Altar Linen Ministry Handbook

Created by
Gerald Asher, Lead Sacristan
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
Keller, Texas
AMDG
(Rev. 1-24-2019)
 We greatly appreciate your service to our parish. Your dedication in providing clean linens for the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass and other liturgical services is a great blessing not only for our clergy, but to our congregation as well. In an
effort to streamline your efforts in providing a uniform product, this handbook has been assembled so that all of our
volunteers are, hopefully, “on the same page” in regards to how each linen is to be presented. The following pages
provide graphic illustrations for each specific item, from purificators to large corporals and credence table cloths.
Your adherence to these guidelines is greatly appreciated; your best effort ultimately gives greater glory to God.
Thank you, very much, for your help!

• Linen Washing Instructions

• Purificators & Finger Towels
• Priest Corporals
• Large Corporals
• Washcloths & Hand Towels
• Credence Table Cloths

• Linen washing instructions

1. Pick up linens following the Mass you attend
2. Separate linens from towels
3. Treat stained linens (lipstick, wine, etc) with “Spray-N-Wash” or “Shout,” then place in a bucket of hot
water. Allow the linens to soak a minimum of two hours (preferably, overnight).
4. Wring out linens and dispose of remaining water in flower bed, hedgerow or grass (DO NOT DUMP
DOWN DRAIN)
5. Place linens and towels in washer, HOT WATER cycle. Non-chlorine bleach may be used if required; DO
NOT ADD LIQUID FABRIC SOFTENERS TO THE RINSE CYCLE.
6. Dry in dryer (NO FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS).
7. Treat linens, on the “face up” side, with spray starch, and iron as illustrated. Hand towels & washcloths
do not require ironing.

• Clean and Return Schedule

Soiled linens are collected in plastic buckets in the working sacristy. Each container holds the linens for two Masses
except the container for the weekday Masses. The schedule for picking up each bucket and bringing back the cleaned
and ironed linens is below.

It is CRITICAL that linens are returned on time to prevent running out of clean linens. If you are unable to return your
bucket on schedule, please bring back what you have completed and ask another minister for assistance catching up.

• Weekday Masses and Sat 4pm: Pick up after Sat 4pm Mass, Due back to the Church on Tuesday

• Sat 5:30pm Mass & Sun 7am Mass: Pick up after Sun 7am Mass, Due back to the Church on Wednesday

• Sun 9am & 11am Masses: Pick up after Sun 11am Mass, Due back to the Church on Thursday

• Sun 1pm & 5:30pm Masses: Pick up after Sun 5:30pm Mass, Due back to the Church on Friday

• Purificators & finger towels

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There are several states of these linens in our inventory which serve as purificators and finger towels. Finger
towels (A) are easily distinguished by a WHITE EMBROIDERED CROSS. Purificators, used for the chalice,
carry a RED EMBROIDERED CROSS. Those purificators with more faded crosses (B) are generally used for the
Communion chalices serving the congregation. Those newer purificators with brighter crosses (C) and devoid
of stains should be reserved as much as
possible for the priests’ chalices.

If possible, these should be sorted by style,

once they’ve been ironed, for easier filing by
the sacristan.

Any linens which might be considered

frayed, holed or stained beyond use should
still be cleaned, ironed and returned. The
sacristan will be responsible for disposal.

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 Purificator & Finger Towel Ironing

Begin with linen FACE DOWN (seam side up). Fold in thirds and iron accordingly.

Once ironed into equal thirds, turn over and locate cross.

Fold in half as “comfortably close” as possible to the cross, leaving the cross to one side, and iron final crease.

Completed purificators & finger towels

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• Priest corporals
There are several styles of corporals used by the priest for his chalice, but they all carry one defining feature to
distinguish them from the purificators & finger towels: they are all more “square” in nature, as opposed to the
more rectangular layout of the purificators. The embroidered cross may be centered (A), or biased toward the
upper (B) or lower (C) third of the linen.

Priest’s Corporal Ironing

Final ironing of the corporal should begin with the linen FACE UP (cross visible, seam side down)

Dividing the linen into equal thirds (top to bottom), iron the first crease
with the top third folded over the center.

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 Fold the bottom portion over the top third and iron the second crease.

Dividing the linen into thirds (left to right), iron the first crease by folding the left portion over the center.

Complete by ironing the last crease, folding the right portion over center.

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 The completed linen should have the cross concealed on the inside, with seam sides exposed.

• Large Corporals
The large corporals are placed on either end of the altar by the Acolytes during Mass; they are used to hold the
patens and chalices used during Holy Communion.

Large Corporal Ironing

The large corporals may or may not feature an embroidered cross on them. If there is a cross, and it is not
centered on the linen, begin the folding/ironing process with the cross at lower center.

Begin with the corporal FACE UP (cross visible, seam side down).

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 Dividing the linen into equal thirds (top to bottom), iron the first crease with the
top third folded over the center.

Fold the bottom portion over the top third and iron the second crease.

Dividing the linen into thirds (left to right), iron the first crease by folding the left portion over the center.

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 Complete by ironing the last crease, folding the right portion over center.

The completed linen should have the cross concealed on the inside, with seam sides exposed.

• Wash Cloths & Hand Towels

The hand towels (large & small) are used for the drying of vessels and general cleanup around the working
sacristy. The wash cloths are used specifically at the tabernacle – adjacent to the finger bowl – for purification of
the priest, deacon or acolyte following Holy Communion, once they have reposed the Blessed Sacrament. As
such, the wash cloths used at the tabernacle should be soaked with the other altar linens prior to washing.

Wash cloth in place for purification

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 Washcloths should be folded in thirds, widthwise.

Washcloths are stored in the “FINGER TOWELS” drawer, with the finger towels (white embroidered crosses).

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 Hand Towel Folding

Fold hand towels in thirds, widthwise,

Then fold in half, lengthwise.

Hand towels are stored in the first two drawers, adjacent to the sink.

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• Credence Table Cloths
This category covers a variety of linens, mostly rectangular in shape, which are used for both the small credence
tables used during weekday Masses as well as the large tables in the sanctuary alcove and working sacristy.

Purification table in Working Sacristy

The smaller tablecloths are used on the two small tables: one, kept behind the presiders’ chairs, is used by
celebrants during the weekday Masses when altar servers are not available.

The second, normally positioned in front of the front pew on the Joseph side of the nave for weekday Masses, is
used for the gifts to be brought to the sanctuary during the Offertory.

These smaller linens are stored in the back of the “FINGER TOWELS” drawer.

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 Large Table Cloth Folding

After ironing flat, fold the linen in half, widthwise.

Then, fold the linen in half lengthwise.

Fold the linen in half, lengthwise, a second time,

draping over a hanger. These tablecloths are stored in
the Lumiere (candle lighter) closet, adjacent to the
Working Sacristy door.

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 Small Credence Tablecloth Folding

Begin with the linen FACE UP (seam side down). Dividing the linen into equal thirds (top to bottom),
iron the first crease with the top third folded over the center.

Fold the bottom portion over the top third and iron the second crease.

Dividing the linen into thirds (left to right), iron the first crease by folding the left portion over the center.

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 Complete by ironing the last crease, folding the right portion over center.

These smaller linens are stored in the back of the “FINGER TOWELS” drawer.

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