at funeral services and at other Offices and Masses for the Dead in the Dioceses of the United States of America) that it should be through a donation or memorial that the parish acquires these vestments.

Many parishes are tight on funds and purchasing vestments that are rarely used may not be good stewardship in many cases. Especially when another vestment that the parish already owns is a perfectly legitimate option within the rubrics.

We just got a rose chasuble for our parish. My husband and I donated it, because it’s only used 2x per year, and we only have one mass per weekend at our small parish. Our parish didn’t have one and the priest just wore violet.

We also donated a divine mercy chasuble (gold/white) as a memorial when my husband’s father died. Our priest loved that thing. He wore it every chance he got (he was Polish). When he got transferred, we gave him one of his own as a going away present.

I don’t see a black vestment in the ordinary form of the mass as being something a lot of people will ask for in a funeral liturgy. All Soul’s Day it could also be worn, but that is only one day a year.
 
Yes, there is.

@frjuan

Maybe this is a peculiarity of this Archdiocese, but if someone requested black vestments for a funeral here we’d just borrow them from a parish that has them and return them afterwards. :woman_shrugging:t2:
 
On a somewhat similar note, I could see the beauty in a family buying a nice set of white/gold vestments to be used for weddings, First Communions, Confirmations, etc- even funerals if so desired
 
Yo there! 😄

I personally never have been asked for black vestments in a funeral, nor I have been in any Parish that had “recent” black chasubles/dalmatics (in some Parishes, they still had old black vestments, from before the Liturgical Reformation of Vatican II).

I would have no problem in wearing black vestments, provided that I have access to them and they are in good condition. There are many people who think black vestments are banned after the Vatican II Liturgical Reformation, and that is not true: black can still be used on funerals.

Now, regarding the question whether I would buy black vestments if my parish didn’t have them: It would depend mainly on the demand. If I have enough parishioners that are used to the tradition of black vestments and prefer that color, I would buy them. After all, I’m just and administrator of the money they give to the Church, and I must use it in the way that will be better for their spiritual growth; if they feel more devotion with black, and provided that the Church gives that possibility, then black we go. But I would not buy them if my parishioners are not used to black, only to boast that I have black vestments in my Parish and let them collect dust.
 
Last edited:
If I were a priest, I would have black vestments for funerals and All Souls Day.
 
add two young Priests to that list and an Eastern right one
 
Last edited:
At my parish my priest actually owns and uses black vestments for funerals and even I’ve seen him use it for mass, but I don’t remember the occasion. It’s shaped like a fiddle for the front and back and just goes down to his waist. I’ve never seen any other vestments in that style at my parish so I have no clue if he had them purchased or someone donated them.
 
My childhood parish had this happen. The family bought an ornate (even had this high collar thing that went up around the neck) set of white vestments for our priest to use for some occasion. Then he’d save wearing those vestments for solemnities, weddings, and other special occasions. I could always tell when I should’ve been paying attention to the calendar when he’d process in wearing them.
 
It’s interesting to see cost cited as a reason against wearing them, when some very lively vestment sets are available on eBay for a third of what they would cost from a church supply company.
 
True, they make some very nice vestments in India for a fraction of the price. I’m sure the question is: who’s making them? Devout Catholics making them cheap for the Church? Or non-Christian sweat shops?

I imagine it’s devout Catholics. Here is a link to a vestment company in India, which has a scanned and signed letter from their bishop on it. http://www.thechurchshoppe.com/

And below is a link to their eBay site

 
Last edited:
phil19034 said:
I’m asking because I’m thinking about offering to buy some for my parish and perhaps my mother’s parish too so black can be worn at family funerals.
Click to expand...
It comes down to the personal preferences of the particular priest. You might ask your parish priest directly.

And, to tell the truth, you might consider buying them for him, rather than for the parish. If he is re-assigned, and leaves the vestments at the parish, and the next priest assigned there has a thing against wearing black, you know what will happen to the vestments, right…? 🤨
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top