Vestments for the master of ceremonies

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Aran_Houlihan

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As the master of ceremonies (MC) do you wear any vestments different to the other servers or something slightly diffident so that people know that you are the MC .
 
In parishes where regular altar servers wear albs, I have seen MC’s wear cassock and surplice. Where all servers are in cassock and surplice, I have seen MC’s wear a plain cross on a cord around their neck.
 
Why would anyone need to know you are the MC? If the priest and the other servers know that’s all that counts.

We very rarely use MCs, but when we do they wear exactly what all the other servers wear - cassock and surplice.
 
I wear a longer and pleated surplice that the other servers to show that I am MC and silver Archconfraternity of St. Stephen Medal for serving for over 10 years.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
Why would anyone need to know you are the MC? If the priest and the other servers know that’s all that counts.

We very rarely use MCs, but when we do they wear exactly what all the other servers wear - cassock and surplice./QU

So that if anyone ells who don’t server know and if they got any quires with any thing ion the church they know who you are and can asked you
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Our diocesan MC is a priest, and in large enough Masses (like an episcopal ordination…) we’ve had multiple MCs that were all priests or deacons. They all wore cassock/surplice. Altar servers here generally wear plain albs.

I’ve also seen a non-cleric MC, and he also worse a cassock/surplice (and again, regular servers wore albs).
 
At my old parish I was MC regularly and wore exactly the same as other servers. We did have a different coloured cincture system to show older, more experienced servers, but that wasn’t connected to who was MC at a particularly mass/liturgy.

All the best

Martin
 
garn9173 said:
Dumb question, what’s a Master of Ceremony?
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The Master of Ceremonies can be a member of clergy what often happens in a cathedrals. in other parish it can be a lay person who organises and rehearses the proceedings and ritual of each Mass. He may also have responsibility for the physical security of the place of worship during the liturgy. At major festivities such as Christmas and Easter, when the liturgies are long and complex, the Master of Ceremonies plays a vital role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly.can be a member of clergy or a lay person who make shure althe
 
Masters of Ceremony don’t necessarily need to dress differently per se, but the Ceremonial of Bishops provides that they can wear either an alb or cassock and surplice (as opposed to other rubrics, which provide that servers can wear albs or “other lawfully approved vesture”). I just finished MCing the Triduum Masses, and the only thing which distinguished me from the other servers was a nicer alb and cincture, since I own my own vestments. While I own a cassock and surplice, it is always best to stand out as little as possible. Servers (and more so MCs) do their job best when they are never noticed during the mass.

I would say, in a mass where an MC would be working with multiple priests or less experienced servers (such as a Confirmation mass, perhaps), where the MC was introducing actions which were over and above a normal mass, he may need to dress in a distinguished way so that others in the service could readily identify the MC, but that should be the exception, not the rule.
 
It seems generally accepted that MCs wear their proper cassock and surplice/rochet (although a MC wearing a rochet now would be very rare indeed).

By proper cassock I mean that which is proper to the choir dress of the priest. For example, a simple priest wears a black cassock, but a Protonotary Apostolic wears a pinkish/amaranth one, like bishops. So if you’re a PA, you wear your choir cassock and your rochet. If your’re a priest you wear your cassock and surplice.

Albs: I generally think the kinds of albs that altar servers and the like tend to wear are horribly ugly, very unattractive poly horrors with those giant fold down collar things with the zip fronts. They generally look very bad. Not just “plain” or “simple,” but positively bad. However, I have seen pics of monks serving in normal “priest” albs with cinctures, which look great. A good alb doesn’t have to have gobs of lace all over it. It just has to be made well and fit properly.
 
At the Easter Vigil I went to there was an MC. He was another priest, but dressed in cassock and surplice like the altar servers.
 
sumusresnovarum said:
Masters of Ceremony don’t necessarily need to dress differently per se, but the Ceremonial of Bishops provides that they can wear either an alb or cassock and surplice (as opposed to other rubrics, which provide that servers can wear albs or “other lawfully approved vesture”). I just finished MCing the Triduum Masses, and the only thing which distinguished me from the other servers was a nicer alb and cincture, since I own my own vestments. While I own a cassock and surplice, it is always best to stand out as little as possible. Servers (and more so MCs) do their job best when they are never noticed during the mass.

I would say, in a mass where an MC would be working with multiple priests or less experienced servers (such as a Confirmation mass, perhaps), where the MC was introducing actions which were over and above a normal mass, he may need to dress in a distinguished way so that others in the service could readily identify the MC, but that should be the exception, not the rule.
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If the Mass actually needed an MC, then presumably their were some ‘rehearsals’ or at least a review of the proceedings beforehand. At that time the MC can introduce himself to the other servers and con-celebrating priests. I still don’t see how any kind of super distinguishing clothing is needed for an MC, but since I’ll never be one, I’ll let you gentlemen have at it.
 
During a Solemn High Mass with Subdeacon and Deacon, the MC wears a black Mozzetta over his surplice. During ordinary Low Masses, the MC usually wears a surplice with a bit of lace and fringe at the bottom which differentiates from the Acolytes and the rest of the Altar Party.
 
Annabelle_Marie said:
Exactly…at our parish, the MC’s don’t wear anything special at all…not even an alb. I try to dress nicely and in something not distracting.
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The idea is something what is a little bit diffident but I know some parish where all the servers wear the alb and the MC wears a cassock and surplice
 
If it was me, I would try to dress like an altar server, more or less. The idea is that the focus should be on the bishop/priest who is the celebrant, and not any of his helpers.

Actually, I would probably try to emulate Msgr. Marini, as Papal MC is he setting an example to be emulated by MCs all over the world. Although as a apostolic protonotary he is entitled to wear things (i.e. purple cassock) I would definitely not be.
 
Annabelle_Marie said:
Exactly…at our parish, the MC’s don’t wear anything special at all…not even an alb. I try to dress nicely and in something not distracting.
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I do like the gowns as it makes it easy for me to decide what to wear to church because I don’t like the dress code the hidden dress code I mean, the sunday best-stuff/church best stuff rather than dressing to be warm etc…

But I agree we shouldn’t really be noticed and we have choir medals but none that represent length of time though we could do being in RSCM but not gone down that route. No I don’t like the length of service bit and it done in Scouting and that is only gone on that paid up membership and those who really have worked hard and done something special for others get the same recognition as those who pay up each year and that it.

Great for young people to help them keep committed but as adults, there really shouldn’t be anything that identifies to the congregation who is who that sunday morning:thumbsup:
 
Here is a link to a company that I have used for buying vestments. They have several styles to choose from from Trad Roman, Gothic, semi-gothic. They also sell complete matching sets and they are reasonable priced and pretty well made.

stores.ebay.com/Ackermann-chasubles?_rdc=1
 
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