Proper vestments for altar servers

[ICXCNIKA]

Can anyone tell me what are the proper vestments for an altar server?

What is the difference between an Alb and a Cassock?

May altar servers wear Cassocks?

Thanks.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Can anyone tell me what are the proper vestments for an altar server?

What is the difference between an Alb and a Cassock?

May altar servers wear Cassocks?

Thanks.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“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.”

The Ceremonial of Bishops has, n. 66: “Presbyters who take part in a liturgical service but not as concelebrants are to wear choir dress if they are prelates or canons, cassock and surplice if they are not.”

I see this is a reason for altar servers not to wear cassock and surplice. But I think it is permitted, with this complicated sentence in the Ceremonial of Bishops:

“65. … A surplice may not be substituted for the alb when the chasuble or dalmatic is to be worn or when a stole is used instead of the chasuble or dalmatic. [footnote 60: See 1975 GIRM, n. 298] When a surplice is worn, it must be worn with the cassock.
Acolytes, readers, and other ministers may wear other lawfully approved vesture in place of the vestments already mentioned.”

 

[tee_eff_em]

Can anyone tell me what are the proper vestments for an altar server?

What is the difference between an Alb and a Cassock?

May altar servers wear Cassocks?

An alb is white and a cassock is black or red (in my experience – maybe other colors?).

The alb is a vestment proper to all the baptized – We all “received a white garment” in baptism. The cassock is a clerical vestment, and is by extension allowed to lay men who fill in when there are not enough clerics to serve (eg as acolytes). But the cassock ought not be worn by women or girls, I have been told, so altar servers may wear cassocks if they are male, but not if they are female.

tee

 

[ICXCNIKA]

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“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.”

."

Thank you.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

I have been told, so altar servers may wear cassocks if they are male, but not if they are female.

tee

Does anyone know if this is true? Cassocks are much nicer looking that most albs.

 

[Cristiano]

But the cassock ought not be worn by women or girls, I have been told, so altar servers may wear cassocks if they are male, but not if they are female.

When you have time can you please look for the reference if you had it? I am curios because I have seen both boys and girls wearing cassocks, surplices, and capes. This is again the fine line between common sense and what is formally forbidden.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

Okay, here’s the thing. I am an altar server at my parish three days a week and when they ask me to help for baptisms or funerals etc. I don’t like the albs that are stored in the sacristy. They are polyester and they are not cleaned regularly. The one that fits me has candle wax on it.

I am thinking about buying my own alb. Here is one I like, but I don’t know if it is allowed. And I don’t want to look better than the priest or stand out more than I need to.

almy.com/cassockalbs.html

I’ll eventually have to ask my Pastor.

 

[Sam88]

It seems to me that I commonly have seen altar servers wearning the surplice rather than the alb. In particular, I have noticed this in churches that were generally more formal.

 

[Sr_Sally]

Okay, here’s the thing. I am an altar server at my parish three days a week and when they ask me to help for baptisms or funerals etc. I don’t like the albs that are stored in the sacristy. They are polyester and they are not cleaned regularly. The one that fits me has candle wax on it.

I am thinking about buying my own alb. Here is one I like, but I don’t know if it is allowed. And I don’t want to look better than the priest or stand out more than I need to.

almy.com/cassockalbs.html

I’ll eventually have to ask my Pastor.

Have you considered offering to wash the albs? That seems to me the more humble route than to in affect say that you deserve a special outfit that others do not have.

 

[jmdsc]

The most important thing is to ASK YOUR PASTOR!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you buying your own alb - it’s not blessed at the manufacturers or anything!

My company creates A&E (including vestments). ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS… it comes down, and is the decision of the pastor! Better to check with him, rather than offend and waste your money!

 

[John_Lilburne]

Peter Elliott (who was recently ordained as a bishop in Melbourne, Australia) argued along these lines:

"… While the alb may seem visually appropriate for a female server, in my opinion, the cassock and surplice should never be worn by a girl or a woman. The cassock and surplice is choir dress for male clerics, extended by custom to young male servers, and this custom is rejected by various liturgists since boys are not clerics. But choir dress conjures up a mlae “clerical image”, so a female wearing male robes could be described as a bizarre ecclesiatical form of “cross-dressing’. …”

(Peter Elliott, Liturgical Question Box, Ignatius Press, 1998, ISBN 0-89870-677-7, page 61).

 

[chicago]

Peter Elliott (who was recently ordained as a bishop in Melbourne, Australia) argued along these lines:

"… While the alb may seem visually appropriate for a female server, in my opinion, the cassock and surplice should never be worn by a girl or a woman. The cassock and surplice is choir dress for male clerics, extended by custom to young male servers, and this custom is rejected by various liturgists since boys are not clerics. But choir dress conjures up a mlae “clerical image”, so a female wearing male robes could be described as a bizarre ecclesiatical form of “cross-dressing’. …”

(Peter Elliott, Liturgical Question Box, Ignatius Press, 1998, ISBN 0-89870-677-7, page 61).

I know priests of a conservative/traditional mindset who don’t believe that boys ought to wear such “clerical dress”, either - as they are not clerics.

Cassocks are essentially a derivitive of the robes from universitiy ceremonials. Of course, in olden days, priests were also “clerics”, in that they were educated. Eventually, this worked it’s way into the choir dress of communities as a form of identification and pride (showing your school colors essentially). Along the way, people decided that it would be cute to dress the boys up in this manner, also. Which is how we got cassocked boy choirstors and altar servers. At the time, of course, women were forbidden from both of these roles in the Church. Considering that women are not often university graduates and these assisting roles are allowed for them in the Church, also, it would be hard to argue that they can not also wear such vestiture - UNLESS we are to restrict it ONLY to those specifically conected with the priesthood, ultimately as a unique expression of such a state in life.

Given, cassock and alb may “look better” on liturgical ministers. I would, however, argue that the appropriate ordinary dress for a lay person in this role would be either alb or choir robes, as appropriately fits their role.

That said, I like the alb which the OP selected and would agree that it might make a fine selection for personal use. But, I agree, ask the pastor about it first, express your concerns, and make the suggestion before proceeding.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

The most important thing is to ASK YOUR PASTOR!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you buying your own alb - it’s not blessed at the manufacturers or anything!

My company creates A&E (including vestments). ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS… it comes down, and is the decision of the pastor! Better to check with him, rather than offend and waste your money!

Yes, I am going to have to ask him. I know what I prefer, and he may not allow it, so it will be a good act of obedience. However, I just want to know if one or the other may be worn.

Our parish is run by the Franciscans, and the altar servers all wear white albs. At another parish in town the altar servers wear Franciscan albs. Go figure.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

Have you considered offering to wash the albs? That seems to me the more humble route than to in affect say that you deserve a special outfit that others do not have.

I have not considered that. It’s a good idea. I’ll talk to our sacristan tomorrow about it.

This is a bit off the topic, but, what did I post that gave you the impression that I am in affect saying that I deserve a special outfit?

 

[Sr_Sally]

I have not considered that. It’s a good idea. I’ll talk to our sacristan tomorrow about it.

This is a bit off the topic, but, what did I post that gave you the impression that I am in affect saying that I deserve a special outfit?

I’m sorry if I mis-read your tone. It was just the description of the of garments you do have and earlier your comment that cassocks were nicer than albs. Please forgive me reading into your posts.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

I have not considered that. It’s a good idea. I’ll talk to our sacristan tomorrow about it.

This is a bit off the topic, but, what did I post that gave you the impression that I am in affect saying that I deserve a special outfit?

I thought maybe there was tone. I certainly don’t want anyone to think I am better than them. I am, but I don’t want anyone thinking I am.

 

[Brain]

Okay, here’s the thing. I am an altar server at my parish three days a week and when they ask me to help for baptisms or funerals etc. I don’t like the albs that are stored in the sacristy. They are polyester and they are not cleaned regularly. The one that fits me has candle wax on it.

I am thinking about buying my own alb. Here is one I like, but I don’t know if it is allowed. And I don’t want to look better than the priest or stand out more than I need to.

almy.com/cassockalbs.html

I’ll eventually have to ask my Pastor.

My issue was that I simply did not fit into any of the albs available to me (I am sort of giant, tall and round). So, I wanted to buy an alb, but i don’t like fasteners and albs are way too expensive IMHO, so I designed and sewed my own alb. It turned out really well, it is a square necked roman alb (like a floor length surplice). It took me about 12 hours though to get everything right, but thats because I had to work out the kinks in my design.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

My issue was that I simply did not fit into any of the albs available to me (I am sort of giant, tall and round). So, I wanted to buy an alb, but i don’t like fasteners and albs are way too expensive IMHO, so I designed and sewed my own alb. It turned out really well, it is a square necked roman alb (like a floor length surplice). It took me about 12 hours though to get everything right, but thats because I had to work out the kinks in my design.

Brain:
This is WAY off topic. I noticed you go to school in Spokane, WA. I used to live near Couer D’Alene. My ex in laws lived in Hayden Lake and then in Post Falls. I had an experience in Spokane that helped lead me back to the Church.

I went over to Spokane one Sunday to visit the Greek Orthodox Church there. I’d never been in an Orthodox Church before. As soon as I walked in, I was in love, and I began to find Jesus all over again. Co incidentally, the priest at the Church in Spokane was the son in law of the priest at the Greek Orthodox Church I went to in Pasco when I lived in Hermiston.

Outside of Spokane is a small town called Reardon. There is a Hutterite colony there. Good people. I had a chance to visit them once. I almost became a Hutterite.

Okay, I digress.

 

[DiMaggio]

Okay, here’s the thing. I am an altar server at my parish three days a week and when they ask me to help for baptisms or funerals etc. I don’t like the albs that are stored in the sacristy. They are polyester and they are not cleaned regularly. The one that fits me has candle wax on it.

I am thinking about buying my own alb. Here is one I like, but I don’t know if it is allowed. And I don’t want to look better than the priest or stand out more than I need to.

almy.com/cassockalbs.html

I’ll eventually have to ask my Pastor.

I wear that exact alb from Almy all the time. It’s served me well but be aware of two things. You can see dark clothing through it. It’s essentially a poly/cotton blend. Saves on ironing and it’s not too hot.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

I wear that exact alb from Almy all the time. It’s served me well but be aware of two things. You can see dark clothing through it. It’s essentially a poly/cotton blend. Saves on ironing and it’s not too hot.

You’re supposed to wear clothing under the alb? Uh oh.