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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Vesting Prayers • Part 7 of 9

Fr. David Friel · August 16, 2015

UR CONSIDERATION of the priestly vesting prayers continues this week with the stole, one of the most important vestments worn during the sacred liturgy. The stole is the distinctive garment of ordained clergymen, symbolizing the role & authority of the minister who wears it. In form, a stole is a long, narrow band of embroidered material worn around the neck that matches the color of the chasuble.

The vesting prayer that accompanies the stole is as follows:

Redde mihi, Domine, stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in praevaricatione primi parentis; et, quamvis indignus accedo ad tuum sacrum mysterium, merear tamen gaudium sempiternum.

Restore to me, O Lord, the stole of immortality, which I lost by the transgression of our first parents. Grant that, although I am unworthy to approach Thy sacred mysteries, I may be made worthy of everlasting joys.

I love the fact that, as the priest dons his stole—the very symbol of his priestly authority—he acknowledges his unworthiness to approach the sacred mysteries. No one is worthy to attend Holy Mass, much less offer it. Jean-Marie Vianney, himself, was not worthy to celebrate Mass, and he would be the first to admit it. Nevertheless, the Lord extends the invitation to us to share in the sacrifice of His Son. It is wholly fitting that we priests, especially, should acknowledge our unworthiness before every Mass, so that our approach to ministry might never become casual.

In addressing the maniple last week, we drew attention to the manner in which that vestment symbolizes the toils of priestly life. Similar symbolism applies also to the stole, which is worn like a yoke, around the neck. To some extent, this significance of the stole has been increasingly underscored since the abrogation of the maniple.

Yet another aspect of the stole’s symbolism comes out in the vesting prayer, which refers to the vestment as the “stole of immortality.” The stole, indeed, refers to the everlasting life in which we hope to share.

Traditionally, the manner in which the stole is worn has been used to distinguish the degrees of Holy Orders. For instance, a deacon has always worn the stole draped over his left shoulder down to his right hip. Bishops have always worn the stole around their necks, with the two ends hanging straight down in front. Priests, meanwhile, formerly wore the stole around their necks, with the two ends crossed over in front. Since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, however, presbyters no longer wear the stole crossed; instead, the stole is worn in the same manner by both bishops and presbyters, without differentiation.

The stole has always been a symbol of authority, and we should not be afraid to admit that. The rationale for the former crossing of the stole was to acknowledge the distinction between the full authority of the bishop and the lesser authority of the priest. According to Fr. Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University: “In the light of the Second Vatican Council’s call for an overall simplification of the rites and rubrics, this distinction in the way of donning the stole was abolished.”

Fifty years on, it is worth asking whether the liturgical reform constituted an “overall simplification” or an “over-simplification.”

Let me share, in closing, a short anecdote to illustrate the importance of the stole as a sacred vestment. I never once put a stole around my neck until the day I was ordained a priest. From the time I was a young student in Catholic grade school, I had been taught that the stole was a symbol of priestly identity and authority. For this reason, I always had a profound respect for the stole, and I chose not even to “try on” privately the stole I planned to wear for my first Mass of Thanksgiving. The result has been that, as a priest, the donning of the stole has been especially meaningful. It is a daily reminder of the extraordinary calling I have received.

May the stole be for all ordained ministers a reminder of the sacred responsibilities with which we have been charged!

Part 1 • Introduction

Part 2 • The Hand Washing

Part 3 • The Amice

Part 4 • The Alb

Part 5 • The Cincture

Part 6 • The Maniple

Part 7 • The Stole

Part 8 • The Chasuble

Part 9 • The Dalmatic

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Traditional Catholic Vestments, Vesting Prayers Last Updated: March 29, 2021

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Catholics in America have been the heirs of a sentimental and subjective hymn tradition that, for some reason or other, has taken a deep and fast hold on the fancy of the average person.”

— Fr. Francis Brunner (1953)

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