At the end of the service one may kneel for a personal prayer of thanksgiving before leaving the Lord's house. Others sometimes sit to listen to the organ postlude. Vestments or robes For dignity, our clergy and choirs wear vestments or robes. One vestment is the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers the body from neck to ankles. This symbolizes the yoke of Christ, accepted by a priest at ordination.
Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder, priests and bishops over both shoulders.
In many Episcopal Churches, special vestments of ancient origin are worn by the priest at the Holy Communion, to mark the importance of this sacrament. The deacon's corresponding vestment has sleeves and is called a dalmatic. Bishops sometimes wear a special headcovering called a mitre. You will see altar cloths, book-markers in the Holy Bible, and a covering on the pulpit, often embroidered with Christian symbols. These are traditional and for beauty and dignity.