During the Season of Advent

We are pleased to present this chasuble commissioned from the Saint Bede Studio by a returning customer from the Archdiocese of Salzburg (Austria).

The set of vestments is in the Studio's Saint Austin style, being a form of Gothic Revival chasuble.  An English ecclesiastical brocade was chosen, lined in a wine-red taffeta.  Ornamenting the vestments is the Studio's unique braid Saint George, derived from Pugin's own work.



Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

For Australian Readers

An additional blog has now been created which deals specifically with Australian Catholic history in the 19th century.  The blog is named In diebus illis.

The internet address : https://inthosedayes.blogspot.com

It is intended to make available on this new blog, articles on the history of the Church in Australia during the 19th century, together with extracts from primary sources, photographs etc., particularly focussing on the life and ministry of Australia's first Catholic bishop, John Bede Polding OSB and his contemporaries.

This Blog has been established in conjunction with the Facebook page

Archbishop John Bede Polding OSB

We wish to help a new generation of Australian Catholics to learn about the beginnings of the Church on this continent.

Most Reverend John Bede Polding OSB
Australia's first Catholic bishop.
Image : The Saint Bede Studio

As Advent Begins

At the beginning of this Season of Advent, a debate regularly emerges about the use of "blue" vestments. The use of blue has advocates and fierce opponents.

Exactly what colour, however, is being suggested as Advent "Blue"? Is it the same colour as the flowers called "violets"? If so, then using that colour in Advent is not only permissible, but is embedded within the Church's Traditions. Some years ago, we presented an article about the history of the use of "violet" for vestments of the Roman Rite.

Click the links for Part One of the article and Part Two of the article.

In the adjacent illustration, a prelate of the Roman Court is shewn wearing choir dress.  What is distinctive is that the colour of the prelate's manteletta is not the Roman purple that is familiar now for prelates, but violet. Up until the beginning of the 20th century (and even beyond in some places, such as France), violet was very common - even usual - for the choir dress of prelates.  Perhaps we may be permitted to regret that it no longer is.

This colour is the more traditional shade of "violet" used by the Church, despite the prevalence of darker shades now, which are more akin to "indigo".

Vestments on a Budget

Since 2016 the Saint Bede Studio has occasionally been offering for sale a new range of simpler vestments, unlined and less expensive than our usual work. When the Studio began work in 2001, we wished to make beautiful and distinctive vestments available at affordable prices. As the years went on, however, it became obvious that most of customers wished to commission more elaborate vestments and our work has almost entirely been devoted to such a “market”.

Not everyone can afford expensive vestments, whilst others, for various reasons, prefer a more modest beauty. 

Mostly, our new range of simpler vestments will be made from unadorned silk or other quality fabric and ornamented with our distinctive and unique braids. Simpler they may be, but there is no diminution of the quality for which the Studio has become so highly-regarded. 

A priest-customer, who purchased one of our first simple vestments (shewn in the adjacent image), wrote to the Studio as follows:

The green vestments arrived here today. Your work is stunning as ever, even in this simple form. I only dare to call the vestments “simple”, because you used the term yourself on The Saint Bede Studio blog.

In 2019 these simpler vestments will continue occasionally to be offered for sale via the Studio Blog. 

Please pray for God’s continued Blessing on our work.

Contact : stbede62@gmail.com

Red dalmatic

A Professor of Sacred Liturgy from an American Seminary, also a returning customer, commissioned the Studio to make a chasuble and dalmatic set, based on the famous chasuble of Saint Thomas Becket preserved at Sens Cathedral.

Featured in this post is the dalmatic of the set, made from a lovely European brocade of cotton and rayon.  The dalmatic was ornamented with one of the Studio's narrow braids and is fully lined in blue taffeta.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Priestly Ordinations 2018 : 4

Each year, the Saint Bede Studio has the privilege of preparing sacred vestments for priestly Ordinands.  Happily, 2018 is no exception.

In this post, we are pleased to draw attention to the ordination of Father Joseph Lustig of the Diocese of Boise (USA).  Father Lustig was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist on 7th June by the Bishop of Boise, the Most Rev'd Peter Christensen.

Father Lustig commissioned a set of festal vestments from the Studio in the semi-conical style for his First Holy Mass. 

The vestments were made from an ecclesiastical brocade in a shade of ivory and ornamented with Puginesque braids in colours of red, blue and gold.  The vestments were lined in a red-coloured taffeta.

Please pray for Father Lustig and for all newly-ordained priests.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Armistice Day Centenary

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice between warring parties came into effect and subsequently lead to the end of hostilities known as the Great War.  That was exactly one century ago.  That day is known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.

A church brought to ruins by artillery shelling during World War One.

In the space of four years, the order of Europe was overthrown, millions were dispossessed and maimed and several million people killed (largely soldiers).  It is easy to type such statistics, but to comprehend their awful scale is another matter altogether.

On this Day, please pray for the souls of all those who suffered or lost their lives in the Great War.

The Saint Bede Studio had the privilege of preparing for a returning customer a set of vestments intended for a special Mass in England commemorating the Armistice Day Centenary.

The vestments, in the Borromeon form, were made from a black brocade and fully lined in a bronze-coloured taffeta.  They were ornamented in a brocade of black and gold (which depicts the Crucifixion) outlined with a foliated braid in black and gold.

Please click on the image for an enlarged view.

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Recently the Saint Bede Studio refurbished a set of black vestments which was made with great devotion by a Religious in the 1960s.  The old silvery ornament was very tired, but yet the vestments were still quite usable.

Removing all the braids, which had been sewn down with both precision and diligence, a new orphrey was applied, using a new braid in red and gold, designed by AWN Pugin.

The chasuble was presented as a benefaction to the Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Lewisham (Archdiocese of Sydney).

Please click on the image for an enlarged view.

All Souls' Day Mass at the Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury
Lewisham.

The Highest form of flattery ?

In more recent years, increasingly we have found (usually quite by accident) images on the internet of the Studio’s designs being reproduced by vestment-makers and others.  It seems that visitors are looking over the Studio blog in order to obtain designs for other vestment-makers to prepare.  Unfortunately, in these cases, permission to re-create the Studio’s designs was never sought.  

On the one hand, there is a natural desire that good vestment design will flourish and the Saint Bede Studio is very pleased to be considered part of that endeavour.  On the other hand, finding the Studio’s designs being reproduced by others and passed off as their own - and for commercial gain - seems to lack a basic respect and a sense of propriety. 

Reproducing our work without permission is a violation of our artistic property.  

If you are in doubt, please send us a message, there is always an opportunity for discussion.  Read more about this matter here.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Notice

Our schedule of commissions for priestly ordinations in the period May - August 2019 is now full.  We regret any inconvenience caused by being unable to accept further commissions for this period.