| An alb is the white robe traditionally worn by anyone serving during worship, including clergy, lay ministers, and acolytes. It is named from the Latin word for white (albus) and is meant to evoke the purity of heart desired for worship.
A stole is worn by both priests and deacons, with a few differences. It originated from a secular garment worn by Roman officials, eventually adopted by the church to signify the humility and responsibility of clergy. A priest’s stole is worn around the neck with the ends in front, while a deacon’s stole is worn diagonally, clasped at the side.
A chasuble is the outermost vestment donned by a priest before celebrating the Eucharist. Developed from a garment worn by Greeks and Romans called the paenula or casula (“little house”), it was worn by both laity and clergy until the 6th century, when it became a specifically ecclesiastical vestment meant to honor the additional mystery and holy experience of Communion. |
