Question about Alb

[Benedicta07]

I apologize for my ignorance, and I hope that I am posting on the correct forum. My question concerns the wearing of an Alb. Our parish has a new sacristan, who happens to be a female. She is a beautiful person, so this has nothing to do with her on a personal level. Our priest has recently requested that she wear an Alb while assisting him. There are a number of people at our parish who are quite offended by this. She is wearing it out of obedience to the priest. He is also a precious person. I am a new Catholic, so all of this is confusing for me. What are the people so upset about? Is it wrong for a woman to be a sacristan? If not, is it wrong for her to wear an alb?

 

[tee_eff_em]

The alb is a liturgical garment proper to all the baptized – Recall in baptism we receive a “white garment”.

Nor is it wrong for a woman to be a sacristan.

That said: What is she doing “while she assists him”? Perhaps I (a cradle Catholic) have misunderstood all these years, and I welcome correction if I am mistaken, but IMHO “sacristan” is not a liturgical role, but rather behind-the-scenes. The sacristan prepares those items needed for the liturgy and sees to their disposition afterward, but I know of no visible function for her or him to be performing during the liturgy?

(ie, Perhaps people are upset that she is performing some other function (server? MC? pseudo-deacon?), but not knowing precisely I cannot comment)

:twocents:
tee

 

[LilyM]

(ie, Perhaps people are upset that she is performing some other function (server? MC? pseudo-deacon?), but not knowing precisely I cannot comment)

:twocents:
tee

They’re probably just concerned that she looks too much like a priest or deacon (even if any baptised person may properly wear an alb) and thus can possibly be taken for having some liturgical function.

 

[BobP123]

They’re probably just concerned that she looks too much like a priest or deacon (even if any baptised person may properly wear an alb) and thus can possibly be taken for having some liturgical function.

And that is true of someone wearing a cassock too.

 

[LilyM]

And that is true of someone wearing a cassock too.

Well, certainly true of most all vestments. Sometimes if I see members of the choir garbed in black and white robes I can confuse them too

 

[tee_eff_em]

And that is true of someone wearing a cassock too.

The OP did not ask, but a cassock is a masculine vestment and ought not be worn by women or girls.

tee

 

[BobP123]

The OP did not ask, but a cassock is a masculine vestment and ought not be worn by women or girls.

tee

Think I saw it worn by some female choirists a while ago, or at least they looked like cassocks. I believe they were in red too.

 

[Benedicta07]

I hope I am using this system correctly. I’m new to the message boards. Thank you so much for answering my questions. And to answer yours, no she is not doing anything other than a Sacristan’s duties. I’m sorry that I have to be rather vague, but I want to make sure that no one is hurt by my post. The woman in question is my godmother, and I don’t want her to be hurt any more than she already has been. I appreciate so much your answering my questions. God bless.

The alb is a liturgical garment proper to all the baptized – Recall in baptism we receive a “white garment”.

Nor is it wrong for a woman to be a sacristan.

That said: What is she doing “while she assists him”? Perhaps I (a cradle Catholic) have misunderstood all these years, and I welcome correction if I am mistaken, but IMHO “sacristan” is not a liturgical role, but rather behind-the-scenes. The sacristan prepares those items needed for the liturgy and sees to their disposition afterward, but I know of no visible function for her or him to be performing during the liturgy?

(ie, Perhaps people are upset that she is performing some other function (server? MC? pseudo-deacon?), but not knowing precisely I cannot comment)

:twocents:
tee

 

[tee_eff_em]

I hope I am using this system correctly. I’m new to the message boards. Thank you so much for answering my questions.

With the exception of your initial placement of this question under the Traditional Catholicism forum (and I see one of the wise and wonderful moderators has moved it to the more appropriate Liturgy and Sacraments), you are doing fine. (Welcome to the forum )

And to answer yours, no she is not doing anything other than a Sacristan’s duties. I’m sorry that I have to be rather vague, but I want to make sure that no one is hurt by my post.

In that case, I am even more puzzled by your priest’s request that she vest? Her duties (as I understand them) ought to be taking place outside of the liturgy entirely?

It seems like asking the janitor in the theater to wear make-up, “because everyone who goes on stage wears make-up”, or asking the painters remodeling the restaurant to wear a coat and tie, “because we ask all our patrons to wear coat and tie” – The janitor is not there to perform, the painters are not there to dine, and the sacristan is not there to take a role in the liturgy?

tee

 

[KatieD]

Quite right. Her duties take place before and after Mass, to help prepare what the priest will need for the Liturgy. There is absolutely no reason for her to wear an alb. I care for the albs and chasubles at my parish, and no one but priests and deacons wear them.

 

[Anne1964]

In my former parish we also had a female sacristan who wore an alb. If we were short of altar servers for Mass she would fill in. All of the altar servers also wore albs. As near as I can remember she only wore the alb on the days she was also going to be an altar server.