Commissions with the Saint Bede Studio

A note to prospective customers: the Studio is now accepting vestment commissions for the last quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2014.  It is not too soon to begin discussions or make an enquiry.

Adjacent is an image of a set of vestments in the Borromeon style recently completed for a young priest, a returning customer from Wichita USA. These vestments are made from a beautiful silk damask in tones of ivory and have been decorated in the Roman manner with another silk damask of rust and gold tones, outlined with a gold galloon. The lining, which is not visible, is of wine-red taffeta.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Pentecost in Saint Peter's Square

Pope Francis celebrated the Pentecost Solemnity in Saint Peter's Square earlier today. The chasuble worn by the Pope was a rather plain affair, which had been used on certain occasions by Pope Benedict. Its only merit is that it is ornamented with crosses.

It seems a pity that Pope Francis has not adopted the use of the Episcopal dalmatic for the Greater Days. Towards the end of 1965, Pope Paul VI discontinued his use of an Episcopal dalmatic completely. It was used but a few times by the Blessed John Paul. As we know, its use was reintroduced as a usual vestment for Solemn Papal Masses by Pope Benedict.

Procession to the Altar in Saint Peter's Square
Pentecost Sunday.

Procession to the Altar Pentecost Sunday.
Pope Francis is using the ferula of Pope Paul VI.

For the Pentecost Solemnity, Pope Francis was given to wear a new mitre, nicely proportioned and ornamented. The three new precious mitres which have been made for the Pope's use since his Election, however, are all so similar in proportion and ornament, that from only a short distance, no difference is discernible, which seems peculiar.

These photographs are the copyright of Getty Images.

New Precious mitre of Pope Francis
first used on Palm Sunday.

New Precious mitre of Pope Francis
first used in April.

New Precious mitre of Pope Francis
first used Pentecost.

Pectoral Cross of Pope Francis

Adjacent is a close-up of the Pectoral Cross which Pope Francis wears invariably. Its shape is not attractive, but the beautiful image of the Shepherd carrying upon his shoulders the lost sheep whilst surrounded by the flock is particularly fitting for a bishop and a Pope.

Some authors have attributed to this image of the Shepherd carrying the lost Sheep the use of the woollen PALLIUM of the Pope (which came to be used by other bishops also).

Summorum Pontificum 2 : Just a Question of Taste?

It is often asserted that the question of the style of vestments (for example "Gothic" versus Baroque") is purely one of taste; that Baroque vestments represent an organic development of the Church’s liturgy and accordingly might not be questioned; and that the Traditions that people love should not be criticised. This presupposes that all "developments" are worthy.

It may be that whether one likes or dislikes Baroque vestments is a matter of taste. But the point of the previous post was this: why is there an almost automatic association between Baroque vestments, lace albes etc. and the Extraordinary Form? The use of the word Roman is avoided here to describe this style of vestment, because the High Baroque has no monopoly on the Tradition of vestments in Rome.

Pope Paul VI at his Coronation Mass, 1963.

Unhappily, there is most certainly an attitude floating around in the circles of Catholic Tradition that this High Baroque expression of the Extraordinary Form is THE valid expression. Consequently (this is not a caricature of the view), using styles of vestments that are older or more modern than that of the High Baroque, is regarded with suspicion and even hostility. People should be aware that there are priests who refuse to wear more ample vestments because they regard them as antithetical to Tradition.

This is quite a disturbing attitude. It is an attitude that ought to be examined critically, because it is a very narrow interpretation of the concept of Tradition. It is not adequate to assert that the style of the High Baroque may not be subject to question because it is “Traditional”.

Exactly why is there such an attachment to this Baroque expression of Tradition? Perhaps this is a question which cuts to the heart of people’s perception of the nature of Tradition. It is a sociological issue also, which is certainly not the focus of this Blog. For many, what preceded the Second Vatican Council is Traditional, what followed it is not. This is also a view that ought to be examined critically, because it is a very narrow interpretation of the concept of Tradition.

Many people were greatly upset and even scandalised when Papal Rome made a wholesale rejection of the High Baroque in the late 1960’s. The array of Papal ceremonial was replaced with something very functional and austere: somewhat like the ethos of the 1960’s itself. Consequently, and for precisely this reason, there is a very negative attitude amongst some to modern expressions in the style of vestments. Had 1960’s Rome decided to use beautiful damasks for the Papal vestments instead of the plainest of silk, perhaps attitudes might have been different.

This issue has again come into focus with the expressed preference of Pope Francis to be vested in the plainest of vestments, which has been very off-putting to many people.

Perhaps those who were born after that the Second Vatican Council and whose experience of vestments has been the often uninspired, sometimes hideous products of the major Church suppliers find the beautiful damasks and ornamentation of the High Baroque chasuble quite attractive in their richness and in their differentness. There is also a certain fascination with this High Baroque style of vestment. And there is the concept that is once again becoming most important: using vestments of magnificence for the worship of God.

The photograph above shews the Benedictine Abbot of Le Barroux offering Mass in the Monastery church of Sainte-Marie de la Garde (Saint Perre De Clairac, France) a foundation of Le Barroux. The vestments are very rich and, although obviously inspired by ancient forms, are nevertheless modern in presentation. They were made for and only used for the Extraordinary Form.

Vestments for Ascensiontide

The Saint Bede Studio received a special commission from the Church of S' Birinus in Oxfordshire (UK) to make a set of Festal vestments.

The adjacent photograph of the church shews the altar (arranged for ad orientem celebrations) in a small English chancel behind a beautiful rood screen. This screen has been enriched in recent years with gilding and polychrome work and surmounted by a beautiful Rood Group of the Crucified with the Blessed Virgin and Saint John.

The Church of S' Birinus, Oxfordshire.
Photograph: Fr Lawrence Lew OP

The vestments were made from a lovely ecclesiastical brocade, in ivory and straw gold, ornamented with a braid in colours of Royal blue, gold and red. This braid was designed by the Saint Bede Studio to coincide with the Pugin bicentenary year and is a reproduction of a braid designed by Pugin himself.

It will be noticed that this chasuble is in the semi-conical style. When wearing the chasuble, it folds up from the bottom, horizontally, rather than in the vertical drapes of a standard ample chasuble. The photographs shew the chasuble worn with an amice apparel.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

The Church of S' Birinus, Oxfordshire
Photograph: GothPhil (Flickr).

Summorum Pontificum : 1 Looking Forward and not Back

For those who love the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the promulgation in 2007 of Pope Benedict's motu proprio was an occasion of the greatest joy.

Is Summorum Pontificum a document that intends to make Tradition anew for the future, or a document that wishes to re-create the past?

This issue is, in fact, a tension that has been manifest in the Old Mass movement all along.

Summorum Pontificum is not only about clarifying the status of the 1962 Missal; it has been suggested that it was also intended as a means to reform the sometimes horrid state into which the Church's Liturgy has fallen. The revival of the Extraordinary Form is intended to enrich the Church: our ancient Traditions are never more needed. But this doesn't require our getting into a time machine back to 1950 or 1750.

When I saw a headline on the internet Return of Latin mass sparks old vestment hunt, in September 2007, I felt slightly uneasy. In these almost six years since the motu proprio came into effect, there has been an explosion of pictures on the internet of the celebration of the Extraordinary Form,  a majority of them shewing lacey albs, fiddleback chasubles, birettas, baroque mitres etc. In the first few years, it was as if suddenly the doors of an 18th century lolly shop were broken down and everyone had got in to gorge themselves.


Do people believe that the true expression of the Extraordinary Form must be with Baroque styles of vestments? If so, why? Is this Tradition or Re-creation?

Two photos are attached of Pontifical celebrations of the Extraordinary Form. Adjacent, the former President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, Cardinal Hoyos and his assistants are vested in a frightful dark red set of 18th century "Roman" vestments; in the other, at the top of this post, a French bishop celebrates an Ordination at the Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault in 2004. Celebrant and ministers are vested in a beautiful early 20th century set of red Gothic revival vestments.

The contrast between these two expressions of Tradition is overwhelming.

Popes at Prayer

In the Mater Ecclesiæ chapel.

On 2nd May, Benedict XVI returned from Castelgandolfo to take up his new residence at the Mater Ecclesiæ Convent in the grounds of the Vatican. He was welcomed back to the Vatican by his successor, Pope Francis, who is living within easy walking distance of Benedict's home.

Another lovely photograph has emerged of the two Popes praying together in the newly-arranged chapel at Mater Ecclesiæ.  We notice a prominent Crucifix and an altar arranged for the celebration of Mass ad orientem in this simple and small chapel.