Novus Ordo Deacons: What to Wear?
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    My Parish and the Parish-Next-Door are planning a Penance Service for Advent -- a short para-liturgy with individual confessions afterward. If a Deacon is to assist during a para-liturgy or a non-Mass Liturgy in the Novus Ordo, what vestment does he wear? I vaguely remember that at +Francis's Vespers in NY the Deacons were wearing Dalmatics -- is that Kosher? Since the Officiant and the Homilist will both be wearing copes, I don't really want the Deacon wearing just an alb (or cassock/surplice) and stole. I am actually ashamed that I don't know the answer to this. Thanks for your help.
  • VilyanorVilyanor
    Posts: 388
    For a public celebration of the liturgy of the hours, the deacons usually wears simply alb and stole, but for celebrations of greater solemnity, they may wear dalmatics. I would think the former would be more appropriate following this example.

    GILH:
    255. The priest or deacon who presides at a celebration may wear a stole over the alb or surplice; a priest may also wear a cope. On greater solemnities the wearing of the cope by many priests or of the dalmatic by many deacons is permitted.
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  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 468
    Well, first off, I'm not sure why this would be a para-liturgy? It sounds like Rite II of the Rite of Penance, which is a proper liturgy Perhaps they are not following the rite there?

    There is a rubric for vesture for the Rite of Penance, but it's not helpful here, since it says only that the bishop specifies the vesture. Looking at Rite II, the deacon has a properly diaconal role in it, giving instructions, dismissal etc. I'd think therefore that wearing the dalmatic would make sense to distinguish his role from that of the priests wearing copes.
    Thanked by 5Vilyanor M. Jackson Osborn Salieri Liam Ben
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