Cathedral of the Madeleine seeks to restore 100-year-old clerical vestments

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Shown is a detail of one of the 100-year-old vestments in the Cathedral of the Madeleine collection; it was brought from France in 1918.

SALT LAKE CITY — The 100-year-old clerical vestments at the Cathedral of the Madeleine have begun to show their age, and the Fabric of our Faith campaign has been launched to raise funds for their repair.

The vestments were brought from France in 1918 by the Right Rev. Joseph S. Glass, C.M., second Bishop of Salt Lake City. The only Utah bishop to have been a member of a religious order, Bishop Glass made a pilgrimage to the Vincentian headquarters in France, and he brought back many items, including the vestments.

The vestments are made of silk with golden threads and stitched with special embroidery. Made by Fraefel & Co. of Switzerland, the vestments feature images of saints and holy scenes. The sets of garments are in various colors appropriate to different liturgical seasons and celebrations: white, gold, black, red and violet.

In earlier times the vestments were used regularly, but these days they are used only for special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.

“While any vestment can be used for Mass, a vestment that is more beautiful leads us into a deeper understanding that God is the fullness of all beauty,” said Father Martin Diaz, the cathedral rector. “A snow-covered mountain leads us to the grandeur of God, a beautiful vestment leads us to the beauty of God.”

The vestments “are a connection to the history of the cathedral,” said Fr. Diaz about the desire to preserve them.

“Finding someone who could repair such delicate work turned out to be a challenge,” said Fr. Diaz, but Lorena Needham, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, found a woman in the Chicago area who specializes in antique vestment repair.

“Not wanting to trust shipping the vestments, we have been sending the vestments by personal car rather than using commercial transportation. It is so they will not get lost or damaged while being transported,” Fr. Diaz said.

The process started a year ago and will take about another six months to complete, he said.

The total estimated cost for the repairs is about $12,000. “The value of asking the parishioners and others for assistance in the cost of repair is that people will know that it was their work that made the repair possible,” Fr. Diaz said. “When they see the vestments at Mass, they will know they did that. It is the same for those who assisted with the floor restoration. They can look down and know they did that.”

Fr. Diaz hopes that the cathedral will be able to use the repaired vestments during liturgical celebrations for another 100 years, so “I ask you to consider making a donation to help us restore the fabric of our faith,” he said.

To donate to the Fabric of our Faith campaign, visit https://osvhub.com/utcotm/giving/funds.