What Is a Blue Chalice Pall?
A blue chalice pall is a stiffened square of fabric placed on top of the chalice during Mass, finished in blue for the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like every chalice pall it covers the cup and protects the Precious Blood from dust and insects, and it belongs to the family of chalice linens together with the corporal and the purificator. Its blue fabric marks the celebration as Marian.
Is Blue a Liturgical Color?
Blue is not among the colors listed in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (no. 346) — the season colors are white, red, green, violet and rose, with black and gold in the uses described there. Blue is a Marian color: it is used for Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary in places where local custom or the diocesan bishop permits it — a practice widespread in Spain and Latin America, and present in some dioceses of the United States. On the altar, a blue pall accompanies blue Marian vestments.
When Is Blue Used?
Blue is chosen for feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Immaculate Conception (December 8), the Assumption (August 15), Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (November 16, in the tradition of Vilnius), and local Marian solemnities. In churches dedicated to Our Lady, the blue pall is often the most-used color of the year.
Our Blue Chalice Palls
The blue collection counts 4 embroidered designs in 18 × 18 cm (7.1 in), at $18 each. Three carry the Marian monogram, and one carries the image of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn — the Mother of God venerated in the chapel above the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, whose icon is embroidered here in thread. See the full chalice pall collection for every color, and pair blue with our white and gold palls for Marian solemnities.
Blue Palls and the Chalice Linens
For Marian feasts, the blue pall is joined by the chalice veil and the rest of the chalice linens — the purificator and the corporal — or ordered together in a coordinated chalice linen set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue a Liturgical Color?
Blue is not among the colors listed in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. It is a Marian color, used for Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary where local custom or the diocesan bishop permits it.
When Are Blue Vestments Worn?
On Marian feasts — the Immaculate Conception (December 8), the Assumption (August 15), Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (November 16) and local Marian solemnities.
What Is the Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn Design?
It is the image of the Mother of God venerated in the chapel above the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania, embroidered on one of our blue chalice palls.
Related reading: What Is a Chalice Pall? Meaning, Sizes, and Use at Mass.
