The tradition of draping purple cloth over crucifixes, statues and saint images …

The tradition of draping purple cloth over crucifixes, statues and saint images is practiced during the last two weeks before Easter, starting on Passion Sunday (now called the fifth Sunday of Lent) and ending on Good Friday. This time period is known on the old liturgical calendar as Passiontide.

💜WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS TRADITION?

Firstly, this old custom of veiling religious images is a way of focusing on the penitential aspect of this liturgical season. It reminds us in a visual way that our faith in all its glory is made possible only through the work of Christ in his suffering and death on the cross. When we cover these holy and sacred images that we are so accustomed to, we are starkly confronted and reminded in a poignant way of all that Christ has won for us.

More so, in covering the religious images during the height of Lent, all attention is centered on the Passion and death of Christ. This is why the only images NOT to be covered are the Stations of the Cross.

Also, veiling the altar crucifix for Passiontide and temporarily veiling the crosses and religious images in the penitential colour of Lent is a beautiful custom that helps us to reflect on the deeper theological meaning of the liturgical season.

Then, as in a dramatic unveiling, the holy images are again revealed for the Easter Vigil to mark the end of the penitential season. The joy of the Easter season and the hope of the Resurrection then comes to the forefront.

The unveiling before the Easter Vigil is a great reminder of our own life on earth. We live in a “veiled” world, in exile from our true home. It is only through our own death that the veil is lifted and we are finally able to see the beauty of everything in our lives.