New vestments: Rome

A seminarist from one of the Roman Colleges commissioned the Saint Bede Studio to prepare a Solemn Mass set of vestments in the style of the 16th century. The set, which is to be used for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite, comprises a chasuble, dalmatic and tunic, cope &c. Adjacent is shewn the chasuble and dalmatic.

The vestments are made from an ivory and straw-coloured brocade and ornamented with a copper and old-gold-coloured silk damask. They are fully lined in wine-red silk taffeta.

Although chasubles after the style of this period have frequently appeared on these pages, this is the first dalmatic of the period which we have made.

In the Archbasilica of S' Mary's Major, Rome is a display of historic vestments and recently, we included a photograph of a chasuble from that collection owned by S' Charles Borromeo. Adjacent to those vestments, is a dalmatic from the same period; it is shewn in the picture below.

By the 16th century, less and less was a distinction to be found between the form of the dalmatic and that of the tunic (the vestment worn by the subdeacon). Exactly why this is the case is unclear. The tunic came to be of the same size, shape and ornament as the dalmatic.

Some things are noteworthy about the dalmatic shewn in the adjacent picture. Firstly, it is very ample: a real garment, which would have extended almost to the wrist of the wearer and well below the knees. Secondly, the sleeves are sewn together, so that the wearer must pass his arm through them, according to the ancient form of the dalmatic. Notably absent from this dalmatic is the execrable degradation (originating in France and spreading throughout Europe during the Baroque), whereby the sleeves were not joined together but became large flaps of stiffened fabric moving about freely. Sad to say, brand new dalmatics for the Extraordinary Form are being made now in this debased manner, in the misguided belief that they are somehow "Traditional".

Secondly, we may observe the ornamentation, which by the 16th century had become somewhat stylised and continued to be so, typically, until well into the 20th century. The ancient practice was to decorate the dalmatic with two parallel lines called clavi (plural), running from either side of the collar of the vestment to its hem. In the mediaeval period, decorative rectangles of fabric called apparels began to be inserted in between the clavi, usually at the chest level, but also on the cuffs of the dalmatic. The dalmatic in the picture shews a later development: the clavi are very narrow and instead of a decorative apparel in between them, further parallel lines of braid are placed, at right angles to the clavi. Sometimes coats of arms and other devices were embroidered in this space.

Lastly may be observed the tassles. The origin of these had nothing to do with ornament. They were cords used to tie together the front and the back of the dalmatic at the neckline. Splitting the dalmatic in this manner at the shoulder seam made it much easier to put the garment on over the head. From something practical the tassles developed into something highly decorative - and often impractical.

Click on the pictures for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Feast of S' Charles Borromeo

In the Calendars of the Roman Rite, 4th November is set down as the Feast of S' Charles Borromeo (Cardinal-Archbishop of Milan 1560-1584). If Saint Charles, were alive today I suspect he would be regarded as hero to those who cherish the traditions of the Church. An important figure at the Council of Trent and confidant of Popes, he was anxious to preserve traditions and not allow fashion, false doctrine or laxity to push Tradition to one side. As Archbishop of Milan he wrote and legislated in minute detail about the Sacred Liturgy and everything associated with it.

Saint Charles laid down regulations about the dimensions of vestments for the Sacred Liturgy because, it would seem, he was concerned that the form of the vestments, which had been handed down for centuries, was being cast aside in favour of something convenient and “fashionable”. The chasuble, derived from the Latin word for “a little house” had been for centuries an ample garment. In the 15th and 16th centuries, there had been significant divergence from this Tradition, however, resulting in a form of chasuble that wasn’t ample, but cut right back so that it comprised a sort of narrow pendant, front and back, on the wearer. We know this form of chasuble as the “Roman” or “fiddleback” chasuble, and some claim that this is the form of the chasuble that is truly “traditional”. But Borromeo didn’t think that: he thought it represented a break with Tradition. And he specified the minimum size to which he expected chasubles to conform. They were to be at least 54 inches (138cm) wide and, at the back, they were to reach down almost to the heels of the wearer. Saint Charles wasn't attempting to determine how a chasuble should be decorated, he was simply trying to preserve a minimum standard for the dimensions of the chasuble.

As a vestment-maker, I am blessed to receive frequent enquiries from newly-ordained priests and deacons and more often than not, they are interested in obtaining that style of vestment used by S' Charles Borromeo and S' Philip Neri. Happily, these young men are not interested in partisan views of various commentators about the revival of interest in such vestments.

A greeting on the Feast of Saint Charles to all priest-customers of the Saint Bede Studio.

All Souls' Day: Vestments for Masses of the Dead

Complementing a chasuble completed earlier in the year, the Saint Bede Studio was commissioned to make this black cope and matching stole, designated Absolve. It is made of black dupion silk and fully lined in olive-green cotton. The orphrey and hood is formed from an ecclesiastical brocade in black and gold.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

All Saints' Day: Ohio

Some months ago, Father Martin Fox of Piqua, Ohio USA approached us to make a set of vestments for use in his Parish, based on the familiar pictures of Saint Philip Neri. The result is shewn in the picture at the left. This chasuble is of gold silk damask and is ornamented with the same damask in copper and gold. The effect is very rich.

The Saint Bede Studio developed its own interpretation of this 16th century style of chasuble, based upon extensive research, but adapted for modern use. It is not an attempt to exactly reproduce 16th century exemplars. This Philip Neri chasuble has proved a particularly popular style with young priests.

Read what Father Fox wrote about his new vestments.

Click on the picture for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Lord to whom shall we turn?

Some thoughts on “presidency” and posture for prayer

This article was originally written for publication on the blogs "The New Liturgical Movement" and "Rorate Caeli".

Although there is a great deal of discussion now and a body of scholarship concerning the revival of the celebration of Mass ad orientem, I have found that this discussion is almost entirely limited to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Yet, the principle concerns the orientation of Liturgical prayer throughout the entirety of the Mass. Amongst the many innovations introduced after the Council was a provision (Ritus Servandus 1965, no. 23) for the celebrant to pray the Kyrie, Gloria, Collect and Creed at a sedilia, rather than at the altar (as had previously obtained). This provision, of course, is derived from the practice where a bishop celebrates Mass solemnly, either at the faldstool or at the throne. The 1965 provision was taken a step further with the introduction of the new Missal in 1970.

Dom Emmanuel of the Benedictine Abbey of Le Barroux gave a paper to the 1997 CIEL Conference about this topic. In a comprehensive analysis, which discusses firstly the position of the celebrant during the Kyrie, Gloria, Collect and Creed and secondly, the celebrant during the readings from the Scripture, he reached this conclusion:

Do we find that the law in force until 1962 is universally attested in the history of the Roman Mass, or do we find that there are exceptions? Having finished our enquiry we may now answer this question: as far we can judge from the texts currently available, the Roman Mass, both according to the use of the [Roman] Curia and those of the dioceses and religious orders, show us that the simple priest is at the altar for the Gloria, the Collect and the Creed, and that this is the case until 1962. So the Ordo Missae of 1965 departs from the common (and almost universal) practice up to that point when it prescribes that the simple priest may carry out these functions at his seat. For the readings the celebrant goes to his chair near the altar. By having the celebrant positioned at the sedilia for the readings, the Ordo Missae of 1965 (and then that of 1970) do not depart from what we know of Roman usage (taken as a whole) through the centuries.

Dom Emmanuel's study and of course many other works on liturgical history, reveal that in the early church (and we know that from archaeological evidence as well the ancient churches which still exist) the Cathedra of the bishop was mostly placed in the apse, behind the altar, with benches for the presbyters on either side. This was a position, as Dom Emmanuel concludes, which emphasised the jurisdiction of the Bishop. He argues, however, that it never was customary in the Western liturgy for the priest-celebrant to occupy such a position, because he did not have jurisdiction. Instead, as Dom Emmanuel discusses, the priest celebrant recited the Kyrie, Gloria and Collect at or near to the altar ad orientem. Similarly, a bishop who did not have jurisdiction occupied a seat on the right of the altar, but read those prayers from that position ad orientem (for example, the rites of Pontifical Mass at the faldstool according to the Extraordinary Form).

Leaving aside the issue of the priest-celebrant facing the people at the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist (for which there is some precedent in liturgical history which was used as the basis for the introduction of "Mass facing the people"), what I would like identify is that an entirely new concept has been introduced into the 1970 Mass, namely, the priest-celebrant as Presider. To me, this seems nowhere more prominent in the New Order of Mass than in the Introductory Rite: a rite which is an innovation in the history of the Western liturgy. Furthermore, this role of Presider is codified by the instruction on where the chair of the celebrant is to be placed within the sanctuary: namely at the head of the sanctuary in an apse; in short behind the altar (GIRM 271):

The chair of the celebrant should indicate his role of presiding over the assembly and of leading the prayers. Hence the most suitable position is at the head of the sanctuary facing the people, unless the construction of the building or other circumstances prevents this; for instance, if communication between the priest and the assembly of the faithful is made difficult because of too great a distance.

Both the position of the chair of the priest-celebrant (which emphasises "presidence") and the offering of prayers (facing the congregation) from that chair, instead of before the altar, represent a break with Liturgical Tradition. I would like to suggest that this particular break with Tradition has largely facilitated the widespread distortion where right from the beginning of the Liturgy the priest becomes more of a compere or emcee, rather than a celebrant.

What might be done, to recapture the Church's tradition at this point in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite Mass? In many places, this has begun already to happen, where priests have felt uncomfortable with the prominence of their (often elevated) chairs, and have opted to place the chair at the side of the sanctuary in front of the altar, in the manner of sedilia. I have also read where some priests with chairs in the position just described, have turned slightly toward the altar (rather than toward the congregation) for the Penitential rite, Gloria and Collect. All of this would seem to be able to take place within the current framework of the Ordinary Form. It also does not exclude the celebrant giving a brief introduction to the Mass, but it might be hoped that this is quite distinct from the prayers of the Rite itself.

We might also note here – although it is slightly separate from this discussion - that recently the Papal altar has begun to return to Traditional arrangements, by the placement of a central altar Cross and six candlesticks.

What about a reform to re-instate the tradition? Something like this (this is an opinion): The celebrant might conduct the Penitential Rite ad orientem "at the foot of the altar", then go up to the altar for the Kyrie, Gloria and Collect. Then he could go to the sedilia and sit down for the reading of the Scripture. He would bless the deacon (and incense, if it used) at the altar, not the sedilia. After the Gospel, he would return to the altar for the Creed and General Intercessions (both ad orientem). Note that these ceremonial positions might be used even if the Liturgy of the Eucharist continued to be celebrated versus populum (especially if the arrangement of central altar Cross and flanking candlesticks is observed). In fact, this might be a gradual way of reintroducing ad orientem to the entire Mass.

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New Vestments: New York

UPDATED

The Saint Bede Studio was commissioned by a young priest of the Archdiocese of New York USA to make two Low Mass sets in the "Saint Philip Neri" style. The attached photographs shew the completed vestments, one in red and gold, the other green. The vestments were made from an English ecclesiastical damask.

The priest writes about receiving the vestments, following his return from a trip to Rome:

Unfortunately, each priest in my house has now developed an affinity for them! They look great, and are being used by several priests on a daily basis. I was thrilled that some of the priests I live with are using them, for it proves yet again that beautiful ecclesiastical work is possible in our day and attractive to the eye.

While in Rome, I scouted the vestment scene, and I noticed that Pope Benedict has had a clear impact on the Church in this regard - each company is delving into the "Roman" style again, yet I find nothing as beautiful or practical for both Usages as your design on the "Philip Neri."

An enlarged view may be seen by clicking on each image.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Carthusian Vestments: Updated

Yesterday at the blog The New Liturgical Movement, a series of interesting images were reproduced of the celebration of Mass according to the Carthusian Use. One is of more obvious interest to us here, the frontispiece of a Carthusian Missal, printed in Lyon in 1713. Adjacent is a cropped version of that frontispiece. This would appear to depict the celebrant on the step of the altar giving the minister the absolution after the Confiteor.

UPDATE: An earlier edition of this Missal, published in the Duchy of Savoy in 1679 has the same frontispiece. I suspect that the image itself was engraved in the early 17th or late 16th century.

The celebrant is shewn wearing a ground-length linen alb, with quite close-fitting sleeves: very typical of the period. The chasuble is quite interesting as depicted, because it is very long, reaching almost the full length of the alb (as directed by Saint Charles Borromeo). It is also pointed, front and back, which is more reminiscent of the mediaeval chasubles of Northern Europe.

This chasuble differs from that style of chasuble shewn in the various paintings and sculptures of Saint Philip Neri (one is shewn adjacent), which have a rounded finish along the lower edge, back and front. This chasuble is also not quite as wide as these "Philip Neri" chasubles, not reaching the elbow.