What Is an Ecru Chalice Pall?
An ecru chalice pall is a stiffened square of fabric placed on top of the chalice during Mass, finished in the natural cream-beige tone of unbleached linen. Ecru is not a dye — it is what linen looks like before bleaching — which makes an ecru pall the closest thing to the material the Church has always used for the altar. It serves the same purpose as every pall: covering the chalice and protecting the Precious Blood from dust and insects.
Is Ecru a Liturgical Color?
No. The liturgical colors — white, red, green, violet and rose, with black and gold in the uses described by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (no. 346) — are colors of vestments. Ecru is the natural shade of linen, the fabric from which the pall itself is traditionally made; a white pall is "white" because linen is naturally off-white. An ecru pall simply keeps that natural tone instead of bleaching it.
When Is an Ecru Chalice Pall Used?
The Church does not prescribe a color for the pall itself — the tradition is white linen, and an ecru pall follows that tradition in the linen\'s natural tone. It fits best wherever a white pall is used but a softer, more subdued look is wanted: Ordinary Time, weekday Masses, retreats and simple celebrations. Sacristies often keep a few ecru palls alongside their white ones for exactly this reason.
Our Ecru Chalice Palls
The ecru collection counts 10 embroidered designs in 18 × 18 cm and 20 × 20 cm, priced from $16 to $20. The Lamb of God appears in 2 designs, Alpha and Omega in 2, and the IHS monogram in 2; the remaining designs carry the Fish, the word "Hallelujah", and "Lumen Christi" (Light of Christ) with gold patterns. See the full chalice pall collection for every color, and pair ecru with our white and green palls.
Ecru Palls and the Chalice Linens
An ecru pall coordinates naturally with the other linen-colored pieces of the altar: the corporal, the purificator and the chalice veil. All of them — with the pall — are available as one coordinated chalice linen set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Color Is Ecru?
Ecru is the natural cream-beige shade of unbleached linen — softer and warmer than white, lighter than beige.
Can an Ecru Chalice Pall Be Used at Mass?
Yes. The pall is traditionally made of linen, and ecru is simply linen in its natural, unbleached tone. It is used most often in Ordinary Time and at simple weekday celebrations.
Which Designs Are Available in Ecru?
The ecru collection includes the Lamb of God (2 designs), Alpha and Omega (2), the IHS monogram (2), the Fish, "Hallelujah", and "Lumen Christi" with gold patterns.
Related reading: What Is a Chalice Pall? Meaning, Sizes, and Use at Mass.
