During church service, whether you frequent your church or just go to every Sunday service, you are constantly around the members of the clergy. Other than all the other churchgoers looking their Sunday best, you have all the members of the clergy stepping out in their clerical wear.
I’m sure there have been some times where you’re unsure of what they are wearing and why they are wearing it. Each type of clothing that the members of the clergy wear hold a certain religious significance that should be known and recognized to the members of the church.
Typically, you will see ministers, priests, and other members of the clergy wearing certain types of clothing and special garments, but what does each garment represent in the church? For example, many members of the church usually wear something called a vestment. Vestments is an umbrella term that categorizes every single garment that may be worn in the church.
Much like how “shirts” is an umbrella term for all different categories of shirts. It lumps all of the garments together under one term. So let’s dive in and see what kind of vestments are commonly worn in the church.
Types of Vestment
Amice
It’s a piece of cloth that is usually in the shape of a rectangle. It’s placed over the shoulders and around the neck. It’s placed over the street clothing of whoever is wearing it. It’s not mandatory, but it does come with some practicality.
Alb
This is worn over the amice and has a lot of religious significance. This piece of clothing represents someone being freshly baptized while also signifying the purity of the soul during Mass and other church services.
Stole
This piece of vestment is a long thin strip of fabric that is worn around the neck and placed in front of the body. You’ll typically find this garment placed over the alb. This is probably the most important piece of clothing, as it represents the state of ordained office and can come in multiple colors.
Chasuble
This garment is the final piece of the entire ensemble. Usually, it will come in multiple colors depending on the season or if there’s a color of the day. This holds much significance as it represents the charity of multiple sins.
Cincture
This is a chord that is utilized as a belt that gathers all the cloth of the alb around the waist of the person wearing it. Usually, you will find a cincture in white color. However, the color may vary depending on the liturgical season or if there’s a certain color of the day.
Now that you know what your minister or priest is wearing on a day-to-day basis at the church, you should know where to find them if you are someone who works in the church or knows someone who does.
Check out Divinity Clergy Wear to find all of the needed garments you or someone who knows needs for their next church service.
