altar cloths...looking for info.

[sr.christinaosf]

Could people (in the U.S. primarily) let me know what your Church does about the top altar cloth?  

At present, we have a green, a white, a violet, and a red which we use depending on the season.  It covers the surface of the altar and comes down several inches on the side.

Every time there is a memorial, we end up having to change it to match the appropriate color of the day.  Having to move everything so it takes almost 10 minutes.  

There is some thought about the possibility of making banners/strips or colored fabric to hang down (two for each liturgical color) that we could change more easily.  The local parish has these.

Could people please share what your local church does; I would appreciate the input.  It may give us ideas and also a general sense of common ways of dealing with this.  

Thanks.

[Sponsa-Christi]

By "top altar cloth," do you mean the surface the priest actually celebrates Mass over during the liturgy? In most Churches I've been to, this has always been white for all occasions. 

Or do you mean a cloth you put over the altar (like a dust protector) when Mass is not being celebrated?

Or are you thinking about the decoration-type part that goes over the front (rather than the top surface) of the altar? Because in that case, I'm thinking you could probably just have something simple in white or gold for most occasions, and then just change it to something in a liturgical color for bigger feasts. 

[sr.christinaosf]

The top surface on which Mass is celebrated is white.  I was speaking of the decorative part that is put under the white top and hangs some inches over the sides of the altar.

[He is Risen!]

I've been to churches where they use velcro on strips (in the US) and if there was a way you could attach them so you can't tell it's velcroed on, it would probably be a great help to the sacristan.   Sometimes though, the velcroed on part gaps a little bit away from the part on top and it's really noticeable and doesn't look so good.  Maybe if there was a little overlap from the cloth on top?

[sr.christinaosf]

At the local parish, they actually go all the way back and 3/4s of the way back toward the floor behind. I had thought, actually, of doing snaps.  Never thought of velcro.  Thanks.

Any other feedback?