Feedback from a reader about “Laundering Liturgical Linens”

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

liturgical linensFrom a reader:

Thank you for recommending the little book “Laundering Liturgical Linens“. It has been a great help to me as a new sacristan with almost no training.

This past Sunday I asked our priest if he would like to do the first rinsing, and he looked at me like I had sprouted a second head.

Now I need to be sure all the other sacristans are rinsing the linens into the sacrarium prior to laundering, because I was not trained to do that!

Again, thank you for pointing us in the right direction.

My work here is done.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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11 Comments

  1. Gaz says:
    14 February 2012 at 2:18 PM

    I will surreptitiously drop my copy into the linen drawer at my local church. See if anyone makes a comment.

  2. BridgetTheresa says:
    14 February 2012 at 2:25 PM

    Serving as the linen laundress (I am a sub) is such a blessing.
    Thanks for sharing this resource, may it help deepen our faith.

  3. AnnAsher says:
    14 February 2012 at 2:30 PM

    It’s hard to teach even somewhat young priests new tricks. When I’ve approached this issue with three priests, different years, the result has been the same – dismissal. It is sad and confusing. These same men preach soundly about the Eucharist … Yet suggest that piling linens in a wicker basket, a week at a time, left alone in a dark room – like regular laundry – and yes I did feel like I’d grown a second head.

  4. Charles E Flynn says:
    14 February 2012 at 3:04 PM

    The book is not available at Amazon at the moment. Anyone looking to buy a copy should search this ISBN number, which has very few hits:

    1892331594

  6. Elizabeth D says:
    14 February 2012 at 3:32 PM

    At my church we do not rinse the linens right after Mass (which in my opinion would be more ideal), but they are put in laundry bags (a white bag for purificators and corporals, a colored one for lavabo towels etc) and when the time comes to launder them the linens in the white bag are rinsed well and the water put down the sacrarium. Then all linens are taken and laundered in the usual way in the washing machine.

  7. ipadre says:
    14 February 2012 at 3:44 PM

    Great little book! I gave a copy to all the women in my Rosary & Altar Society. And have given it to a number of other people.

  8. chiners says:
    14 February 2012 at 5:13 PM

    How annoying. This would have made a perfect Valentine’s Day present and I have missed the boat again. Oh well, perhaps for the next birthday instead.

  9. heway says:
    14 February 2012 at 5:16 PM

    Gotcha! We have no sacrarium! As a matter of fact, no running water in church.
    I bought the book for those who never help with linens because they say< "I don't know how".
    I bring them home at the end of 2 weeks (4 Masses) and rinse them in a basin, dispose of water on ground, then wash, starch and iron.
    The priest has no idea of how they are done and in all these years I've only had one bad comment. The person assigned to the month, did not use/have an iron! She no longer does altar linens.

  10. Frank H says:
    15 February 2012 at 10:49 AM

    In recent months, there has been placed a large metal bowl of water next to the sacrarium into which used purificators and corporals are soaked until it is time for the laundering. I imagine this may serve as the initial rinsing.

  11. mwa says:
    15 February 2012 at 1:22 PM

    there is also a booklet that can be downloaded from St. Charles Borromeo Church in Stratton, CO

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