The Vestment Care Ministry consists of two categories to help clean and care for the garments worn by our altar servers and our clergy: Laundering & Mending.
Laundering Team
The laundering team is responsible for washing/ironing the altar server garments on a regular rotation. This includes the white albs, the black cassock, and the white lace surplices. Volunteers can signup for varying levels or involvement, depending on their availability. All items can be washed and ironed at home on a relatively flexible schedule.
- Alb Cleaning
- The alb is a full-length white ecclesiastical vestment with long sleeves that is gathered at the waist with a cincture cord. It is the white gown that altar servers, priests and deacons wear.
- The altar server albs are cleaned on a monthly rotation schedule. Only 12-13 albs are taken home with each rotation, making it easy to wash them all in one load.
- Ideally we have enough volunteers in the ministry so each volunteer only has to launder albs 3-4 times per year. You can sign-up to take more or less shifts based on your availability.
- Pick up on a Monday (or after Sun 5pm Mass) and return by Friday (or at the latest Saturday morning), in time for weekend Masses.
- The albs are polyester blend and wash up easily. Each alb should be pre-treated for stains (check the collars, sleeves, and hem along the bottom).
- Wash in hot water with detergent. Non-chlorine bleach (i.e. Clorox 2), or Oxiclean are okay if they look dingy.
- Tumble dry on high heat, and remove promptly. If you hang while they are still hot, ironing may not be needed, or will be minimal. Use iron as needed to remove any wrinkles.
- Be sure when hanging albs, to hang them with the front facing LEFT and the button snapped so they stay on the hangar. Return to the ministry room closet, filing by the appropriate size.
- Sign the sheet on closet door with the date albs were washed.
- Cassock/Surplice Cleaning
- The cassock is a full-length black ecclesiastical vestment with long sleeves and snaps all down the front. It is worn by our thurifers (altar servers using incense) and our Masters of Ceremonies (leader of the altar servers). A white surplice is the knee-length garment worn by the servers over the top of the cassock, and has lace trim on the bottom and sleeves.
- The cassock/surplices are worn a little less often than the albs, and thus don’t need laundering as often. The laundering schedule for these varies for different liturgical seasons. They need washing approximately every 1-2 months.
- There is one load of black cassocks and 1 load of white surplices that are taken home in each rotation – so 2 loads of laundry.
- Ideally we have enough volunteers in the ministry so each volunteer only has to launder cassocks/surplices 1-2 times per year.
- Pick up on a Monday (or after Sun 5pm Mass) and return by Friday (or at the latest Saturday morning), in time for weekend Masses.
- The cassocks and suplices are poly/cotton blend, they wash up relatively easily, but require more ironing than the albs. The white surplices especially should be pre-treated and checked for any stains.
- Cassocks are washed in warm water with detergent. In a SEPARATE load from the surplices.
- Surplices are washed in warm water with detergent on a gentle load (to protect the lace trim).
- Recommend adding vinegar to the wash to help remove the incense smell. For stubborn smells, vestments can also be hung outdoors for a bit in fresh air.
- Tumble dry, remove promptly and hang to reduce wrinkles.
- Cassocks will need full ironing to remove wrinkles. Surplices have pleats that need to be carefully irons in straight lines down the garment.
- Be sure when hanging vestments, to hang them with the front facing LEFT and buttons snapped so they stay on the hangar. Return to the ministry room closet, organized by size and type of garment.
- Sign the sheet on closet door with the date cassocks/surplices washed.
To sign-up to help with laundering, contact Traci Bazzelle at traci.bazzelle@gmail.com
Mending Team
The mending team is a group of volunteers who have mending/sewing skills and are available for occasional repairs and altering of garments as needed. The needs can include hand stitching, repairing of zippers/snaps/buttons, altering lengths of garments, machine sewing needs. This includes caring for the altar server mending needs (albs, cassocks, surplices), and priestly vestments (stole, chasuable, cope, etc.) Volunteers provide their contact information and level of skill/type of sewing they can help with, and are contacted on an as-needed basis.
To sign-up to help with mending, contact Glenna Stumpff at joestumpff@gmail.com
It takes many hands to care for the needs of our parish, we are grateful to each of our volunteers! Thank you for considering this beautiful way to serve our altar servers, priests, and deacons, behind the scenes.
St Hunna, the HolyWasherWoman, patron saint of laundry workers, Pray for us!