Albs | Liturgical vestment for catholic priest

Albs | Liturgical vestment for catholic priest

The alb is one of the most used religious ornaments by our priests, parish priests and altar boys.

The alb is a religious tunic, that is, it reaches the heels. The Catholic priest albs are usually white and with long sleeves. The albs for priests are generally very wide and serve so that the parish priest covers the entire body. Altar boy albs, known as altar boy robes , are usually white or red.

The alb is a Catholic Church ornament that is usually used by priests, deacons and altar servers to carry out Eucharistic celebrations. The alb is liturgical clothing that can be worn with a cincture at the waist and with a miter.

• What does the dawn of the priest mean?

The priestly alb symbolizes the self-denial and chastity that corresponds to a priest. In addition, this liturgical ornament reminds the priest that he must do good deeds throughout his life.

Today, while he puts on his alb, the priest prays the following prayer: "Purify me, Lord, and cleanse my heart, so that purified with the blood of the lamb, I can enjoy eternal joys."

The alb for priests, evolution of the liturgical ornament

Throughout history, the priestly alb has been known by many names such as the line   or tunica linea , for the material of which it is made ; podris, tunica talaris , or simply   talaris , due to the fact that it must reach the feet, camisia , due to the resemblance of the garment to a shirt, etc.

The origin of this liturgical ornament is not clear. According to some sources this garment dates back to the vestments of the Jewish priesthood. According to other texts, the origin of the priestly alb would be related to the ordinary attire used by both Romans and Greeks.

The time in which the white talar tunic began to be used for liturgical celebrations is difficult to determine. The use of this type of garment, very common in the early years of Christianity, and the absence of adequate documentation, do not allow us to determine when it became the exclusive use of the priests of the church.

Before the IX, the alb had already become an integral part of the priest's sacramental attire . Rabano Maura, who writes "De Clericorum Institutione" in 818 where the alb or talar tunic is described as a white linen garment symbol of self-denial and chastity corresponding to the priest. Its length, always ankle-length, served as a reminder to parish priests of their obligation to do good until the end of their earthly lives.

In the twelfth century, the liturgical alb was the clothing that all clergymen used when they exercised their religious functions.

The use of alba has evolved over the years. Currently it is a garment that parish priests use almost exclusively to officiate at Mass, basically it has become liturgical clothing. Its use has spread to all celebrations throughout the Liturgical Year: Advent , Christmas, Easter, etc...

Catholic alb, characteristics and ornamentation

The characteristics of the dawn have hardly changed throughout history. During the Middle Ages they were made adjusted to the priest's waist, increasing the diameter as it approached the ankles. With the passing of the centuries and the fashion of looser garments, the diameter of the alb increased to the dimensions that we currently know.

The ornamentation of the priestly alb has historically been one of the attributes of the garment that has undergone the greatest evolution. In the early years of Christianity, the lower edge, the wrists and the opening of the head were decorated with a border. With the advent of the Middle Ages and the evolution of aesthetic criteria, many parish priests began to use albs with portions of brocade, or embroidery, at the bottom of the alb and on the wrists. This type of decoration of the dawn was used for many centuries until the arrival of lace and hemstitch.

Currently the use of all this ornamentation has been left to the judgment of the parish priest. There is a wide variety of albs, from simple albs without any type of embroidery to albs decorated with complex embroidery, lace or hemstitch.