Stole
by Paul Turner

A stole distinguishes the diversity of ministries. Deacons wear it over the left shoulder, the two ends joined under his right arm at the hip. The priest and bishop wear it around the neck, the two ends hanging down in front to the knees. Other ministers do not wear the stole.

Some further conventions for how the stole is worn have evolved. At Mass it is traditionally worn over the alb and beneath the priest’s chasuble or the deacon’s dalmatic. However, today the stole is often seen on top of all these vestments as an embellishment. At services other than Mass, because the chasuble and dalmatic are not worn, the stole stands out plainly over the alb, surplice or religious habit. Formerly, a priest crossed the two ends in front of his chest while vesting for Mass, but this is no longer required. If the cleric is wearing a cincture (a belt-like rope to bind the alb), it may also secure the stole.

As with other vestments, the stole originated as practical secular wear. The early Greeks wore a long garment called a stola. The fourth-century Romans gave the same name to a scarf worn by distinguished citizens as a sign of public honor. By the sixth century the church’s ministers were wearing the garment, and by the ninth century it became a requirement.

When cut in a tasteful design and appropriately decorated, the stole will enhance the beauty of the liturgical rite.

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Paul Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron, MO, holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from Sant' Anselmo University in Rome.