A Request to 2012 Ordinands

If you are approaching priestly ordination in mid-2012 and are considering approaching the Saint Bede Studio for ordination vestments, PLEASE contact us without further delay. A request left too late may result in disappointment all 'round.

A Blessed Christmas

To all friends, customers and readers of this Blog, sincere wishes for a Blessed Christmas.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low; the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain; and the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
Isaiah 40:4-5.

Michael Sternbeck
The Saint Bede Studio.

Festal Vestments

A returning customer commissioned the Studio to prepare a Solemn Mass set for Greater Days.  A chasuble, cope, dalmatic and tunic were made from a splendid Renaissance-style silk damask in silver and gold, ornamented with a silk damask of burgundy and gold, outlined with a narrow galloon.  All the vestments were fully lined in cherry-red cotton.

The ornamentation of the chasuble (see below) was in the traditional Roman style of the TAU.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Chasuble in the Borromeon form

Pontifical Mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne

In the beautiful setting of the Sacred Chapel of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, well-known Liturgist and auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, the Most Reverend Peter Elliott, offered Pontifical Low Mass in the Usus Antiquior on Wednesday 14th December: a ferial day in Advent.  The Bishop was assisted by Chaplains to the Latin Mass Apostolate in Melbourne, Fathers Colin Marshall and Glen Tattersall.




Some photographs taken on the occasion by Dr Chris Steward are included.  Other photographs can be viewed here.

Click on the images for an enlarged view. 

Papal Mitres - part 3

Amongst the many remarkable features of Benedict XVI's Pontificate is the rather singular distinction of having used more mitres as Pope than all of his predecessors of the last 200 hundred years put together!  This is the third in a series of posts about those Papal mitres which I find pleasing, together with a description of them.

The mitres of Pope Benedict fall (almost) into two categories: those used during the tenure of Marini the First (Piero Marini) and those used during the tenure of Marini the Second (Guido Marini).

The third in our series, shewn above, is part of the Marini the First range and was worn on Ash Wednesday at the Roman Basilica of Santa Sabina in the years 2006 and 2007 and on three other occasions in those same years.  This mitre is a very inventive adaptation of the mediaeval mitre.  A similar mitre was used by Pope John Paul II.

As we know, the most common form of ornamentation for the mitre, as it developed in Tradition, was for a decorative band to be run around the crown of the head.  This band was called the circulus.  Another band extended at right angles to the circulus, forming an upside-down "T".  This vertical ornamentation was called the titulus.  Often, the circulus and titulus were lavishly embroidered.

Returning to the mitre of this post, it is made from a silver fabric and its circulus and titulus are formed from a beautifully-conceived cross-hatching of violet and silver braids, all done by hand.  The shape and height of the mitre are very well proportioned, according to the manner of the early mediaeval period and well-suited to the stature of its wearer, Pope Benedict.  The lining of the mitre is a beautiful light shade of violet.

On two of the afore-mentioned occasions, the Pope was given a cope to wear, matching the mitre (adjacent photographs).   Like the mitre, the cope's orphrey is formed from a  cross-hatching of violet and silver braids, on a silver background.  The decoration is beautiful and striking.  Unhappily the fabric of the cope is a glittery affair, metallic threads being interwoven with the violet ground fabric: quite unsuited to the Sacred Liturgy. A very ample chasuble (also shewn in an adjacent photograph) in a similar style was also used by Pope Benedict.  A similar chasuble and cope had been used in the latter years of the reign of Pope John Paul II.  From a distance, both chasuble and cope have a very fine appearance.

Ash Wednesday, 2006 at Santa Sabina.

One last thing must be commented on. The mitre under discussion presents a very attractive way of ornamenting a mitre for the Penitential Seasons: one recalls horrific examples of bishops wearing violet or purple mitres of the most tasteless variety. Nevertheless, the Ceremonial of Bishops appoints that on Ash Wednesday the simplex mitre is to be worn. It is noteworthy that upon becoming Papal Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini replaced the mitre featured in this post with a simplex mitre for subsequent celebrations of Ash Wednesday at Santa Sabina.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Gaudete Sunday in Melbourne

Some years ago, the Studio made a Solemn Mass set in Rose for the Latin Mass Community at S' Aloysius church, Caulfield North (Archdiocese of Melbourne).  We are pleased to include here two photographs taken at the Gaudete Sunday Mass by intrepid photographer Dr Chris Steward.  The celebrant and preacher was Father Colin Marshall.





Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Rosa Mystica in Germany

Soaring Gothic Interior of the Frankfurt Cathedral

In 2010, a priest resident in Germany, commissioned the Studio to make a vestment for use on Gaudete and Laetare Sundays.  The Rosa Mystica chasuble, shewn below, has been used in the venerable Cathedral Parish of Frankfurt-am-Main.  The chasuble is made from a damask, ornamented with a Gothic foliage braid, and lined in grey cotton.

Father Stenger at the High Altar of the Frankfurt Cathedral

Father Marc Stenger has very kindly sent a photograph for inclusion in this post of himself at the magnificent High altar of the Frankfurt Cathedral, wearing the Rosa Mystica chasuble.  Thank you Father.

Splendid setting of the Frankfurt Cathedral

Choir of the Frankfurt Cathedral

Other photographs of the Cathedral are also included, which are taken from the Flickr collections of Frankartculinary and Mbell1975.

At left is shewn a Studio photograph of the Rosa Mystica chasuble.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Refashioned vestments

Sometimes, the Studio undertakes work on already existing chasubles, which might be either in disrepair or in need of aesthetic revitalisation.

One such was a Marian chasuble, made some years ago for an Australian priest.  Sewn from an attractive ivory jacquard, its impact was lessened by a rather unrelieved ornament formed from a very dark blue orphrey (almost navy), outlined with upholstery cord.

The orphrey was removed and parts of it were cut-up into small diamonds.  Upon each of these diamonds was applied a quatrefoil formed from a foliated Cross in the colours of Royal Blue and ivory. The column orphrey itself was replaced with dupion silk in a mediaeval blue colour, and the diamonds with their appliques were stitched to the dupion orphrey, front and back.

As a finishing touch, the orphreys were outlined with a narrow galloon in deep blue and ivory.

The result is shewn in the photograph: to the greater Glory of God and in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Another Approach to Violet Vestments

We are pleased to post a description of a set of vestments for the Penitential Seasons, which was a gift to a young priest of the Diocese of Richmond (USA).

These vestments are made from an Indigo-violet dupion silk and fully lined in dupion silk of crimson colour.

The vestments are ornamented with a new braid specially produced for the Saint Bede Studio.  This braid is derived from orphrey braids designed by AWN Pugin.  In 2012, further Puginesque braids will be manufactured for the exclusive use of the Studio.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com