"Flavigny" Conical Chasuble

For a deacon who was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Saint Bede Studio was commissioned to prepare a chasuble according to the ancient "conical" form.

This chasuble was made from a silk damask of crimson red and ornamented with a brocade in burgundy and gold, outlined with a braid in gold. The lining is of olive green.

For readers who may be unfamiliar with this style, its shape is very similar to that of a bell. Consequently, in order for the wearer to use his arms, the conical chasuble must be pulled up at the sides and allowed to rest in the small of the arms. When this happens, the vestment folds upward from the bottom in a manner quite distinctive. Mediaeval illustrations regularly shew vestments with precisely these folds. A conical chasuble is not for celebrants who like to wave their arms around a lot, but it is quite manageable if the arms always remain extended or joined. Unlike the more commonly-found chasubles, the conical chasuble must be tailored to the shape of the wearer's shoulders, otherwise it fits very ill.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Solemn Mass at Prinknash Abbey

A recent post about Prinknash abbey in England on the blog The New Liturgical Movement reminded me of some well-known photographs in the ceremonial study The Celebration of Mass.

This study, prepared by Canon JB O'Connell (who also edited later editions of Fortescue's The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described), was first published in 1945 in three volumes. One volume, studying the ceremonies of Solemn Mass, featured a number of photographs taken in the Abbey Church.

Canon O'Connell, in the introduction to his book, gives an explanation:

By the very great kindness of the Right Reverend Wilfrid Upson OSB, Abbot of Prinknash Abbey, Gloucester (England), and the monks of his monastery, a number of photographs were taken in the (temporary) Abbey church to celebrate the chief ceremonies of High Mass.

The photographs, some of which are reproduced here, were taken by the Walwin Studio of Gloucester, probably in the year 1941. As the article at the New Liturgical Movement has noted, the Prinknash Community recently returned to residence in the original Abbey and the Chapel pictured in these photographs is once again the Abbey Church.

The photographs are intended as a staged illustration of the ceremonies of Solemn Mass: obviously it was not an actual Mass which was photographed. The 1st photograph shews the preparation of incense at the beginning of Mass; the 2nd photograph shews the singing of the Gospel; the 3rd photograph shews the ablutions after Holy Communion and the 4th photograph shews the Blessing. Each of these photographs may be clicked on for an enlarged view.

A number of things may be commented upon. The first is the excellent architecture of this tiny chapel, illustrating that beautiful and proportionate things can be created in confined spaces. Especially noteworthy are the tasteful statue niches and the blind arcading and tracery around the walls of the sanctuary.

The second noteworthy thing is the vestments and paraments. The vestments are very ample, the chasuble being semi-conical, and are decorated in a mediaeval manner. Observe that the dalmatic and tunic are ornamented in a completely different manner from each other: a practice which, unfortunately, ceased to be commonplace from the Baroque era onward. Observe also that the chasuble is decorated exactly in the Roman manner: a massive "Tau" on the frontal of the chasuble and a simple column on the back. This style of ornament has been employed continuously in Rome for a millenium.

An interesting touch, and very monastic, is the modest scale of the candlesticks on the High altar. Lastly, it would be of interest to include these explanatory remarks by Canon O'Connell:

By special privilege of the Holy See, the monks of Prinknash Abbey, though belonging to the Subiaco Congregation of the Benedictine Order, wear a white habit. The tonsure of these Religious is the same as that in use in the Carthusian Order. For the purposes of the photographs, the monks who appear in them were good enough to lay aside for the moment some of their monastic usages in order to conform in full to the Roman rite. Accordingly, for example, in the photographs the lesser ministers wear the surplice instead of the amice, alb and girdle, which is the monastic practice; the Deacon and Subdeacon kneel for the blessing, instead of merely bowing, as solemnly professed monks do in their monastery. It will be noticed that the monks are wearing the monastic hood with the special type of amice that fits over it; and the Sacred Ministers are clad in vestments which are designed and made at the Abbey by members of the community.

The Golden Fleece

Amongst the treasures preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna are vestments and paraments of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Amongst them is this chasuble, made in the 1st half of the 15th century.

This vestment shews the type of modifications which were made to the form of the chasuble in order for it to support lavish decoration. Gone are the steeply-sloping shoulders of the conical and semi-conical forms, modified to allow this vestment to sit on the wearer without much drapery. Even so, the opening for the head is identical with that of the more ancient form of the chasuble, typically made without shoulder seams.

Measuring approximately 125cm in width and 140cm in length, the chasuble would have extended beyond the elbows and almost to the ankles on a man of 5'8" height (173cm). Interestingly, this coincides with the specifications for the dimensions of the chasuble set down by Saint Charles Borromeo in the 16th century.

The website of the Kunsthistorisches (from which the photograph is reproduced) gives this description of the embroidery work:

The chasuble of these liturgical vestments displays what appear to be three different layers, superimposed on top of each other and overlapping, but in fact this is all a single layer of precisely planned embroidery work. The basis is formed by a geometrical honeycomb structure with chapel-like compartments enclosing figures of angels, a device also found in the other garments of these vestments. The so-called chasuble cross appears to be superimposed on top of this, creating the impression of woven brocade. On top of these two planes is a third layer, consisting of appliquéd figures: on the front of the chasuble the Baptism of Christ is depicted, while the back shows the Transfiguration of Christ. The process of interconnecting these three planes, with their different illusory effects, is a remarkable achievement on the part of the embroiderers: they understood how to resolve the conflict between the chasuble's function as a liturgical garment and its role as a vehicle for a pictorial scheme. The masterful exploitation of all the possibilities afforded by the art of embroidery is particularly evident in the execution of the Transfiguration of Christ. In contrast to the needle painting used in the other vestments for depicting flesh tones, or nué embroidery is employed here for Christ's face, illuminating it in red and gold hues and perfectly expressing in visual terms the appearance of light described in the Bible ("[...] and his face did shine as the sun").

Thanks to The Lion and the Cardinal for the post on these vestments.

Saint Martin chasuble

The Saint Bede Studio has developed this vestment, called "Saint Martin" for those who prefer a very ample chasuble. "Saint Martin" can be made in fabrics of deep shades of green, or red or purple and is derived from the semi-conical form of the mediaeval period. A brocade in burgundy and gold in the traditional "tau" form ornaments the chasuble. The chasuble is lined in a lighter shade of the base fabric.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord

It is truly fitting and just, right and profitable for our salvation, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Lord, holy Father, almighty, eternal God, through Christ our Lord, who, having set aside the empty signs of animal victims, commemorated his Body and Blood for us in sacrifice, in order that the pure oblation, which alone was acceptable to you, may be offered to your name in every place. Therefore, in the mystery of his unsearchable wisdom and unbounded love, that which once he accomplished completely on the Cross, he does not cease miraculously to produce, he himself offering it and he himself the Offering. And, having become a single offering with him, he invites us to the sacred banquet in which he himself is received as food, in which the memory of his Passion is recalled, the soul filled with grace, and a foretaste of the future is to us given. And so, with the Angels and Archangels, with the Thrones and Dominations, and all the strength of the heavenly host, we sing without ceasing this hymn to your glory:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of mighty hosts! The heavens and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Bless'd is he who comes in the Lord's name. Hosanna in the highest.

This is the translation of the Preface of the Blessed Sacrament prepared by the Saint Bede Studio for the Order of Mass published by Ignatius Press. Some editions of the 1962 Missal included this preface, before it was incorporated in editions of the Missal produced between 1964-1969. It was not included in the 1970 Missale Romanum.

The translation and illustration may not be reproduced without prior approval.

The Most Holy Trinity

It is truly fitting and just, right and profitable for our salvation, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Lord, holy Father, almighty, eternal God. With your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, you are one God, one Lord, not in the singleness of one Person, but in a Trinity of one substance. For, whatever we believe through your revelation about your glory, the same also we believe about your Son and about the Holy Spirit, without distinction or difference. So that in acknowledging the true and eternal Godhead, we adore each individual person and, at the same time, their one substance and their equal majesty: which the Angels, the Archangels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim all praise, never ceasing to cry out with one voice:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of mighty hosts! The heavens and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Bless'd is he who comes in the Lord's name. Hosanna in the highest.

This is the translation of the Preface of the Most Holy Trinity prepared by the Saint Bede Studio for the Order of Mass published by Ignatius Press.

The translation and illustration may not be reproduced without prior approval.