In Christian religion, the altar holds great symbolic significance. It is always positioned centrally within the church, often elevated above the rest, and is one of the first things that catches our attention upon entering.
For the Catholic faith, the altar is not only the place where the Paschal Sacrifice is performed every Sunday, but it is also a symbol of the table around which the disciples sit one last time with their Master. Some objects help us better remember the meaning of this place: the crucifix, placed above or near the altar; the white altar cloths; the candelabras, which recall the Presence of the Risen Jesus.
In addition to these main liturgical furnishings that are always present on the altar, even outside of Mass, there are others used only during the celebrations. One of these is the Mass set, or the service set for Mass.
Four-piece Mass outfit in pure linen with hand-embroidered herringbone and grape motif, edged with lace. Discover our Mass Suits.
At the beginning of the Eucharistic liturgy, the priest, after receiving the gifts, prepares the altar. In addition to the paten, chalice and missal, linen is spread on the altar to make up the so-called Mass service.
What are the pieces that make up the Mass service and what material are they made of?
A Mass set consists of a corporal, a manutergium, a purificator, and a pall. This is referred to as a four-piece Mass set. Linen is the fabric that should be used for all altar linens, both for Mass sets and altar cloths. This is the fabric in which Jesus was wrapped, and the early Church agreed on using the same material for everything that was used around the altar, the place of sacrifice.
It is only in the 15th and 16th centuries that traces are found in the inventory of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome of corporals made from silk, due to the prestige of the fabric. However, the Synod of Verdun in 1598 prohibited its use. Today, hemp is also used.
What is the significance of the four pieces?
Each flax has its role during the liturgy.
The corporal
The corporal is the piece of linen on which the chalice and paten are placed. For this reason, both today and in the past, the corporal plays a very important role: to catch any fragments of the host or drops of wine that may fall. The fabric used by Arte Ricami is a very tight linen that prevents any potential fragments from remaining in the fabric. Due to the important task this linen performs, bags for the corporal are made, consisting of two stiff squares usually lined with silk, in which the corporal is stored during its transfer from the sacristy to the altar. The way it is still folded today, into a square, is intended to contain any remnants of the Body of Christ.
Regarding decoration, the corporal is adorned with an embroidery, a cross, and often a lace trim on the sides.
The corporal is certainly the oldest of the pieces in the Mass set. In the early centuries of Christianity, the altar cloth was not in use. Instead, the so-called palla corporalis, a piece of linen that served both as a veil and a corporal, was used. By the eighth century, this linen had become so large that two deacons were required to unfold and fold it on the altar. The large size likely stemmed from the fact that the corporal was also used as a veil for the chalice, as mentioned in some prayers for the blessing of this linen. When altar cloths began to be introduced in the eighth and ninth centuries, the size of the palla corporalis shrank, and the name was shortened to corporale.
Pure linen corporal with hand-embroidered Marian symbol on the bottom and cross in the centre.
The goblet ball
The piece now called the palla is a linen square about 20/25 cm in size, which the priest uses to cover the chalice to prevent foreign objects from contaminating the Blood of Christ. As previously mentioned, this task was once performed by the corporal. On festive occasions, covering and uncovering the chalice was the responsibility of the ministers, but during daily Mass, the priest sometimes struggled to handle such a large veil. In the 12th century, a second corporal was folded to form a small square to cover the chalice. From this practice, the palla was born, or as Cardinal Borromeo referred to it, animetta. In the Mozarabic or Hispanic rite, it was called filiola, a daughter of the corporal. For this reason, the Church decided that this piece also had to be made from linen. Unlike the corporal, however, the palla could be decorated with silk or fabrics of gold and silver.
Today, there are two types of palla: the rigid palla with an insert and the linen palla that has been starched to become rigid. Arte Ricami offers both models. Our linen palla without an insert is one of the four pieces of the Mass set, and it is embroidered with the same motifs as the rest of the set. The rigid palla is available in various designs in pure silk, with hand-embroidered gold and silver motifs or hand-carved embroidery.
Stiff ball in pure silk satin with hand embroidery in half fine gold and silk. The back of the ball is pure linen. Discover our ball covers.
The purifier, or purifier
The Purificatoio is a rectangular piece of fabric that the priest brings to the altar, resting it on the chalice along with the corporal and the palla. It is used at various moments during the Holy Mass because, as the name suggests, its purpose is to “purify” (from the Latin purus, pure, and facere, to do) the chalice, the lips of the priest, and the paten. The purificatoio arose from the need to clean the sacred vessels after their use. Initially, it was used by some priests to wipe their fingers as well, but during the Council of Warsaw in 1592, the use of the chalice veil for cleaning the chalice itself was prohibited, and the use of the purificatoio was mandated. Cardinal Borromeo later suggested embroidering a small cross at the center to distinguish this linen from others. Our purificatoi are made of pure linen and feature the same decorations as the other pieces in the set.
Pure linen purifier and ball with hand-embroidered ears of wheat motif.
The manuterge
Finally, the Mass service is completed by the manutergium, the linen towel used by the priest after liturgical ablutions to dry his fingers. There are two types of manutergium: the one used before Mass, before administering Baptism and before giving Communion outside Mass, and the one used during Mass before the offertory and after Communion.
The amitto
Some Mass services are completed with the amitto. Although it is not part of the altar linens, the amitto is often paired with the four pieces just described and embroidered with the same decor as the Mass set. The amitto is a rectangle of pure linen or cotton that the priest places around his neck and shoulders, fastening it around the chest with two bows. The only decoration on the amitto is a cross at the center, and sometimes there is embroidery around the perimeter. Its purpose is to cover the everyday clothes and, at the same time, protect the more important vestments the priest wears.
The prayer the priest says while putting it on has been in use since the year 1000 A.D., and it reads, “Impone, Domine, capiti meo galeam salutis, ad expugnandos diabolicos incursus” (Impose, Lord, upon my head the helmet of salvation, to defeat the diabolical assaults). The amitto is seen as a helmet that protects and keeps the priest away from temptations, especially during the celebration.
Amitto in pure white linen with bows and hand-drawn cross in white or ivory.
We package four-piece and five-piece Mass suits with different motifs that recall the Eucharistic liturgy. Each suit comes packaged in its own box and is an ideal gift for a priestly ordination or ordination anniversary. You can view some of them on our website on the dedicated page or you can contact us for further designs.
Notes:
Braun, Joseph (1912): Handbuch der Paramentik; Freiburg i. Br.
Kunzler Michael (1996): La liturgia della Chiesa; Editoriale Jaka Book Spa; Milano.
Ordinamento generale del Messale Romano, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_it.html. 08/01/2018
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