CHURCH LINENS A Guide for Altar Societies Compiled and Edited by DOM MATTHEW BRITT. O s. B. St. Martin's The care of the linens used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a most sacred obligation, which must be discharged most carefully. This little work goes step by step in the proper care of these holy linens. MATERIALS FOR ALTAR LINENS THE ALTAR CLOTHS THE CORPORAL THE PALL THE PURIFICATOR THE FINGER TOWEL THE CREDENCE COVER THE COMMUNION CLOTH AND PATEN THE BURSE FOR THE COMMUNION PATEN THE FRONTAL (ANTEPENDIUM) THE FRONTLET . THE TABERNACLE VEIL THE CIBORIUM VEIL THE MONSTRANCE VEIL THE AM ICE THE ALB THE CINCTURE THE SURPLICE THE ALTAR COVER WASHING SACRED LINENS VEIL OF THE MISSAL STAND LITURGICAL COLORS Let us consider an excerpt: "It is quite possible," says Dom Roulin, "to have a simple and inexpensive altar, a block of stone, or even a neat woodwork frame containing the altar stone, and a frontal to cover it tastefully. It is not essential that the frontal be embroidered. A piece of silk damask in yellow and white, or red and yellow, or a single color, red, or green, or whatever it may be, is all that is required. One may allow oneself the addition of a monogram, or of a fringe along the upper edge or along the lower edge of the frontal; or one may have two or four vertical bands, hanging like stoles from the upper edge. The monogram and the orphreys are distinct improvements if they are well proportioned and rightly adjusted. They are certainly to be preferred to the narrow strips of gold lace, stiff, monotonous, and not appreciably decorative, that are stitched onto certain frontals."