I searched during hours and hours (on net and in books), drawings of the clergy's costumes trought ages and depending of fonctions(bishops, popes, monks, priests... ), but I really found NOTHING. Can you please answer me if you have any tips or informations that can helping me. Thanks in advance, (you can answer me in english or in french) (vous pouvez me ripondre en anglais ou en frangais)

-- Mickael Bouffard (chantal.bouffard@videotron.ca), October 03, 1999

Answers

Mickael - I believe much of our dress for priests etc: stems from Judiac Heritage. Perhaps a search in this area would help. Also try the Medieval/Medici period which I am more then sure will have ample descriptions. +Peace+

-- jean bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), October 04, 1999.

Dear Mickael, You can go to "about.com" or "altavista.com" and come up with some info. The only thing I really know (Ithink) is what the different colors stand for. Black is not normally worn anymore for funerals, purple is and it is used for Lent and Advent too. Green is the most used and it is for ordinary time. White is for baptism, ordination, Christmas, some funerals, feast days of saints and Easter? Red is for martyrs and Pentecost and maybe Confirmation. The ensemble the priest wears to say mass is an alb (big white dress type) and it is cinched around his waist with a cincture (a rope type belt). Overtop of that he wears a chasible which is a large oval piece of cloth with a whole in the middle for him to put his head through. This is the piece of clothing that is colored depending on the day. Finally, around his neck he wears a stole which is a very long scarf type thing. When you go to a search engine to show you the different sites to find information about clothing, don't use the word clothing---use vestments. Hope this helps. Ellen

-- Ellen K. Hornby (dkh@canada.com), October 05, 1999.