Altar Linens Ministry: Honoring Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist

For volunteers like Carmel Akins, serving in the Altar Linens Ministry is not just about making the linens look beautiful. It is about loving, adoring, and honoring the Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist.

“I like helping with this ministry because I have a particular devotion to the Eucharist, and it gives me a way I can do something directly for Jesus,” says Carmel, who coordinates the ministry. “I got involved with it years ago simply because there was a need, but now I enjoy doing it because it is something very connected to the altar and the Mass. It allows me to spend time alone with Jesus in the church. While I work on the linens, I pray and listen to Catholic radio or classical music. It is a contemplative ministry if you don’t mind ironing!”

Currently, five women take turns bringing the altar cloths home, cleaning them properly, and returning them before the following weekend Masses. They each cover one Sunday per month.

“In my experience with this parish, there are so many people who will step up and do what needs to be done,” Carmel says. “There are a lot of hard-working people in our parish. These women are such a great example of this.”

When the volunteers clean the linens, they soak them by hand and then place the water they used for this directly into the ground, making sure it does not go through any piping. After washing them, they iron them, making sure not to use fabric softener or starch when doing so, because they are genuine linen and need to be treated in an especially careful way.

Interestingly, the use of linen for the altar is a longcherished Catholic tradition. Since the second century, the altar cloth has been seen as a symbol for the shroud of Jesus Christ — therefore it has become the custom to have it made of white linen. It is a sign of the reverence Christians show to the Most Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament, and the priestly celebrant, as well as a means to protect the altar and the sacred vessels.

“I have worked with materials other than linen, and I notice a difference,” Carmel says. “Linen is so much easier to work with, and it looks much better, too.”

Overall, this ministry presents a beautiful example of what it means to be a steward in a humble, yet influential way.

“No one truly knows what is going on with the Altar Linen Ministry because it is a behind-the-scenes ministry,” Carmel says. “Yet, it is a very important stewardship effort. There are a lot of these types of behind-the-scenes efforts that go on at our parish.”

To help with the Altar Linens Ministry, contact Carmel Akins at 217-222-7855.