Women, Vestments and the Altar

[Madaglan]

Earlier today, I was thinking about the elaborate vestments worn in the altar. The idea struck me that in times past, these vestments likely were personally created by pious women of the parish. They would create the sacred vestments, and the priests would wear them in offering Divine Liturgy. Although the women could not go into the altar with the priests, the priests would carry the women’s handiwork on their persons before God. It seems to me, that in this arrangement, the modern-day assaults on the all-male clergy, would be of less force, since the women partook in an active manner with the service of the priest.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[ciero]

Earlier today, I was thinking about the elaborate vestments worn in the altar. The idea struck me that in times past, these vestments likely were personally created by pious women of the parish. They would create the sacred vestments, and the priests would wear them in offering Divine Liturgy. Although the women could not go into the altar with the priests, the priests would carry the women’s handiwork on their persons before God. It seems to me, that in this arrangement, the modern-day assaults on the all-male clergy, is of less force, since the women partook in an active manner with the service of the priest.

What are your thoughts on this?

Very true. A number of years ago I was helping our priest with the proper disposal of some worn out vestments…we were getting ready to burn them…when in the lining of the phelonion we found pictures of the grandchildren of the woman who had originally made the vestments.

 

[Aramis]

Earlier today, I was thinking about the elaborate vestments worn in the altar. The idea struck me that in times past, these vestments likely were personally created by pious women of the parish. They would create the sacred vestments, and the priests would wear them in offering Divine Liturgy. Although the women could not go into the altar with the priests, the priests would carry the women’s handiwork on their persons before God. It seems to me, that in this arrangement, the modern-day assaults on the all-male clergy, would be of less force, since the women partook in an active manner with the service of the priest.

What are your thoughts on this?

I see this in my parish… tho not the priest’s vestments, but the servers’. Beautiful new red dalmatics for dark vestment days!

 

[TheDoors]

Very true. A number of years ago I was helping our priest with the proper disposal of some worn out vestments…we were getting ready to burn them…when in the lining of the phelonion we found pictures of the grandchildren of the woman who had originally made the vestments.

How beautiful.