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Tuesday, 2 March 2021
Purple vestments in the Season of Lent
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Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Saint Philip Neri vestments
These vestments were made from a silk lampas in a rich and darker shade of red and ornamented with a brocade in crimson-red and straw-gold. A braid outlines the ornament front and back. The lining of these vestments was formed from a bronze-shade of taffeta.
Click on the images for an enlarged view.
Enquiries : This page.
Tuesday, 9 February 2021
The Bidding Prayers : 1
Such intercessions are, therefore, of Apostolic origin, and were everywhere known by the time of Saint Augustine. The Solemn Orations of the Good Friday Afternoon Liturgy were the only survival of such intercessions in the Roman Missal for centuries. In the East, however, they were preserved in the unvarying Litanies, or Ektenia that are prayed throughout the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. From the East, such intercessions made their way during the first millennium into the various Rites in England and, centuries later, were incorporated into the Services of the Church of England, long after they had ceased being a usual feature of the Roman Rite.
Anciently, the intercessions formed part of non-Eucharistic prayer service (sometimes called a Synaxis). But when such services came to be usually celebrated immediately before the Eucharistic Liturgy, the intercessions gradually fell into disuse. This was because intercessions made during the Eucharistic Liturgy often repeated those found in the Synaxis. Such was the origin of the Roman Mass being described in two parts: the Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful.
What is found in almost all the ancient examples of these intercessions are common intentions, which were summarised and made explicit by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council.
It was never envisaged by the Council - nor was it part of the ancient practice - that such intercessions vary on a daily basis, nor that there be any inclusion of extemporaneous prayer. It might easily be argued that the Council Fathers wished that these intercessions would become fixed in people’s consciousness, by being prayed week after week. Such is the practice with our Eastern brethren.
Upon this simple concept outlined by the Council Fathers, there have been many accretions over the last 50 years. Not uncommonly, we find intercessions anaemic in their theological content and not specifically Christian in their outlook. We commonly find the intercessions to be linked to the Propers of the Mass, and the lections of the Mass of the Day, as if “theme” were all-important. But this was never intended by the Council Fathers. Furthermore, a new and more noble translation of the Roman Missal for the English-speaking world has highlighted the often unsacral, even trite expression of these intercessions. But even the formulae found in the Roman Missal are so terse as easily to be described as bland.
Further posts in this small series will examine some forms of Intercession drawn-up immediately after the first liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Saturday, 6 February 2021
Mitre in honour of BVM
The mitre was made from a white jacquard with small woven fleur-de-lis and ornamented with dupion silk in a lovely shade of blue. The circulus and titulus of the mitre were formed from this dupion silk and a golden galloon. The lining of the mitre and of the lappets were also made from the same dupion silk.
Click on the images for an enlarged view.
Friday, 29 January 2021
Priestly Ordinations 2020 : 3
These vestments were made from an ecclesiastical brocade in a lovely shade of green and ornamented with one of the Studio's unique braids. The lining of these vestments was formed from a brassy-gold shade of taffeta.
Please pray for all newly-ordained priests.
Click on the images for an enlarged view.
Enquiries : This page.
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
Saturday, 23 January 2021
Orphrey braids of the Saint Bede Studio
These unique braids are designed by the Studio and only used in conjunction with our vestments. They are not commercially available, nor available to any other vestment makers and are reserved under international copyright. *
The braids shewn in the adjacent image are used for orphreys in both the Gothic and Roman styles of vestments designed and made by the Studio.
A key to the illustrated braids :
- Maria Regina
- English Rose
- Saint Columba
- Chi Rho
- Saint James
- Stella
- Saint Marie
- Saint Austin
- Welbye
- Saint George
- Saint Edmund (green/red)
- Salisbury
- Saint Edmund (silver/red)
- Saint Chad (green/red)
- Saint Giles
- Rosa Antiqua
- Lux Aeterna
- Saint Dunstan
- Saint Chad (blue/red).
Click on the image for an enlarged view.
Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com
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* This measure has been necessary because of an unpleasant experience in which a manufacturer misappropriated one of the Studio's unique designs and then sold it for his own commercial gain.
Sunday, 17 January 2021
Deaconesses and Recent Difficulties
The history of deaconesses in the Early Church is only obscure to those who either have not studied the issue, or to those who are determined to force such an innovation upon the Church. The Commission did meet and did not support the introduction of a female diaconate based upon the practice of the Early Church. That was in 2018. But then in 2019, the agitators were at it again and as has become notoriously obvious, the promoters of this innovation will not accept "no" as the answer.
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Giotto's 13th century depiction of Saint Stephen the protomartyr and deacon. |
But, above all is to be noted the deliberations of a previous Commission of the Holy See into this very subject, published only 14 years ago and which may be read in full here.
Deaconesses DID exist in the Early Church but they WERE NOT female deacons. Their ministry was narrowly defined, completely distinct from the ministry of the deacon and DID NOT include any liturgical role at the altar, where, according to Apostolic Tradition, no woman set foot. This is not what present-day advocates of deaconesses are seeking. They are seeking the feminisation of the Church's Orders and a ministry at the altar. This is not Tradition, it is innovation.
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* These are the actual words of the Vatican Bulletin and presumably are not intended to be ironic.
Thursday, 7 January 2021
Priestly Ordinations 2020 : 2
These vestments were made from silk dupion in a rich and darker shade of red and ornamented with a damask in crimson-red and straw-gold. A braid outlines the ornament front and back. The lining of these vestments was formed from a bronze-shade of taffeta.
Please pray for all newly-ordained priests.
Click on the images for an enlarged view.
Enquiries : This page.
Wednesday, 6 January 2021
The Epiphany
Fairer than the sun at morningWas the star that told his birth ;To the lands their God announcing,Hid beneath a form of earth.Solemn things of mystic meaning !Incense doth the God disclose ;Gold a royal Child proclaimeth ;Myrrh a future tomb foreshews.Holy Jesu, in thy brightnessTo the Gentile world display'd,With the Father and the Spirit,Endless praise to thee be paid.