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A cover made of cloth, baize or velvet which is placed on the table of the altar,
during the time in which the sacred functions do not take place. Its purpose is to prevent
the altar-cloth from being stained or soiled. It should be a little wider than the table
and some what longer than the latter, so that it may hang down several inches on each side
and in front. It may be of any color (green or red would seem to be the preferred colors),
and its front and side edges are usually scalloped, embroidered, or ornamented with
fringes. During the divine services it is removed (Cong. Sac. Rit., 2 June, 1883), except
at Vespers, when, during the incensing of the altar at the Magnificat, only the front part
of the table need be uncovered, and it is then simply turned back on the table of the
altar. It is called the vesperale, the stragulum or altar-cover. It need not be blessed.
A.J. SCHULTE Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia
Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright © 1996 by New Advent, Inc., P.O. Box 281096,
Denver, Colorado, USA, 80228. (knight@knight.org) Taken from the New Advent Web Page
(www.newadvent.org).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an effort
aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913 edition on the World Wide Web. The
coordinator is Kevin Knight, editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like
to contribute to this worthwhile project, you can contact him by e- mail at
(knight@knight.org).
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