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Altar Linen Care
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MINISTRY PURPOSE:- Ensure that the specified altar linens used in our liturgies are clean and ironed, so that the altar from which the Eucharist takes place is beautifully presented and appropriate for the presider and participants
- Altar linens could include: purificators, corporal, pall, and the ‘lavabo’ or finger towel
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:- On a rotating schedule basis, collect the soiled altar linens weekly from St. Athanasius and St. Agnes Churches
- Working from home, launder, and iron the soiled linens
- Return the cleaned lines to the respective Churches
- Ensure that there are always sufficient, clean linens for the celebration of Mass and other liturgies
QUALIFICATIONS:- Prior to serving - In our ongoing efforts to provide a Safe Environment for all and to comply with Archdiocesan requirements, all volunteers must complete an annual CORI (download) (Criminal Offender Record Information) form. In addition, all those in Liturgical ministries, must complete a one-time “Protecting God’s Children" (PGC) Training.
- Attention to detail
- Willing to follow a regular schedule
- Flexible
- A willingness to help
- Owns or has access to a washing machine, and an iron
- Knowledge of stain removal procedures and proper folding techniques (acquired through ministry training)
- Appreciation for neatness and cleanliness
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PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS:
WHAT YOU WILL NEED- Your washer and dryer
- An ironing board and iron. It’s easier to work with a full-sized ironing board, but a smaller, tabletop ironing board is sufficient. You don’t need any special features with your iron. The iron only needs to heat to a linen setting, usually the hottest setting.
- A container large enough to hold all the purificators and corporals to presoak these items.
- A 2nd container to hold the washed purificators and corporals.
- A dryer or a drying rack for air drying the linens after they’ve been ironed. The drying rack should be able to hold up to thirty folded purificators, each about four inches wide.
- Hand towels: small, white towels used to dry the priest’s hands during Mass. The hand towels are washed after each use.
- Purificators: small, white cloths, the size of a handkerchief, that are used to wipe the Precious Blood and any other soils from the rim of the chalice during Mass. The purificators are laundered after each use.
- Corporals: larger, white cloths, placed on the altar before Consecration of the bread and wine, to protect against any loss of crumbs or drops of the Precious Body and Blood during Mass. Corporals are laundered only if visibly soiled. The priests use two at a time. If you find more than two or three corporals in the hamper, please let one of the priests know. Occasionally, a new sacristan or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion will mistakenly place the corporals into the hamper too often.
- Dish towels, dish cloths: these are used to wash and dry the vessels after each Mass
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