How do you lay out the priests vestments in the proper order?

eg. 1 - chasuble face down......

REPLIES

Fr. Bob Hudson - 20/10/04

1. Chasuble face down 

2. maniple in center of chasuble (I)

3. Stole is laid on top of maniple in form of H or Alpha 

4. Cincture is placed on top of maniple and stole in S form 

5. either Alb on top of everything or 

6. Amice with apparel up over all to keep dust off 

7. then Alb if Cassock Alb 

8. if just cassock (black ) may go on top but usually priest is already in cassock?

This is my under standing 

If stole is laid out in Alpha form it would be normal after use to return the stole in Omega form but this does not often happen. 

I trust this is helpful 

Father Bob Hudson, Rector of St. Luke’s Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 
e mail Fr. Bob Hudson 

Craig Aburn - 20/10/04

The order of vesture for sacred ministers at the mass is: amice, alb, girdle, maniple (if used), stole, chasuble. 

Therefore the laying out order is the reverse, thus: 

Chasuble (face down), on top of which the stole (lining down, arranged into the shape of an A - for Alpha), on top of which maniple (laid flat in the centre) on top of which is laid the girdle (arranged in the shape of Omega). On top of the girdle is laid alb (strictly, if this is to be laid out correctly, the alb is laid flat, then the sleeves are folded inwards, parallel to the body, and the alb is folded into three from the bottom, so that the fold 2/3rds of the way down lies on the neck). Finally the amice is placed on the top, outer side up and the strings crossed tidily on top.

Craig Aburn
Group Councillor LG5&6
www.gss.org.uk 

20/10/04

Preparation of Vestments.

These are spread neatly and flatly on the table in the sacristy face downwards
one on another, in the reverse order to that in which the priest puts them
on. 

According to practical convenience and ancient custom, lay out the stole,
maniple and girdle like the sacred monogram IHS.

They are laid thus: the chasuble, then the stole, with the ends folded
back on themselves at the edges to form the letter H, the maniple across
the centre of the stole to form the letter and then the girdle in the form
of the letter S.

The alb is laid on top of these items with the amice, with its apparel
facing upwards at the top of the alb and the tapes free on either side.

Terry Delaney - 20/10/04

The Sacristant normally lays out the vestments as follows:

White Linen Cloth
Chasuble with main boss uppermost
Stole in the shape of a Aitch -H
If you still use the maninpale this is place in the middle of the H
The Alb and above that the Amice or hood
and then covered with a dust sheet ready for the Mass

Trust this will help

Kind regards

Terry Delaney 
him in Suffolk!

Barry Toogood - 20/10/04

There are two ways that I use to lay out vestments

Firstly the chasuble must be laid face down
Next the stole in form of the alpha
Lastly the girdle in form of omega

The alternative is
Firstly lay the chasuble face down
Next the maniple as I
Then the stole as H
Finally the girdle as S

Obviously the second form is only used when the celebrant wears a maniple which is very rare these days.

Barry Toogood
Whitstable

Richard Hawker - 30/10/04

PAX
The way I learnt to lay out Vestments is this:

Take the Chasuble by the neck, with the front facing away from you, then fold the front up under the rest of the Chasuble, so that the lining is laid on the vesting bench (stops the front getting too dirty), then lay on the back of the chasuble the stole in an "A" Shape or a "H"- they are both done in the same way- lay the centre of the stole in the middle of the Chasuble, and bring the two sides up so they form a H, now, for the A, bring the top ends together, and you should have an A shape- next, lay the maniple in the centre of the H (If here is no maniple, it is a crying shame, and also you can ignore that bit). then take the girdle, and bring the tassle end, and the other end together, and lay this either in an S shape (where there is a maniple) or and Omega shape (where there is not). Once these are laid out, bring the bottom of the back end of the chasuble up to cover them.
Now , if is customary to, the alb and amice are laid out on top of this- the alb neck I placed on the chasuble neck, and the arm are folded once in from the shoulders so that they overlap, over these the rest of the alb is brought up, and laid flat, so it should be folded in three, with the hem at the top. Over this is laid the amice, unfolded fully, the side with the strings is laid at the top, and the strings are brought down to the corners opposite them, and the rest of the string is folded along the bottom.
Now, if your Church is very proper, and the Priest alone handles the Chalice, then the burse is laid on top of the amice, with the corporal ON TOP of it, not inside, so that the Priest knows it is there, and doesn't have the unfortunate problem of going to the Altar, and discovering there is no corporal! on top of this the veil is laid out fully, then the purificator is laid horizontally on top, in the centre, and on top of that, in the middle is placed the host (in places where the vestments are laid out for long periods before he next Mass, it may be best not to put a host out, in case it goes stale), the veil is then brought down to cover the purificator and host.

There... now you know!
Yours in Jesu et Maria,
Richard Hawker