Russian Orthodox Liturgical Resources

Handbook of Liturgical Practice of the Russian Church Abroad

Liturgical Question:

It is important to understand and to follow the traditions of our Church as they relate to receiving Holy Communion by those in Holy Orders, of whatever rank:

• Clergy who are serving: Complete vestments.
• Priests who are not serving: Ryassa, epitrahil (stole), cuffs, and phelon.
• Deacons who are not serving: Complete vestments.
• Subdeacons and Readers (whether serving or not): Cassock and stikhar, orarion if blessed (Subdeacons and Readers never receive Holy Communion without being vested).
• Altar servers (non-tonsured): Servers always commune without vestments; i.e. their stikhar is to be removed before Communion, and can be put back on afterwards (note: servers who have removed their stikhar to receive Communion may put it back on immediately afterwards without taking another blessing from the priest.)

Customs observed in other contexts (e.g. a non-serving Priest receiving Holy Communion in epitrahil and cuffs alone, without a phelon; a non-serving Deacon receiving in orarion and cuffs, without his stichar; Readers communing without vestments or Altar boys communing in stichars) are in no wise to be practiced in our Church. However, if visiting a temple of another Orthodox jurisdiction with a blessing to receive Holy Communion there, the practices as blessed by the Hierarchy of that place are to be followed while in thier temple.