I noted the discussion on PrayTell about funeral vestment colors in southern Wisconsin. That territory is well-traveled on this blog.

My own sense is that the monochromatic vestments seen in too many parishes do not do justice to the Mass.

In vestment design, I think the surroundings and the lighting of a nave must be taken into account. Shopping out of a catalogue is dicey.

I threw together a quick impression of what I would like to see in a parish’s funeral chasuble. I would use no more violet and black than this, but this communicates the maximum of those colors I would prefer to see at the Order of Christian Funerals.

Black is more swank these days than mourning. And violet is more Lent. A bad message to send would be to use the parish’s Lent and/or Advent vestments for funerals. White as a primary funeral color in the West makes sense if we’re serious about keeping the funeral centered on Christ.

In my parish, where we celebrate a half-dozen funerals a year, using the Easter vestment makes much more sense for us.

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