Question about corporals

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Yearning

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Hi, I am going to make a corporal and burse as an ordination present for a friend. (If it all turns out nicely, I may get ambitious, and move on to the stole, chasuble and cope).

I talked with him at length about what he wanted, but because I told him that I may or may not actually be able to do this, I asked him try to forget that we had the conversation. So, I can’t go back and get more clarification from him.

This is my understanding of what he wants: An ornate blue burse, decorated with Marian symbols (he thinks of the burse as sort of a Marian symbol, since it contains the corporal - just as she contained Jesus). It doesn’t sound like he is planning to use the set for Mass, but instead for Exposition. So, he said that the corporal can have ornamentation all around. Lace would be fine, so would embroidery, and it can have colour.

Looking on the web, everything that I can find says that a corporal should be plain white linen, unadorned. Is it possible that I misunderstood my friend, and that I should not embroider the corporal? Or is it possible that because he is not intending to use it for Mass, just for Exposition, that it is okay to have it be heavily embroidered on the perimeter?

Thanks so much for your (name removed by moderator)ut, I’m hoping to start this project today 🙂
 
Oh, and while I’m at it… I can’t find a uniform size for the corporal anywhere either.

I’ve seen 18" at some sites. The one that I borrowed to measure was 20". For some reason, I had 22" stuck in my mind, so I was planning that. But, now, I’m wondering if smaller would be better.

Is there anyone here who serves at mass, and knows what the norm should be? Or the advantages, disadvantages for different sizes?

Thanks!
 
Er, just a suggestion. Shouldn’t you be thinking of doing a burse and a chalice veil rather than a burse and a corporal? The first pairing represents the two items that must match for reasons of aesthetics and good taste. A corporal has to be kept simple for practical reasons (there is a chance however small that, um, something might be spilled on it). And nothing would look sillier than a blue burse decorated with motives of Our Lady matched up with, say, a purple chalice veil during Advent.

Now I’m sounding really pushy, but in spite of what your friend said I would try for something that is going to work liturgically. I have never heard of chalice accoutrements that were for “exhibition only.” And that means that you are going to have to get from the horse’s mouth, which is not me, the requirements for these things.
 
Oh, I should have added that I intend to do the veil as well. That’s going to be the easy part 😉 The burse is going to be the challenge (both in construction and decoration).

Does anyone know if a corporal is used during Exposition? Because if it is, I can see having a corporal that is used exlusively for that purpose. And, if it is only to be used for that purpose, would it be inappropriate to have the added decoration?

Oh, and I didn’t think you were pushy… I appreciate all the (name removed by moderator)ut I can get. 🙂
 
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Yearning:
Oh, I should have added that I intend to do the veil as well. That’s going to be the easy part 😉 The burse is going to be the challenge (both in construction and decoration).

Does anyone know if a corporal is used during Exposition? Because if it is, I can see having a corporal that is used exlusively for that purpose. And, if it is only to be used for that purpose, would it be inappropriate to have the added decoration?

Oh, and I didn’t think you were pushy… I appreciate all the (name removed by moderator)ut I can get. 🙂
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Yes, a corporal is used for Exposition. However, it is just any corporal. I mean that a parish church usually has a number of corporals and the person (the sacristan) setting up the altar for Exposition will take any one of the clean ones and lay it on the altar.

I don’t see the point of having a blue burse, since as another poster said that it goes with the chalice veil and the chalice veil must match official liturgical colors, which do not include blue.

So, if it was me, I would either make it in green (the color for ordinary time) or white (the color for many solemnities) (gold is also used instead of white), but not blue. After all, what is more important - the preist’s private preference or being obedient to the Church? The Church has not approved blue as a liturgical color.
 
I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut. I was thinking that (eventually, should I get to it), the chasuble, stole, and cope would be white brocade, lined and accented with blue silk. Is blue an acceptable accent colour? But the main colour would be white, which of course would be acceptable for Marian solemnities and such.

So, I was thinking that for the veil and burse, which are quite small, it might be nice to have them be made of the blue silk that the larger pieces would be accented with. The veil would be blue on the one side, with a white cross, and then lined with whatever white fabric I envision the rest of the set being done in eventually. The burse would be blue on the exterior, and white linen on the interior, and then the top embroidered in white. But, I haven’t ruled out having the top be the matching white brocade, and then embroidered in blue.

Anyway, I am still uncertain of what exactly is and is not allowed with vestments (which is why I’m posting here 🙂 ) But, I think that what I outlined would sure look sharp 🙂

Given what my overall plans are… does blue still seem inappropriate? I understand that the fact blue is sometimes used, that doesn’t make it okay, but I was unaware that it could not be used.

And, if my friend is using it outside of the liturgy, is it a genuine concern if it is not an approved liturgical colour?

Thanks again everyone for your (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
Okay, giving this some thought, how does this sound:

white brocade burse, lined with white linen, with blue square of silk, emroidered with white and maybe silver Marian symbols, afixed to the top (it would entirely cover the top).

white brocade veil, lined with blue silk, embroidered with blue cross.

Assuming that blue is an acceptable accent colour, the vestments are now officially white.

The sidebar that Brendan directed me to said:

On the Altar, extra candels should be lighted as for a festival. The monstrance, covred with a veil, should be on the Altar before the service begins, together with a white burse containing a corporal. this corporal should only be yused at Benediction.

Assuming this is correct, then the corporal I am constructing would indeed be used only for benediction. What I’m looking for now are opinions on the appropriateness of embroidering the perimeter of that corporal, as well as a recommended size for the corporal.
 
Joan M:
Yes, a corporal is used for Exposition. However, it is just any corporal. I mean that a parish church usually has a number of corporals and the person (the sacristan) setting up the altar for Exposition will take any one of the clean ones and lay it on the altar.
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Joan, in more traditionally minded or older parishes, there is often a special corporal for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

It is usually more ornate, having embroidery or gold lace, as there is no danger is spillage or retention of particles.
 
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Brendan:
Joan, in more traditionally minded or older parishes, there is often a special corporal for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

It is usually more ornate, having embroidery or gold lace, as there is no danger is spillage or retention of particles.
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That is very interesting, Brendan. Thank you for explaining. I do not believe I have ever seen such a special corporal.

Now you’re making me think - perhaps one with hand crocheted Irish lace… I have been interested in crocheting for some time. 😃
 
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