Thursday, March 22, 2007

Liturgy-nerd question for priests...

I am planning to lead "daytime prayer" for some area priests on Holy Thursday, before we have dinner together. I consulted Peter Eliot about appropriate vesture and ritual, since this is not an hour one often leads publicly. I was surprised that he recommended wearing merely an alb (i.e., over street clothes), but no stole!

Brother priests (and any seminarians or others with the chops to answer, chime in): does this sound right to you? Comments?

13 comments:

Matthew said...

You could always wear cassock and surplice. Not a priest, but that seems to be a pretty good default vesture.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I would say a cassock and surplice. I wouldn't wear a stole unless you are preaching.

Anonymous said...

I'm neither a priest, nor a seminarian, but choir dress in the Roman Rite is a cassock and surplice.

Just sayin'

Mitch S.

Fr Martin Fox said...

I guess I wasn't clear -- it just struck me odd, as a priest, to lead liturgical prayer without a stole. I wear a stole for Stations of the Cross, and when I do blessings outside of Mass -- i.e., the pet blessing in October.

Anonymous said...

If you're going to be in the church (which I presume), I'd wear choir dress: cassock and surplice with stole. The stole is always appropriate for presiding at the Liturgy of the Hours (that is, when the presider is a cleric). For solemn Lauds or Vespers, the cope (in the color of the day) would also be appropriate.

Roman Sacristan said...

I would recommend the stole if the Office is being led by a cleric. Wearing just an alb seems a bit odd IMHO (as opposed to choir dress of cassock and surplice). But not wearing a stole does make sense. When religious pray the minor Offices in community, no one (even the cleric presiding) wears a stole, they just (should) wear their habit which is their choir dress.

Diane Korzeniewski said...

Father,

Take a look several photos down in this post at my blog and click on the one where priests, altar boys, and lay people are bowing for the Gloria during Sext on Good Friday last year.

Fr. Perrone is wearing cassock, surplice and stole, just as Fr. Kocik recommends. Different hour; same principle I'd gather.

Diane Korzeniewski said...

Oops - I meant to say that photo was taken during the Gloria Patri as we prayed Sext on Good Friday.

Anonymous said...

I cannot imagine not wearing the stole. I wear it for Stations, along with cassock and surplice. So, if I were presiding in a formal prayer service with fellow priests or laymen, I , being a priest, would wear a stole.

Anonymous said...

Hi Father,

I read through Elliott as well and was surprised to see that he suggested ommitting the stole. Perhaps he is taking his cue from the Ceremonial of Bishops which suggest the Bishop presided at a Midday Hour only in choir dress but makes no mention of the stole.

Dc. Jeffery BeBeau

Anonymous said...

Dear Father,

Although I am a "regular," I would agree with Elliot, at least as an option. Among regular clergy who chant the office in choro, the stole is not worn--and the habit is our version of choir dress.

On the other hand, when a regular priest presides at *solemn* (with incense, etc.) vespers or lauds, the surplice and stole are worn (with the cope) by him as presider (hebdomadarian). The "Little Hours" have never been, as far as I know, never sung "with solemnity."

It is, of course, proper to wear the stole when imparting a blessing. But among us regulars the hebdomadarian does not put it on for the blessings at vespers and lauds--which a an addition not found in the old liturgy, where they did not wear it for the blessings before the readings either. Of course, the Little Hours have no blessing.

But I would urge you to do what you feel comfortable with. There seems to be some confusion even among the experts quoted about this. But perhaps those requiring the stole are merely speaking of solemn celebration. "In dubiis, libertas."

Anonymous said...

It makes sense to me, since they are simply attending as members of the choir, and not specifically as the ministers--choir dress is actually soutane (cassock) and birettum with surplice for diocesean priests and those whose order/congregation/society prescribe no specific habit. For religious whose institutes prescribe habits, HABITS it is, with no stoles.

Fr. Martin,op

Anonymous said...

Leave your skirts and blouses at home. What do you wear when you pray this portion of the office daily? Let's focus on whether or not you are praying the office? Many priests, I imagine probably don't even pray this portion of the office.???? Let's work with the people instead of window shopping at Macy's!