On the Feast of S' Patrick

It is a reasonable to question to ask why, on this popular Feast of Saint Patrick, confessor and bishop, the Church does not use the liturgical colour green? 

This joyous Feast, however, is much older than the popular culture and "the wearin' of the green."  The liturgical colour conforms with that of the Feasts of other Confessors, which has been white (with some variations) for a thousand years - or even longer.  

Nevertheless, nothing prevents Festal vestments being ornamented with green and in this post the Studio is pleased to present just such a set, made recently for an American customer.  The vestments were constructed from an ivory-coloured brocade and fully-lined in taffeta of a muted green colour.  These vestments are ornamented with an ecclesiastical brocade in colours of green and gold, which is outlined with a galloon in colours of black and gold.

 

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

These vestments are a variation on 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-made imitations!

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

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

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

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

AMDG

Rose Vestments in the Gothic Revival Style.

Although Laetare Sunday last for just one day in Lent, the Studio is pleased to feature other rose-coloured vestments over the next several days.

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

This set of vestments is made from dupion silk in a deeper shade of rose and lined in a lighter rose shade of taffeta. 

The orphrey of this chasuble is formed from one of the Saint Bede Studio's unique  braids called Rose Antiqua.  This lovely braid, which has been designed especially for use with Rose and Indigo-violet vestments, is not in our usual Gothic Revival style, but is based on Arts & Crafts themes, with stylised flowers.  

Click on the image 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

A Rose by any other name but Pink

Figure 1. Pope Paul VI in 1978

wearing a rose chasuble 

made from dupion silk.
Image: L'Osservatore Romano

Twice a year, the Church breaks the tone of its penitential seasons by the use of rose-coloured vestments.  Rose-coloured vestments were never commonplace and they still are not.  Nevertheless, you will find various pronouncements these days (usually on websites) about what the real or authentic shade of rose is which is to be used for vestments.

Newsflash: there is no official shade of Rose designated by the Church, nor has there ever been.  One reason for this is rather simple: only in the nineteenth century did the process of dyeing fabric become sufficiently sophisticated to ensure that much the same shade of a colour emerged from one batch of fabric dyeing to another.

Many different colours have been deemed by the Church as acceptable as liturgical Rose.  Some of these are a salmon shade; some a silvery-pink, almost mushroom-colour; some close to what we would call Bishop's purple or fuchsia.

Another thing is certain: Bubblegum Pink is not Rose, nor has it been a traditional variation for use on these days. Whilst not intending to get into the argument as to whether the use of pink (be it vibrant or subdued) is a fitting colour for a man to wear, Bubblegum Pink certainly manifests a lamentable lack of liturgical good taste. And yet we find so many pink vestments for sale from ecclesiastical suppliers etc.  We may wonder why any priest would submit to wearing such.

Figure 2. Pope Paul VI greeting a priest
after Mass in Saint Peter's on Laetare Sunday 1978.
Both are wearing rose 

chasubles made from dupion silk.
Image: L'Osservatore Romano

Adjacent are two pictures of another shade of Rose.  These are sets of vestments worn by Pope S. Paul VI on Laetare Sunday, 1978. The vestments are made from dupion silk of a very subdued silvery-rose.  Ornamenting them is a column-orphrey almost fuchsia in colour.  Sadly, these vestments have not been seen in Papal Masses since :  lamentable sets of brighter pink vestments, of rather unimaginative fabric and design, have been used instead.

Below is an image of a set of Rose vestments made by the Saint Bede Studio of similar colour to the vestments of S. Paul VI.

AMDG

Praying for God's Blessing on our work

The work of the Saint Bede Studio, which is conducted in modest arrangements here in Newcastle, 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.

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).

The Season of Lent 2026 : 8

In this Holy Season of Lent, we are pleased to present a set of vestments of simple dignity, made in the traditional Roman style. The vestments are constructed from a lighter shade of violet ecclesiastical brocade and fully-lined in a grey cloth. The chasuble in this post is ornamented in the well-known Roman style, a TAU at the front and a column at the back, formed simply by an outlining silver-grey galloon.

Silver ornament upon violet is a distinctive manner of ornamenting vestments for the Seasons of Advent and Lent and a little more subdued than the all-too-common use of gold.

These vestments are 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-made imitations!

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

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

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

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

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

AMDG

The Season of Lent 2026 : 7

In this post we present a simple set of violet vestments ornamented with a column at the front and the back.  The columns are decorated with one of the Studio's unique braids Saint Dunstan in colours of violet, taup and white upon a red background.  This braid was specially developed to ornament violet and rose-coloured vestments. 

The braid is laid upon an orphrey panel formed from red dupion silk. 

This set of vestments is in the style we have called Saint Anselm; it is not elaborate, but neither is it just thrown-together.  It is well-designed and of dignified appearance.  Note that the column is made from a red-coloured dupion silk, which complements the colour of the braid.  We also find that the column is not of exaggerated width, but of substantial appearance.  

There is much to be said for vestments of simple dignity.  These vestments are well-made and will be serviceable for a number of years if treated respectfully.

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

The Season of Lent 2026 : 6

In this post a set of vestments is presented in the Studio's nod to contemporary styles.  This style we call Saint Martin.  It is both long and wide and is especially designed to fold up beautifully when the arms of the celebrant are elevated (as is shewn in the adjacent image). 

Tasteful contemporary vestments are made by certain studios in Italy, France and Germany, but we also make them here in Australia at the Saint Bede Studio.  This set has a simple dignity and is made from high quality fabrics.

A violet broacade is lined in burgundy-coloured cloth and is ornamented with a contrasting brocade in colours of burgundy and old gold.  The ornament is very simple : a TAU in the front and a column at the back.  

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

The Season of Lent 2026 : 5

The vestments described in this post were commissioned some years ago by an esteemed customer of the Saint Bede Studio, from a Diocese in Canada.  Since then, we have made several similar sets.

Adjacent is pictured the set of vestments in the Gothic Revival style.

This elegant set of vestments was made from a violet-coloured ecclesiastical brocade and lined in Royal Blue taffeta.  The orphrey was formed from one of the Studio's unique braids, Saint Chad, augmented with a narrow braid in blue and gold.

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

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

The Season of Lent 2026 : 4

During this Holy Season, the Studio is pleased to present these vestments, made from dupion silk and lined in a subtle lavender shade of taffeta. 

The orphrey of this chasuble is formed from one of the Saint Bede Studio's unique  braids called Rosa Antiqua.  The braid has been especially designed for use with Rose and Indigo-violet vestments.

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

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

The Season of Lent 2026 : 3

In this post, the Saint Bede Studio is pleased to present this very rich set of dark violet vestments in the Gothic Revival style.  This particular variant of the Gothic chasuble we have named Saint Austin.  It is pointed at the front and the back and reaches to the elbows.

The vestments were made from a beautiful ecclesiastical brocade, woven in the United Kingdom.  Lined in a beautiful shade of deep rose-coloured taffeta, the vestments were ornamented with one of the Studio's unique braids.  This ornate and beautiful braid Saint George is derived from elements of the designs of AWN Pugin and is woven in burgundy and taup upon a red background.

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

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

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

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com

Information on placing an order.

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

AMDG