The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a handsome gold-and-ivory lace tablecloth. It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long-vanished era.

He carried the cloth back to the church and tacked it up on the wall behind the altar. ... As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the cloth was going to be a great success.

Altar societies, sometimes called ... but especially with cleaning and preparation for Christmas, ... They also set the altar, wash and iron linens and clean the church.

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During the weeks before Christmas, Catholic churches stand out for what they are missing. Unlike stores, malls, public buildings and homes that start gearing up for Christmas ...

In traditional churches, the color and design of the cloth is changed several times a year to mark certain holidays and seasons in the Christian faith, including Christmas, Advent and Lent. Easter ...

With Christmas looming, Kulczynski sought an altar cloth to adorn his parish's famous new addition, which was a "shot in the arm," as the church had recently been in danger of shuttering.

The USCCB says Advent “includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.” ...

Agueda Zavaleta is making sure every stitch is perfect in her latest embroidery project — part of a gift to Pope Francis that she is set to deliver in person. “This is the most special … ...

Since the altar linens of the liturgy are called sindon and sudarium and theologically are in connection with the Real Presence of Jesus in his body and blood, Berger contends that their purpose ...