My Dear Friends,

This Sunday marks a return to green vestments. I always find it refreshing to wear green after nine Sundays of white (actually 8 Sundays white and one Sunday red). Green is a color of new hope and new life that comes every year with the season of spring.

As a reminder, green vestments in our Roman Rite of the Catholic Church are used for the season of Ordinary Time and on weekdays when there is a regular day (no memorial or feast or solemnity).

White vestments are worn in the season of Christmas and the season of Easter as well as certain solemnities and feasts, and for memorials of holy men and women, virgins and religious and pastors.

Red vestments are worn on certain solemnities and feasts, and on memorials of martyrs and on Masses of the Holy Spirit and on Masses or Liturgies of the Passion.

Purple vestments are worn in the seasons of Advent and Lent, and on liturgies of penance.

Rose vestments are worn twice a year (3rd Sunday of Advent and 4th Sunday of Lent).

Black vestments are used on All Souls’ Day and on Masses for the Dead. For Funeral Masses, the priest has an option to use either black or purple or white.

And Nuptial Masses are white. For the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders, white is also used. Confirmation can use either white or red. Penance services with confession and Anointing of the Sick liturgies, the proper color is purple.

Blue vestments are not allowed in the United States, but they are used in some countries in Europe.

Hope springs eternal. God bless.

BACK TO LIST