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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.
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.
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!!
Today we have had a frantic note from a new guild which has to set up for Holy Communion on Sunday. Every sacristy should have an altar guild manual in plain view, – and always consult your rector, deacon, vicar, or head acolyte if there is an answer you need to know about how to set up for any type of service. Every single member of your altar guild should be trained to set up for any kind of service held at your church: weddings, baptisms, confirmations, Holy Communion, funerals, healing, etc.
Both the Gent/Sturges and Dorothy Diggs altar guild manuals are recommended for Episcopal church use. Edith Weir Perry is also a favorite, but hard to find as it is currently out of print. Here is an online altar guild manual which may be very helpful-and it covers most questions you may have. Click on this link below from the Diocesan Altar Guild, Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Usually two purificators are tucked into the burse with the corporal. One purificator for the use of the celebrant will be already on the vested chalice between the chalice and paten. If your congregation is very large, or it is a special service where a larger-than-usual attendance is expected, sometimes a flagon must be used for the wine, and a second chalice may be needed. Always ask your clergy if there is any doubt. Ushers often keep a count of the number in the congregation, which is helpful. This number can be discreetly sent up to the chancel on a small slip of paper during the presentation of the gifts. It is better to have all supplies which may be needed at the ready rather than to run short. Your celebrant should never have to worry about these details- this is the job of the altar guild. Be prepared. Fresh small linens, wafers, wine, and a spare fair linen must always be in the sacristy without fail. Matches should also be handy in the chancel at all times, along with a hymnal, Bible, and Book of Common Prayer. Real thoughtfulness might also include a glass or bottle of drinking water, tissues and cough drops discreetly tucked away in the pulpit or within easy reach somewhere closeby to the chancel. Your priest may choose such a place to store these emergency items. You may just enjoy the everlasting gratitude of your priest! Anticipate probable and possible need before it becomes a crisis and things will run smoothly.
ttp://www.epicenter.org/Images/edot/Documents/PDF/2006_AGManualComplete.pdf
I recently picked up this useful little booklet of 51 pages, printed by the Diocesan Altar Guild of Massachusetts in the 1920′s and costing 25 cents. These were available at 1 Joy Street, Boston and are full of helpful information. I will be scanning some of the pages to post here every week. The booklet is now out of print.
There are many topics covered from setting up a guild, sacristy care, care of the altar and font, vestment care, linens, choir vestments, candles and flowers, prayers for altar guilds, and even an official Altar Guild Hymn.
There’s a good deal of sensible advice in this little volume- more to come.
With Easter decorating much on our minds these days, a new hardcover volume by noted floral arranger, gardener and author Judith Blacklock will be hitting the shelves in 2 weeks. Church Flowers: The Essential Guide to Arranging Flowers in Church . This can now be pre-ordered on Amazon at a savings of $24 over list price! Visit Judith’s web site at http://www.judithblacklock.com/ to learn more about her titles, classes and free online newsletter.
Give Us This Day:
Lenten Reflections On Baking Bread and Discipleship
List Price: $12.00
PAPERBACK , 5 x 7
- Seabury Books
- Jan/2007
- ISBN-13: 978-1-59627-046-6
Here is a title which you may have missed from Morehouse Publishing. There will be copies at the March 28th Cathedral gathering for your inspection. Here is what the book description has to say:
- Easy-to-make recipes are ideal for families with younger children,church school classes, and pot lucks
- Connecting of baking, food, and social justice make it good Lenten reading for middle and high school youth groups.
- Substantial reflections for prayer groups and Lenten study groups.
- Ecumenical in focus
Ideal for altar guilds and women who bake communion bread who want to make prayer and reflection part of their ministry. Bread speaks to us of our daily reliance upon a Maker, writes Christopher Levan. Perhaps more than any other food it brings us close to our roots as fellow creatures of God’s creation. Bread is an apt metaphor for the spiritual journey.
Give Us This Day offers meditations for every day in Lent, inviting us to connect faith “our daily bread” and the world in which we live, along with recipes that range from Shrove Tuesday “No-Fret Pancakes” to Easter Challah bread. Each of the 40 meditations begins with a scripture verse and a prayer.
Every sacristy should have a copy of an altar guild manual on hand, whether the Gent/Sturges or Dorothy Diggs or Don Taylor issue. I prefer Edith Weir Perry’s, which is available very cheaply on Amazon for used copies. Here are two altar guild manuals I have not yet seen. If you have read them and would want to do a review, please send one in! The Stauffer book is from the Augsburg Fortress. Both are available used through Amazon.
A new catagory on the right side of the home page (Book Shelf ) will feature any helpful books available on sacristy care, vestment ,making, conservation of textiles, and other topics of interest. If you have a favorite title, please send it along to be featured to Revdma@aol.com
I first had the great pleasure of meeting Elizabeth “Bunny” Morgan in the spring of 1996 when she came to Christ Church, Westerly to give a Saturday morning workshop to the altar guild there. Bunny arrived with her sewing machine, magic ruler, pall-making kits, linen samples, and many years of experience and tips to share with us. As former Altar Guild Directress for Bishop Ball in the Diocese of Albany, Bunny dazzled us with her 9-triangle cope pattern, techniques for making and sewing our own fair linens and small linens, and opened up a treasure trove of resources for purchasing great quality bolt linen, embroidery supplies, vestment patterns and damasks, silks, and all sorts of wonderful possibilities. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her energy and dedication is amazing. Bunny travels all around the country doing workshops and is the single greatest resource I know for Do-It-Yourself techniques and supplies. Her humor and practical approach are a breath of fresh air and her indispensible book, Sewing Church Linens needs to be on everybody’s sacristy shelf. Morehouse Publishing is currently in the process of reprinting the book, and the minute it becomes available again I will post the news. Amazon.com is selling it used for $95.00!!! so do wait until the new editions come out. In the meantime, visit Bunny’s web site and see all the supplies available there for church sewing, books, links, and other wonderful things. http://www.churchlinens.com/
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