Liturgical Handbook of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Is an epitrahil (stole) worn during the entrance prayers?
Category: Clergy Vesting and Entrance Prayers

It is not ROCOR practice to wear a stole, or any other vestments, for the entrance prayers. Clergy wear their cassocks covered with their ryassas, and any appropriate head coverings (which are always worn for these prayers, except at the appropriate moments when they are removed). Monks in the little schema wear their mantiyas.

The only time a vestment is worn during the entrance prayers is at an hierarchical service, at which, as part of the greeting of the Bishop, the Deacon is fully vested (if multiple Deacons serve, all of them vest) before the Bishop arrives, together with only the junior-most Priest, who has performed the proskomedia, and thus the Deacon remains fully vested as he reads the entrance prayers for the Bishop and other clergy; no other clergy wear any liturgical vestments. (And in point of fact, the Deacon and junior Priest will have already said their own entrance prayers earlier, before the proskomedia, at which they will have been without vestments, as usual.)

When the Deacon says the entrance prayers with a Priest, he does not do so in vestments.

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