The Revision of the Roman Rite : 1964 - 1970

Celebration of Mass according to
the 1965 Missale Romanum.

Among the many over-reaching claims made during the Troubles of the twelve years happily concluded in 2025 is one that stated that the revisions of the Roman Rite - specifically those which took place in and after the year 1969 - are "irreformable".  Only those who try to ignore or hide history could possibly come up with such a statement.  Graves and funerary monuments abound of those who considered their work to be permanent or irreformable.  Perhaps this is a small consolation for those still suffering the after-effects of Traditionis Custodes.

One of the lessons to be learned, however, from the Revision of the Liturgical books, which took place (mainly) between the years 1965 - 1970 is that changes took place in stages.

The first stage - introducing vernacular into the Rite of Mass and the celebration of the Sacraments was very dramatic and well-received.  Why it was so popular would bear a great deal of discussion, beyond the scope of this brief overview.  But there were no widespread protests against the introduction of the vernacular into the Roman Rite.  It seemed such a good idea, at least at first.  

Changes to the ritual actions of the Mass took place by degrees and - except for the innovation of the celebration of Mass facing the people at freestanding altars, went by without a great deal of handwringing or even attention, except of course for the celebrant and his ministers.  Ritually, so much was altered step-by-step in this period, that when the New Order of Mass came into effect on the First Sunday of Advent, 1969, it was seen quite clearly as just another revision amongst a continuum of revisions. That was the strategy and it was successful.

In a previous post, we presented the first of the Liturgical books to be released as a result of the decree of the Second Vatican Council Sacrosanctum Concilium.  We will continue to examine the many English-language Missals which were produced between 1964 and 1968 in further posts. Retrospectively, the form of the Roman Rite which existed between these two years has become known as the Interim Rite.  During those years, of course, such a term was not known, since that would have given the game away.  Except for those working behind the scenes, no one in 1964 / 65 would have believed that the Roman Rite would have been so drastically altered, such that Old and New bear only a basic resemblance.

For a younger generation the Missals of the so-called Interim Rite are largely unknown.  They make for a most interesting study.

The celebrant giving the Blessing during a
celebration of the Mass of the "Interim Rite".
The missal resting upon the altar is one of the Latin & vernacular
editions 1965-1968.

AMDG  

S. Alphonsus Liguori

In this post, we feature a chasuble and mitre set made for an American bishop.

The chasuble and mitre were made from an ornate silk damask, called Lovebirds. Ornamenting the chasuble, back and front, is a column formed from rose-gold silk damask, outlined by a golden galloon.  Both mitre and chasuble were lined in a rich red taffeta.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

The mitre has a similar decorative scheme, but its ornament is formed from different coloured braids.

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

S. Ignatius Loyola

On the Feast of Saint Loyola, we are pleased to present this set of festal vestments.

Made from a simple white brocade and fully-lined in a shade of gold silk, the chasuble in this post is ornamented with a Renaissance brocade in colours of red upon gold.  A galloon of red and straw-gold outlines the TAU ornament. 

The chasuble is in the Studio's Saint Philip Neri style, which is the product of years of research into historical vestments and refinement of dimensions for comfortable use.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

A Prayer for God's Blessing on our work

The work of the Saint Bede Studio, which is conducted in modest arrangements here in Newcastle, Australia, is able to continue because of God's blessing upon it.

Most days, we receive a message from a customer or an enquirer thanking us for the work we do to beautify God's house and with a promise of prayer.

Your custom and your prayer are the two foundations upon which our work continues.  We have many commissions and more enquiries than we can manage.  And perhaps an equal amount of difficulties.

This prayer has appeared on the Studio blog before.  Perhaps you will pray it remembering all those who work to sanctify God's House.

AMDG.

This prayer has received the Imprimatur of the Bishop of Maitland & Newcastle (Australia).

Suscipe Sancta Trinitas

One of the prayers which didn't survive the Missale Romanum final cut in 1970 was this one:

Accept, holy Trinity, this offering which we make to you in remembrance of the passion, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in honour of blessed Mary ever Virgin, of blessed John the Baptist, of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of those whose relics rest here, and of all the Saints. To them may it bring honour, and to us salvation; and may they, whose memory we keep on earth, be pleased to intercede for us in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

This beautiful prayer, intended to be recited quietly after the washing of the hands during the Preparation of Gifts or Offertory, is a summary of the things a Catholic should keep in mind when praying the Mass. It reminds us firstly that all our worship is offered to the One God, who is a Trinity of Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Secondly, in reflecting the Anamnesis after the consecration, the prayer insists on the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery that is re-presented for us in sacramental form: His Passion, Resurrection and Ascension. Finally, it asserts that a secondary end of the Mass is the honour of the Saints (that is, the victory of Christ in His members is being praised), and accordingly it begs their intercession for us on Earth. 

One can only wonder at the mentality which saw fit to excise this prayer from the Mass. If there was one prayer that ought to have been retained at the Offertory, this was the one. After washing his hands and before inviting the people to prayer (Pray, brethren), the celebrant bowed before the altar and quietly prayed the Suscipe Sancta Trinitas.

If you are a priest reading this, you might consider praying this prayer at the Offertory when you offer the Ordinary Form of the Roman Mass. If you pray it according to the rubrics of the 1962 Missale Romanum, (namely bowed and silently) no one in the pews will be disturbed.  We won't tell Cardinal Roche.

How beautiful it would be if once again this prayer were recited at every Mass!  The Angels would rejoice.

The Throw-away Culture

 

The throw-away society we live in, where the value of anything is measured in short-term satisfaction, is consumerist and ungodly.  The Church is not immune from such a mentality, unfortunately.  Vestments can be purchased ONLINE quite readily and affordably and the merit of this is all measured by convenience.

The Saint Bede Studio wishes to offer an alternative to this culture.  Our vestments are made to last decades (if well cared-for).  They are the product of artistic and careful design, not mass-production (no pun intended).

One such is shewn in this post - a glimpse of a set of green vestments in the mediaeval style.  The vestments were made from a lovely shade of English ecclesiastical brocade and lined in taffeta of a deep red colour.  

The ornament was formed from a lovely braid in colours of red and ivory, upon black.  These vestments are simple in their ornamentation, but striking.  The maniple is finished with solid fringing in colours of green and ivory.  There is no need here for fine embroideries, but the effect is created with strong colours and contrasts.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

On the Feast of Apostle James

On this beautiful Feast of the Apostle James, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present this image of a set of red vestments, the colour used for the Apostles, Martyrs and the Passion.  

The set was made from dupion silk in a subdued shade of red.  It is not the fiery-red used for the Feasts of the Holy Spirit, but closer to colour of blood.  The vestments were ornamented in the Roman style, with a TAU at the front and a column at the back, formed from a damask in colours of red and straw gold and an outlining galloon.  The lining was made of bronze-coloured taffeta.

The chasuble is in the Studio's Saint Philip Neri style, which is the product of years of research into historical vestments and refinement of dimensions for comfortable use.  The Studio revived this more ample 16th century style of the Roman chasuble in 2007 and since then we have made many of them.  Beware of poorly-designed imitations!

The work of the Saint Bede Studio is distinctive for its artistic qualities and the pains taken with every detail, such as the alignment of ornaments.  Even a restrained set of vestments like this is striking for its combination of colours and fine workmanship.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for optimal viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG

Festal Vestments

We are pleased to present these images of a distinctive set of festal vestments.  This set was made according to the size of chasubles of the 16th century, being more a variant than a reproduction of such vestments.  They were made from a delightful brocade with a floriated woven design in gold and chocolate brown upon a  base colour of ivory.  The vestments were lined in silk taffeta in a beautiful and muted shade of green.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics. 

  

The vestments were ornamented with a vintage orphrey braid made of silk; it features a Cross in two shades of gold upon a vibrant yellow base.  

These vestments were ornamented with a simple column, back and front, which is attached to the chasuble.  We might say a little more about this ornament.  An unfortunate trend in vestment-making is employing a column of great width to ornament the chasuble.  Sometimes this amounts almost to 30 cm (12") !  This always looks disproportionate, even unseemly.    

The column orphreys made by the Studio to ornament our chasubles are constructed to careful measurements.  Often we use one of our unique braids as the basis for such columns, which we enhance by running a galloon along either side.  The above photograph shews just such an arrangement.  The wider orphrey braid is carefully arranged at the neckline and the bottom of the chasuble, so that its particular decoration is not truncated.  In this case, the particular is a stylised Cross, which is repeated at intervals along the orphrey.  A galloon of knotwork in burgundy and gold has been mounted on either side of the wider orphrey braid.  This same galloon is run around the perimeter of the chasuble and the neckline.  For most of our chasubles, the perimeter is trimmed with a narrow galloon.  

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG 

On the Feast of S. Mary Magdalen

On this lovely Feast, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present this set of Festal vestments.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics. 

This set of vestments is in the style we call Borromeon.   Although ornamented in the Roman manner, this is an earlier and more traditional form of "the Roman chasuble" being both wider and longer.  As made by the Saint Bede Studio, this style of vestment is very comfortable to wear.

This particular set was made from a beautiful silk damask in a shade of ivory, it was lined in a crimon red shade of taffeta and ornamented in the Roman manner : a silk damask outlined with a burgundy and galloon.

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG 

Mitre and Vestments

In this post, we feature a chasuble and mitre set made for the Bishop of Maitland & Newcastle (Province of Sydney, Australia).

The chasuble was made from moiré taffeta, which is noteworthy for its vertical watermark effect, created during manufacture.  It is a fabric which is not too flimsy and has pleasing drapery.  Ornamenting the chasuble, back and front, is a column formed from straw-gold dupion silk, upon which is imposed one of the Studio's unique braids Saint Edmund.

The Saint Bede Studio : vestments made by Catholics for Catholics.

The mitre has the same decorative scheme, but its ornamented is formed from a much narrower version of the Saint Edmund braid.

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

The vestments of the Saint Bede Studio are beautiful in design, sound in construction and distinctive in appearance.

Enquiries.

Information on placing an order.

Please note that posts on this blog are set-up for viewing via a web-browser, not via a mobile phone.

AMDG