The Altar Guild Resource for the Diocese of Rhode Island

One hears a lot hanging out in sacristies.  Over the years the #1 complaint which I have overheard from clergy, and some parishioners too comes after the Dismissal.  As the organist prepares to launch into an inspiring postlude-does your altar guild team dash up to the altar and credence table to juggle the metalware, snatch the flower vases for shut-in delivery and clack in high heels across the chancel on the way to the sacristy?  If “mea culpa“s the answer, it is not too late to reform!  Generally understood in most parishes is that the service has ended and exiting may commence when the acolytes have extinguished the altar candles-in some cases it is more than the two Eucharistic candles and this may take some time if done properly, carefully, and with some decorum.  The altar is then covered with the fair linen protector (if not done before putting out the candles), the acolytes step back, genuflect or bow from the waist, and leave the chancel. After a few bars of the postlude, parishioners begin to rise from the pews or chairs and head back down the nave to where the rector is often waiting to greet the flock at the end of the aisle.  When the congregation has transferred its attention from the chancel to leaving the sanctuary, it is then timely for the altar guild to exit the sacristy to begin the important business of clearing the credence table, checking for stains or spots, trimming candlewicks, etc.

I have found that an attractive silver tray with side handles, lined with a white linen doily or towel the perfect way to convey all vessels with some gracefulness and safety  from the chancel back to the sacristy. In some churches acolytes bring the vessels back to the sacristy, but I would not recommend this for young acolytes as costly metalware is frequently dropped or “juggled” precariously as they attempt to take everything in one trip.  Many is the breadbox I have seen with numerous dings in the side or lid or a crooked lid cross.  This is an expensive damage to repair.

Changing of the frontal or any major work to be done should be accomplished when all have exited the church.  Sometimes one must forfeit the coffee hour treats when duty calls. 

I am mourning the demise of the red and black cassocks and white cottas shown in the photo above.  Nothing was lovelier than seeing that cheery red cassock on Christmas morning, and the black cassock was always a reminder of Advent and Lent.  Altar servers, if young, wore the square-necked short cotta, the Master of Ceremonies a snowy longer surplice, and the adult acolytes a square-necked surplice while the choir wore round-necked surplices over black cassocks. I am not sure how the new altar server white alb came about or if it is mandatory.  Apparently it has caught on and is popular in most churches in New England.  I am always pleased to visit a church and see the “old-fashioned” style still in use-as is the case still in some Rhode Island parishes.  I am not a fan of the white server alb which looks somewhat monastic, is difficult to keep clean, and the cincture ropes are a  temptation for knot-tying, fiddling, and such during the service.

The catalogue companies must be rejoicing though-and the number one article I receive for relocation is a red or black acolyte cassock- by the trunkful.

Perhaps the most familiar of these textile panels is the dossal, sometime called a “dorsal” which refers to the back curtain panel behind the altar where generally a reredos would be found.  Most likely the original word was dorsal, and dossal is a corruption of the word.  A dossal may be a flat panel with a central large motif or it may be a gathered width of textile. Both types are suspended by a strong iron rod  which is held in place by rod holders secured in the stone or wood. It seems likely that dossals had their origin in order to give dignity and beauty behind altars which had no beautiful carved or painted altarpiece or reredos.  The addition of riddels, or side curtains might be a further enhancement for the altar or perhaps a practical draft blocker in chilly, drafty old stone cathedrals.  In the photo to the left, four elaborate riddel posts are visible from which horizontal support rods are suspended for hanging the side curtains.  The combination of dossal and riddels is not uncommon in the United Kingdom.  A favorite textile pattern for these curtains is a small all-over floral or a tapestry of multicolor floral which will harmonize with all frontal colors.  A plain unbleached linen is shown in the photo to the left as the curtain choice because the altar is dressed in Lenten array.

Below is pattern Braganza - a popular choice for a dossal along with Portuguese, Verona, Coronation

It is more rare to find a tester which overhangs the altar as a sort of canopy and is usually attached to the top of the dossal or is in fact simply all of a piece draped over a tester frame (see photo below).

The photo below shows a half-dossal and riddel arangement with a veiled hanging pyx suspended above the altar . The frontal with attached superfrontlet is in the familiar Portuguese tapestry pattern shown here with an attractive diced fringe. Note the riddel posts.

From A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape by James Stevens Curl

riddel(I) or riddle. In a church, the curtains suspended around an altar, sometimes from rods fixed into the wall behind, but more often from some means of hanging spanning between riddel-posts: there were normally four of the last, polygonal on plan, coloured and gilded, and crowned by angels, often supporting candelabra. Arrangements of riddels behind and around altars seem to have been not uncommon in England towards the end of the Gothic period, in the decades immediately before the iconoclasm of C16, and were revived in the early C20 during the late flowering of the Gothic Revival, notably by Comper and Temple Moore.

Bibliography

Comper (1893, 1897, 1933, 1950);
Dearmer (1911, 1931);
Dirsztay (1978)

I am glad to see the Lesage book on Amazon.com for under 5 dollars these days.  It is actually volume 114 of The Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Catholicism, section 10 under The Worship of the Church and is translated from the French, published by Hawthorn Books, NY. 1960.  This was one of the first books I found when beginning the study of vestments and church furnishings, and is a very useful little volume of 152 pages. Topics included cover information on thuribles, altars, sacred vessels, candlesticks, the font, church bells, vestments and much more.  Although some of the material covered applies to Roman Catholic usage, the book is well worth having for the history behind many of the vestments and vessels also used in the Episcopal church.  The only negative about this publication may be that there are no diagrams or photographs.

You see them on Ebay identified as “short stoles” by those who are baffled.  Once in a while you may see one dangling from left arm of the celebrant in an Anglo-Catholic parish- but seldom these days do you see them in Episcopal churches at the Eucharist.  What is it?  Well, it is one vestment element of the former basic Eucharistic vestment set- the maniple.  How or why the maniple disappeared and went extinct on the chancel is a riddle.  Were they getting in the way?  Too fussy? Too much trouble?  Was there a decree banning maniples? Nobody I have asked seems to know or have an answer.  I receive armloads of old maniples in all colors to “recycle” and relocate.  Ebay is flooded with unwanted maniples. And a maniple without its matching stole is an unwanted and sad thing indeed.

Along with the stole and chasuble  (and perhaps a burse and chalice veil) , a Low Mass set of Eucharistic vestments always included a maniple.  The maniple was the outward insignia indicating a subdeacon, deacon, or priest- all of whom are entitled to wear the maniple.  The subdeacon receives the maniple, a deacon retains it as the stole (worn diagonally) is bestowed,  and a priest or bishop retains the maniple along with the stole.  Although of no practical use whatsoever, it has an ancient origin which is most probably Roman.  The mappula  was a sort of table napkin carried to meals which was used to wipe the mouth and folded at the end of the banquet and carried away folded over the left arm.  There was also a silken ceremonial napkin called the mappa which was a luxury by the 4th century and had the dignity of a consular mark.  Waved in the right hand, it was a starting signal for races or was waved to show enthusiasm at events and speeches.

At one point , in clerical use, deacons covered their left hand with it, subdeacons held the edges of the paten with it, and it was the “I” in the vestment layout in the sacred monogram IHS.  Usually the stole and maniple ends matched exactly and were nearly always fringed.  The shape of the end of the maniple echoed the shape of the stole ends and some got quite unusual with “spade ends” (think of the garden tool), triangular ends, flared ends and in the 1960’s pretty much no flare at all before the maniple went into obscurity.  Got any maniple photos to share?  I miss them- the Low Mass set looks a bit unfinished without them- and a jaunty biretta. Puts me in mind of that great song from the musical Annie- You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.  Alas, another reason to mourn Maniple Demise- they furnished a wonderful opportunity for beautiful and highly visible embroidery work.  How did they go on and stay on? Sometimes a loop of elastic, sometimes a buttonhole which fit over a button on the alb sleeve- and sometimes you would just “Tie One On”!

Wippell’s (bless them) still stitches on a neat white button on the left sleeve of their superbly- constructed traditional alb, in hopes that not all sacristies have pitched out their maniples. Someday I suspect there may be a Friends of Maniples Society.

I have worked for many years as a florist, managed a shop, and conducted training workshops for flower arranging for churches- but I must say I have never been so enlightened and amused by any publication as much as Gay Estes hilarious manual The Church Ladies’ Guide to Divine Flower Arranging. Ms. Estes lives in Texas and brings wit and humor and plain old practical common sense to the age-old issue of how to decorate altars on Sundays and holidays economically, artistically, and appropriately. The chapter titles will make you smile and the illustrations and diagrams are wonderful.  This is a must-have for any flower guild and can be procured for about 8 dollars used on Amazon.com.  Now that summer is here and our gardens are bursting forth for altar vases- let Gay help you arrange them in style! My favorite idea?- using upside tomato cages to make Christmas Trees by bagging potted poinsettia plants in “Baggies” and wiring them to the cage, rootball inside. Fabulous!

And while we are about flowers- don’t forget St. Columba’s Annual Garden Party and Flower Festival this coming Saturday.

How well did you do?  You may have to go to Rome to see an umbralino or umbraculum!

1. Holy water pot, vat or aspersorium

2. Holy water sprinkler or aspergillum

3. and 3a Thurible and incense boat

4. Processional cross

5. Baldacchino(also baldicchino) canopy

6. Umbraculum or umbralino

7. Torch( for processions)

8. Lantern (for processions)

9. Candlestick

10. Paschal candlestand

11. Triangular candlestand or hearse (used for Tenebrae)

12. Triple candle stick stand

13. Bobeche (to catch drips beneath candles)

14. Patent candle burner

15. Candle lighter and extinguisher (snuffer)

16. Missal stand or tabor

Admitted, some of these items of equipment have not been seen around church for some years, but some we have discussed recently and are still fairly common and still in use. Without Googling- can you name these?  Answers tomorrow.

We’ve had some mail today regarding the beautiful textile cards from the Elizabeth Hoare Liverpool Cathedral Embroidery Gallery.  These cards, in packets of 8 assorted can be ordered from the Cathedral Giftshop by using a credit card -shipping will be added.  If you happen to find yourself in London, Watts on Tufton St. also sells the cards. Here is a sample of one.  All cards are blank inside.

http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/store/category/Elizabeth%20Hoare%20Embroidery.aspx

Chances are most altar guild members have heard of the late Beryl Dean (1911-2001) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/beryl-dean-729136.html who was the last word in contemporary design in embroidery and vestment-making in the 1950’s-80’s and whose many books on ecclesiastical embroidery line book shelves around the world. Her work reflected the times, and was fresh and innovative, if not just a bit difficult to follow if you were at home alone trying to follow her directions and diagrams!

But it is the late Elizabeth ” Betty” Hoare 1915-2001 whose praise I loudly sing,  for her exceptional effort  in rescuing amazing embroidery and church textiles from pre-1840, Victorian, and Edwardian periods from sacristies all around England.  Thanks to Betty, examples of remarkable work can now be seen at the Liverpool Cathedral Embroidery Gallery http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/content/Visiting/EmbroideryGallery.aspx

I often refer to her company, Watts and Co. of Tufton Street (in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, London) as one of the “Three Sacred W’s”- Wippel, Wareham and Watts!!  The Warham Guild, alas is no more- but all three companies produced some of the best quality vestments anywhere, and Watts and Wippell are happily still on the job!  In fact, both London stores are cheek and jowl side by side on Tufton Street today in London and a must-see stop if you ever find yourself near Big Ben, St. Margaret’s or Westminster Abbey.

A wonderful trade paperback book on the Liverpool Cathedral collection is also available with many colored photos which are simply breath-taking.

For many years Betty trudged in all weathers across the United Kingdom, rescuing piles of magnificent but unwanted ecclesiastical textiles at a time when these things had fallen out of favor.  Many churches literally threw piles of things into Betty’s arms just to make room for the NEW stuff.  Imagine THAT!  Liverpool Cathedral, recognizing the importance of what Betty had saved, offered gallery space to display some of her treasures.  Beautiful fragments and motifs were photographed to make Christmas and greeting cards which you can purchase on the Cathedral website (I had to buy an extra suitcase to stuff full of them on my last trip to Watts).

We owe so much to these women, and also to the many devoted conservationists of historical textiles, many who remain nameless and behind the scenes, as well as convent nuns who produced remarkable work for the altar in centuries past.  But one name all altar guild workers can give thanks for and remember- Betty Hoare.  Bless you Betty- for all you have done for us now and future generations!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1359636/Elizabeth-Hoare.html

A few years ago I happened upon a great series of little books about decorative arts in the Church, textiles and church architecture which was printed by A.R. Mowbray and Co. of London in a series spanning the first decade of the 1900’s.  “The authors will write for the average intelligent person who has not had the time to study all these matters, and they will therefore avoid technicalities, while endeavoring at the same time to present the facts with a fidelity which will not, it is hoped, be unacceptable to the specialist.”- as the Editor’s note proclaims at the beginning of each slim volume.

I am not certain exactly how many volumes there are in the series as I possess only four to date, but here is one of the later editions with a list.  You will note the estimable Rev. Percy Dearmer, author of  The Ornaments of the Ministers (a must-have history of vestments for sacristies) and The Parson’s Handbook, has forewords and contributions in many of these little books. For everything about The Rev. Percy Dearmer visit this Project Canterbury link http://anglicanhistory.org/dearmer/index.html You may read the entire Parson’s Handbook (full of great information) free at

http://anglicanhistory.org/dearmer/handbook/1899/index1899.html

Ornaments of the Ministers with all of its amazing vintage vestment photographs can be copied and viewed  using several formats here http://www.archive.org/details/MN40293ucmf_4

If you know of any other volumes in this series, I would be delighted to know of them.  My particular favorite is Church Embroidery by Alice Dryden which was published in 1911.  The great period of Church embroidery was from the twelfth to the middle of the fourteenth century (opus anglicanum) and this little book offers many plates and photos of extant pieces of ecclesiastical embroidery of this period.  Method and execution are also included with a particularly excellent chapter on couching and stitches.

These little books may be found on ebay, A Libris, Bibliofind, and other out of print online dealers in the 30-50 dollar range.  I have had the most success in finding them in England.  Well worth the investment!!

I am happy to report that many parish altar guilds in the Diocese still follow the custom of laying out the Eucharistic vestments for their clergy.  It is a thoughtful and lovely effort which is appreciated by priests everywhere.  I was first taught this service by Father Burger at St. Stephen’s in Providence.  The diagram below will illustrate the order in which items must be placed.  The easy way to recall the order is to remember what gets put on LAST and this will be laid down FIRST.  The chasuble in the diagram is an old fiddleback. The top edge at the bottom hem is flipped up slightly in the layout for ease in grasping to put over the head. 

I am not sure just WHO decided maniples were too much trouble and not required these days. I might have a bone to pick with this individual as I think maniples are quite beautiful, and lend an elegant and finished touch to the complete traditional ecclesiastical vestment ensemble. Maniples were once a favorite field for exquisite embroidery. In the diagram below the maniple is the second item to be laid down, vertical on top of the chasuble to form the “I” of the sacred monogram I.H.S.  Then comes the stole with the ends forming the vertical bars of the “H” and finally the girdle or cincture coiled into the “S”.  A snowy alb is laid down on top of this (front facing downward with buttons undone), and finally an amice is laid on top, open and flat with the two long strings crossed diagonally over the top. 

I have invented a “layout pad” to cushion the vestments on the flat surface of the table or shelf by measuring the space, cutting two damask rectangles and one rectangle of quilting batting to fit the layout space.  Then make a “sandwich” of the damask with the batting in the middle. This is done by sewing the batting to the wrong side of one damask rectangle, then with both right sides together, stitch around the perimeter, leaving room to turn the rectangle inside out.  Finish the opening with a slipstitch by hand. I add tassels and sometimes welting around the edges, and try to find a pattern with an ecclesiastical look.  When the vestments are laid out, it is an excellent idea to cover them with a clean white cotton cover -which can be made from an old linen or cotton sheet to cover the vestments entirely.  This will keep dust and hands off the vestments as they lay ready in the sacristy. I once found lovely vestment covers in a sacristy in Newport, labelled as such, made of linen with a small cross worked in the center.  This was a sacristy which had once been kept by nuns-who spared no effort in sacristy-keeping.

Alas, with the advent of cassock-albs and belt cinctures, disappearing maniples and other modern notions, it is getting harder to do a proper vestment presentation these days- but do make every effort to have the Eucharistic garments, clean, pressed, and ready for each service.  And for priests out there reading this- the altar guild takes great joy in preparing for the services of the church- it is not “too much trouble” to expect your guild members to lay out vestments.  Handling the beautiful textiles used in the celebration of the Eucharist is a privilege and joy- and what a blessing to come into the sacristy to find everything in readiness!