Viewpoint: Why Lay Liturgical Ministers Should Wear Albs at Mass

by M. Francis Mannion

In my status as a retired-but-still-working priest, I have the opportunity to fill in for Sunday Masses in a variety of parishes.

I am always curious to view the art and architecture of the church, to ascertain the musical program, to see whether the chalice is given to the people, to note how ushers conduct themselves, and to see how well the people respond and sing.

One of the larger bees in my liturgical bonnet has to do with how extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (EMs) conduct themselves and carry out their roles. Practice ranges from dignified to sloppy.

Sometimes, ministers are well trained and conduct their ministry in a dignified manner. They process in at the beginning at Mass, sit together, and follow a pre-planned system of going to the altar, distributing Holy Communion, returning to the sanctuary, and processing out at the end.

In other places, ministers pop up mysteriously from the congregation, and time and time again the priest has to call on any unscheduled ministers present, since those assigned didn’t show. And casual dress is the order of the day.

I have a firm conviction that EMs should wear albs when serving at Mass. The protocol for this is the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which states: “In the Dioceses of the United States, acolytes, altar servers, readers, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other appropriate and dignified clothing” (No.339).

There are, in my opinion, a number of reasons why EMs should wear albs.

First, since the clergy and altar assistants are vested, why not the EMs—and the lector? Surely there should be some consistency regarding dress.

Second, the fear that liturgical ministers will be clericalized is not in my experience borne out. Besides, a clericalist attitude is a matter of how one thinks and acts, not how one dresses. I have never found EMs regarding themselves as superior to the congregation. Indeed, most approach their ministry with humility.

Third, the alb is not primarily a clerical robe; it is a baptismal garment. As the basic baptismal garment, the alb is the normative vesture for all liturgies. Thus EMs wearing robes at Mass are manifesting their baptismal status.

Fourth, the alb brings a sense of dignity to the Mass, which is meant to be glorious, splendid, and beautiful. While this aim will never be fully expressed this side of heaven, we are nevertheless called to prepare and celebrate the liturgy in a way that already points to heaven. As we reach toward the heavenly, all ministers should appear to have a great sense of reverence for their ministry. Wearing an alb will assist with this.

Fifth, the alb covers a multitude of sartorial sins. In parishes that do not vest their EMs (only about 40% do), there seem to be no rules of dress at all. At the parishes at which I have served, I have observed EMs wearing tennis shoes, jeans, shorts, and flip-flops. At one parish an EM was wearing a Bryce Canyon sweat shirt. In most non-alb wearing parishes, the majority of ministers were not dressed professionally or as if for an important occasion. Wearing an alb would solve this problem.

We live in an age in which everything is viewed in a functionalist, utilitarian, and pragmatic fashion. We shy away from the formal and the ritualized. It is natural in this environment for the liturgy to be celebrated in a manner that manifests these qualities.

Ministers wearing albs would be a major step forward.

Msgr. Mannion is pastor emeritus of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Salt Lake City. Reprinted by permission of Catholic News Agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Francis Mannion

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Comments

18 responses to “Viewpoint: Why Lay Liturgical Ministers Should Wear Albs at Mass”

  1. Karl Liam Saur

    Understand that in adopting such a policy, you will narrow the circle from which you can draw volunteers for liturgical ministries. Why? Albs can hinder accessibility for many, and, in churches without air conditioning or much air circulation in the summer (not uncommon in older churches in the Northeast USA), they multiply the discomfort of the vested ministers, shall we say.

    That’s not to say that I am unsympathetic to the concerns of Msgr Mannion expressed here.

    But choices involve costs, not just benefits. Informed consent means considering both ledger columns.

    Reply
  2. Shannon O'Donnell

    Well, in some parishes you’d also have a plethora of neophytes wearing their baptismal garments during the Easter season.

    I worked in a parish where the lectors and Eucharistic ministers vested, and sat separately from the assembly (in grey and white, respectively). I prefer the practice at my parish these days. On Sundays, liturgical ministers are most likely to be wearing the color of the season; they come from their places in the assembly to serve God’s people; they resemble the people in the pews who come in all shapes and sizes (many unlikely to fit standard-sized robes–and who has the closet space to stock all those?). And the (adult) acolyte goes looking for help, not the presider.

    Good training, good scheduling, and a willingness to ask, “Am I needed?” make for a good celebration that is worthy of the name.

    Reply
  3. Allen Corrigan

    High-quality albs for servers and Eucharistic Ministers is a good idea, but who is going to pay for them and launder them? A quality alb is going to be very costly.

    Reply
  4. Todd Flowerday

    I’m also sympathetic, but there’s my pragmatism of years in parish liturgy. I almost think it would be easier to raise the bar for the whole parish. And really: why shouldn’t all the baptized be inspired to dress well?

    Reply
  5. Rachel Barber

    In our parish the practice is to have a sign-up chart in the back of church for the Eucharistic Ministers and a set time (15 minutes before Mass?) by which they have signed in. If someone is missing, the Eucharistic Team team leader for that Mass finds a replacement. Like Shannon, above, I appreciate that the Eucharistic Ministers emerge from the assembly (from the places where they are seated with their families) to serve the people of God. The Eucharistic Ministry coordinator sends out a letter annually with thanks and reminders, including about apparel. We don’t seem to have a problem with what people choose to wear. If we trust them to distribute Jesus, I would hope that we could also trust their clothing selections.

    Reply
    1. Bruce Janiga

      @Rachel Barber:
      Rachel, I’d love to see the guidelines you use with your ministers. We are about to commission a group and are looking to get them all on the same page. A team leader sounds like a good idea.
      We’re also hosting our first Evening of Gratitude for all our ministers and volunteers – Vespers and Wings, Wine and Cheese as a way of affirming the work they do. Something I learned from an early pastor.

      Reply
      1. Rachel Barber

        @Bruce Janiga:
        Just saw this, Bruce. Will see what I can get next week.

  6. Dismas Bede

    Only days ago, following a school Mass in Parish “A”,” I asked, “Who gets to tell “X” that her attire is wholly inappropriate for an older woman, and scandalous on the altar as a Special Minister of Holy Communion.
    The answer was that her pastor at Parish “B” has no problem with it, or at least hasn’t addressed the situation.
    And yet, I do not agree that albs, which do, indeed, “cover a multitude of sins,” are the answer.
    The answer lies in clear policies which are “enforced,” and even better, helping people/ministers come to appreciate the sacredness of the liturgy and their role within it.
    If you’d wear an outfit to the beach, a barbeque, or to play basketball, DON’T wear it to church, minister or not. One certainly wouldn’t want to risk ruining such special attire!

    Reply
  7. Bryan Walsh

    I think there’s a larger question to be asked in light of Msgr. Mannion’s five points above. How can we better signify–both to an individual lay minister and the assembly–a participation in a mystery both larger than oneself and that is not confined to the priest? And another point that I think is relevant here: whether it comes to liturgical vesting, the choice of texts, music, or the style of ritual action, why do far too often do we only “elevate” it for masses largely populated by adults but then don’t afford the same to those with high proportions of children? Maybe it’s because I am now a dad of almost four years, but I am becoming increasingly perturbed (at least on my son’s behalf) that we don’t trust children to “get it.”

    Reply
  8. Paul Inwood

    The rule of thumb, which Msgr Mannion seems not to know is this:

    Those ministers whose “natural habitat” is the sanctuary — priests, deacons, servers — and who process to get there, are traditionally vested.

    Those ministers who come forth from the people to minister to the people at various times — lectors, commissioned ministers of Communion, cantors, announcers and commentators, ushers and sidespeople, do not need to be vested. Indeed, it is better that they are not distinguished by their special garb, since it is important for the assembly to be able to identify them as servants, not people set apart. A cantor who emerges from the sacristy door directly on the sanctuary area and ministers exclusively from there, wearing a robe or alb, is saying very clearly, three times over, “I’m not one of you, I’m one of them.”

    I say “who come forth from the people to minister to the people” and reject Msgr Mannion’s caricature of “ministers [who] pop up mysteriously from the congregation.” It all depends on how you do it. A procession of ministers at the beginning of Mass often does no more than designate another elite group of people. It’s unnecessary.

    Msgr Mannion mentions lectors. I have never seen robed lectors in a parish context, only in seminary chapels. We just don’t do that, normally. I have, however, quite frequently seen commissioned ministers wearing what looks like a form of stole, which certainly gives rise to creeping clericalism — the stole is the sign of priestly office. Albs would not be much different, since I do not think that many in the assembly perceive this as the baptismal garment common to all. I have also seen crosses, medals, badges, and signs on cord around the necks of ministers of communion. They always remind me of the chains and metal labels that are sometimes strung around the necks of decanters of spirits, and I visualize a scenario where, on approaching ministers of the chalice, you can read “I’m a medium-dry white” or “I’m a full-bodied red”…

    Problems can arise with robed choirs. In my book, a choir that does not walk in procession does not need to be robed. Once again, it is the signals that are given which is important. (I know that members of some Gospel choirs will shake their heads in non-comprehension…)

    Those who come forth from the people to minister to the people, whether on the sanctuary or elsewhere, should not be seen as “special”, “extraordinary” or anything else. They should be true ministers to the community, and be recognizable by what they are doing, not what they are wearing. The Church went off the rails in the early centuries and confused ministry and office. Office won. We have learnt to undo this following Vatican II, and when I see attempts to start that confusion up again I am disappointed.

    Reply
    1. Todd Flowerday

      @Paul Inwood:
      Thank you, Paul. I missed that unfortunate phrase “pop up mysteriously from the congregation.” Maybe the presider’s chair offers too little perspective. From the view in the pew, it’s not at all mysterious to note a warm exchange of peace and then see the person move forward to serve. Or see the person who parked next to me outside, the person who sang lustily, the person who held the door for me and smiled.

      Reply
  9. joseph mangone

    I am in agreement with Shannon, Rachel and Paul. We had 7 Masses, all SRO requiring 6 teams of EM’s plus lector. I was blessed to have leaders in there ministries who were trained well before my arrival. All went through workshops about the history, theology and practicum of their respective ministries. They knew their duties and took pride in how their conducted themselves and how they dressed. Proper training, scheduling, and understanding goes a long way to avoid some of the proplems Fr mannion brings up. I like the idea of these ministers coming up from the congregation and then returning to their places. The assigned sacristan was there to ensure that all ministers, (including the priest) sign in for their assignments and “all the bases were covered” so to speak.
    Albs are not the answer…interior desire and understanding are.

    Reply
    1. Paul Schlachter

      @joseph mangone:
      Agreed with Joseph and everyone who spoke out for those who go forward from among the people. From my lector’s point of view, we would take a place among the people not far from the front, so that our move to the ambo is short and does not detract from our ministry of proclaiming the word.

      Reply
  10. Matthew J. Meloche

    “only about 40% do”

    Is there any statistical evidence of this? 40% seems insanely high to me.

    Reply
  11. Paul Inwood

    I forgot to mention that Msgr Mannion complains about tennis shoes. Servers wear these all the time, under their cassocks or albs but still visible. I think probably 90% of those I see, at the least, are wearing tennis shoes. It looks far less appropriate on them than it does on ministers of communion.

    Reply
  12. Paul Robertson

    I am completely allergic to elitism, and any move to require magical garments to set some of the congregation apart should be recognised for what it is. I wonder if St Peter traded in his fisherman’s clothing for a fine robe (be it defined as clerical or baptismal by someone else in a robe) when he moved from fisherman to leader of God’s new church.

    Closer to home, I have served as EM in many outfits, even my karate uniform (a moment of great personal significance for me because of what the uniform represents to me and the opportunity to serve the Lord wearing it); in the summer, I usually wear a skirt, when it’s cold, I wear trousers. The opportunity for lay members of the congregation to serve in this way emphasises that we are all equally acceptable to God and we are invited to come just as we are to worship.

    Setting us apart from (above) the rest of the congregation is simply counterproductive. In a world of clericalism, I would expect it to be a suggestion made by the priest and rightly rejected by the people.

    Reply
    1. Adam Wood

      @Paul Robertson:

      Since the priest and deacon, as well as (potentially) a subdeacon and acolytes are already wearing “magical garments” it could be argued that having members of the congregation who take on other ministerial roles in the liturgy wearing similar magical garments is the opposite of elitism; that specifically not having them wear such garments is elitist. (What? Lay people aren’t good enough for your magic garments?!)

      Also, I fail to see how albs that can be worn, potentially, by any lay person in the congregation is somehow more “elitist” than a special uniform that may only be worn by people who have achieved a certain level of proficiency in the martial arts.

      Reply
    2. Elisabeth Ahn

      @Paul Robertson:

      …we are all equally acceptable to God and we are invited to come just as we are to worship.

      Agreed.

      Some people seem to think, however, that this means they can do whatever they want whenever and wherever they want it, sartorially and otherwise, and anyone who says otherwise can just shove it.

      Anyway, I’ve been to churches where everyone who served during the liturgy in one way or another was vested — even the ushers! — and to others where they weren’t.

      Either way, it didn’t matter much to me.

      Reply

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