VESTMENTS
 

•    The alb is a long, white linen garment.  The white color symbolizes purity.

• The cincture is tied around the waist over the alb.  As the priest puts on the cincture, he says a special prayer: "Gird me, O Lord, with the girdle of purity."

• The chasuble is the garment worn over the alb.  The color of the chasuble changes with the seasons. WHITE is used on joyous and glorious feastdays such as Christmas and Easter, and feastdays of the Blessed Mother, as well as saints that were not martyrs.  RED is the color of blood, so it is used for Masses commemorating Our Lord's Passion, the Apostles, and all martyrs.  Red is also used on Pentecost and Masses of the Holy Spirit because it reminds us of the tongues of fire.  PURPLE, symbolic of penance, is used during Advent and Lent.   GREEN is the symbol of Hope and is used on the Sundays after Epiphany and Pentecost.   ROSE replaces purple on the third Sunday in Advent and the third Sunday of Lent to symbolize our joy, even during these somber times, in the goodness of God. 

• The long narrow scarf worn around the neck of the priest is called the stole.  Whenever a priest celebrates Mass or administers the Sacraments, he wears the stole as a sign that he is occupied with an official priestly duty.