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Q & A: "Black Vestments?"

Q & A: "Black Vestments?"

Q: Fr. Bill, you wore black vestments at the All Souls Day Mass.  I thought black vestments were pretty much abandoned after Vatican II.  What is their status?  Do you wear them when you preside at funerals?

A: Good question!  The short answer is, no, black was not abandoned. However, the preferred option for funerals is first, white, then purple and black as options. It is true that black has fallen out of popular favor so much so that it may appear that it was forbidden. But, that is just perception.

Before I discuss this further, I must share the meanings by these three liturgical colors: White expresses hope in resurrection, holiness, hope, and baptism. Violet expresses reconciliation, repentance, and mercy.  Black signifies mourning, death, sin, and judgement. This latter color may seem to focus on the negative, but, these are realities in our lives which sometimes we need to be reminded about.

The official three color choices for All Souls Day are the same as they are for any funeral. According to the instructions to the Order of Christian Funerals (a.k.a. OCF): 

“The liturgical color chosen for funerals should express Christian hope but should not be offensive to human grief and sorrow.  In the United States, white, violet, or black vestments may be worn at the funeral rites and at other offices and Masses or the dead” (§39). 

I have worn white vestments at funerals in all the parishes where I have been assigned. It has been my pastoral judgement that white has helped the congregation remember that through the waters of baptism, their loved one has died with Christ and that we hold the hope close that their loved one will rise again with him (cf. OCF §160). In the initial rites of the funeral, we place a pall over the casket which I have only seen in white, though violet and black are still options. Therefore, I have made efforts to make sure that the vestments match and carry on a congruent sign conferred by the pall. The white pall symbolizes the white garment placed on a newborn baby who has just been baptized.

That being said, I concelebrated a funeral with Archbishop Sample on the sad occasion of the tragic death of a young adult from the Umpqua Community College shootings back in 2015. There, the priests concelebrants were told to wear violet vestments. In the archbishop’s pastoral judgement, he was giving attention to the guidance by the OCF, where it states:

“The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them God’s mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always to God in times of crisis” (§7).

So, not only is hope something that is needed at a funeral, but so too is our need to seek out God’s mercy. The tragic nature of some events draw us close to this opportunity of God’s consolation which brings us to repentance and a desire for mercy in our own lives.

Back to All Souls Day. I made a pastoral decision to wear black for many reasons, some theological, some psychological, some liturgical, and some even pragmatic.  I wanted us to be mindful of the reality of Purgatory and the journey that many of the deceased whom we are praying for may be very well experiencing it and need our prayers. Additionally, I wanted us to recognize our own emotional sensibilities to the reality of their deaths and the loss their deaths have played in our lives. Mourning, while not something we like to do, is deeply important to our healing.  When we don’t mourn our losses, we continually carry them with us, and occasionally they come out in some of the most inappropriate ways and situations. Black emotes these feelings of sadness, recognizing and legitimizing them in our lives. When I bought my black chasuble, I purposely chose one that also had violet in it which, I hope, helped us remember our need to repent of our own sins in view of our own coming death and look to God for our only hope. Liturgically speaking, black carries well all these reasons and we hardly ever, if at all, see this color option used in the Mass. It has occurred to me many times that we should not completely forget or abandon our liturgical heritage, and that finding appropriate places to harken back to our sacred tradition keeps us grounded and mindful of who we are as Catholics. I’ve purposely done this in other areas too. You might have noticed that over all, the priests chant more of the Mass than in decades previous. The new Roman Missal has been the driving force for that change.  I’ve heard many times soon after receiving the Missal that we were chanting more.  Simply, it is was one of the various things the reform of the missal called for.  You might also notice that during Lent, as a community we chant the Mass parts during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and at some solemnities we use incense and bells.  Finally, on the pragmatic side of things, until last year, I have never worn a back vestment. But, after seeing this particular chasuble at a bargain price, I thought I would buy it for the few times I might want to use it, All Souls Day being the case use I had in mind. 

Finally, thank you for the question and I hope this helps more of us expand our understanding of the wealth of our Catholic theology and tradition.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Continuing In The Faith

Continuing In The Faith

Dear Parishioners,

When was the last time you can truly say that you were actively learning and growing in your faith?  For some, it was during classes for confirmation in high school. For others, they haven’t attended a class or read anything since 6th grade. Still others have not picked up their Bible and read it since they bought it or got it as a gift. This is the state of many of us Catholics, and it is not good. Think about it.  We spend thousands of dollars and years of our lives going to school for our professions, yet many of us stopped enriching and learning about our faith when we were a child or teen. Near the end of my life, I ask myself, what will be more important? What will have the most impact on my eternal destiny? I wonder if this is one of the pieces of the puzzle as to why some Catholics stop practicing their faith and no longer attend Mass. Such persons cannot withstand the faith challenges that come their way in our ever-increasing secular society. Simply “attending” Mass is not enough to be able to stay strong in the faith while secularism is bent on removing all forms of religion, specifically Catholicism.  

Towards offering opportunities to grow in our faith, St. Anne’s has several bible studies and faith-sharing groups.  We also have addiction support groups for those who desire a safe place to break the chains that bind them.  We also have many prayer groups that meet throughout the week as well as our Adoration Chapel for silent prayer and contemplation.  There is an art-therapy group, several rosary groups, periodical theology classes sponsored by the Archdiocese, and the list goes on. Some of these are in the day time and others are in the evening. Some are offered in English while others are in Spanish

Personally, this month and next, I will be involved in two events to which I would like to invite you.  The first is next week’s (Oct. 16) Catholicism 101 which will be a Q & A session about anything that is on your mind regarding Church teaching and practice.  This is often fun and a great way to share our faith.  This will be next Sunday between the Masses from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM. Next month (Nov. 20), I will be offering a “Theology of the Body” workshop where I will be teaching St. Pope John Paul II’s reflection on what has become the most compelling theology of marriage. That workshop will be in Room 1 of the Parish Center from 1 PM to 5 PM.  There will several breaks throughout the workshop and refreshments will be available.  Everyone is welcome, especially parents of teens, for I will be offering this same teaching in a 6-week period at our High School youth ministry nights beginning in February 2017.  All persons seeking to get married are required to come to this workshop as part of their preparation.

So, let us all do a gut check and ask what we are or are not doing to cultivate our faith. Let us be mindful that we are responsible for this gift of faith which God has given us.  And finally, let us be mindful of the myriad of opportunities there are to learn and grow here at St. Anne.  If you are timid to come to one of these gatherings, ask a friend to join you.  It may make all the difference in your life.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor