During Holy Mass, we witness the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This celebration is the “source and summit” of our faith. The altar linens used during the liturgy — cloths, corporals, purificators, lavabo towels, and palls — are made up of cloth and used during each celebration of the Mass. Since these linens are used for such a holy event, we must take great care and respect to maintain and wash them regularly.
Carolyn Cline is one of the parishioners involved in this vital liturgical ministry. She has served with the Altar Linens Ministry for the past 25 years.
“I can’t remember who asked me to help — it might have been when I was serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion,” Carolyn says. “Perhaps there was a shortage of people taking care of the linens at the time.”
There are six parishioners involved with the Altar Linens Ministry. Each person takes care of the linens for two weeks on a rotating basis, which means each member serves about every three months. The more people involved, the less frequently they serve. Carolyn says it takes about three or four hours on the assigned week.
“Each purificator must be inspected and usually hand-washed before laundering,” she says. “Then comes the ironing. We primarily take care of corporals for the altar and purificators for distribution — each is ironed differently.”
Serving in the Altar Linens Ministry is a great way to help behind the scenes in an important aspect of parish life. It is a necessary task, but not one that takes a big time commitment. It requires reverence and respect for the linens.
“This is such a great way to quietly contribute to the celebration of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist,” Carolyn says. “This is our Savior, our Redeemer, that shares His complete self with us every time we come to Him. It seems like such a small thing we can do to honor Our Lord, that the accoutrements used in the sacrament be as pristine as possible.”
Carolyn recognizes that her participation in the ministry helps bring her into a closer relationship with God.
“Who would have thought this would bring us closer to Our Lord?” she says. “But with every purificator I iron, I think of His most precious sacrifice that He shares with us. Nothing is too small that Our Lord doesn’t love us for our efforts.”
For more information, or to get involved, contact Carolyn Cline at 303-359-0852.
