March 8, 2011

Sacristy Goes Both Ways

Sometimes religious life is just too cool.

I offered Mass this morning at the local Poor Clare monastery. After I had washed my hands--Da Domine, virtutem manibus meis...--but before I reached for my alb, I was startled when one of the drawers in the vesting table began to retreat mysteriously:


I told Sr. Sacristan that I thought something was funny about her sacristy drawers. She laughed and explained to me that they were two-sided, and could be opened from the other side as well, in another room. That way, the vesting table drawers could be accessed without anyone having to wander outside of cloister.

By the way, don't I have a neat method of folding my alb and tying it up with my cincture? I'm very proud of that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You are right, Father Charles: the sacristy table accessible from both sides is very cool and the fact that it is still used in its original function is heartening. A Blessed Ash Wednesday!