Deacon stoles

A stole is a simple strip of cloth that a member of the ordained clergy wears as one of the most important vestments. The stole is a religious vestment worn by Roman Catholic deacons, priests, bishops, and some Anglican, Lutheran, and other Protestant clergies. The Roman Catholic deacon wears his stole over the left shoulder, with the ends connected under the right arm, where he ties it across his side, akin to a sash; priests and bishops wear it around the neck, with the ends hanging vertically, unless when wearing an alb, when priests cross the ends in front. It is a symbol of immortality in the Roman Catholic Church. It is typically regarded as the distinctive symbol of the ordained priesthood and is bestowed at ordination. 

History of the stole

Its roots are unknown; however, it is most likely originated from a handkerchief or a secular scarf worn as a status badge. It was a vestment that deacons wore Eastern churches in the fourth century, and it was adopted slightly later in the West. It was most likely intended for cleaning the mouth when it was first termed orarium or orarion. In the ninth century, the Latin name stola was coined.

In Holy Orders, what does the stole represent?

The stole is the vestment worn by those who have received Holy Orders in the Latin Catholic Church. It is bestowed upon the ordination of a deacon, by which one becomes a member of the clergy following the elimination of tonsure and minor orders following the Second Vatican Council.

The stole, oil, laying on of hands, chalice, and paten are holy order emblems. The stole is a symbol of ministry. Both the chalice and the paten represent the celebration of the Eucharist as a sacrifice to the Lord.

The stole is the distinguishing feature of the ordained minister's vestments, and it is always worn throughout the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals. It is a standard embroidered strip of cloth whose color changes according to the liturgical season or feast day.

Currently, the stole is referred to as the "stole of immortality," as the following prayer indicates:

“Redde mihi, Domine, stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in praevaricatione primi parentis; et, quamvis indignus accedo ad tuum sacrum mysterium, merear tamen gaudium sempiternum. (Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy)."