The Season "Per Annum" 2013 : 1

The chasuble shewn in the adjacent photograph was presented to a Convent in Brisbane, Australia as a Thank-offering on the occasion of a wedding anniversary. The chasuble is made from an English ecclesiastical brocade, lined in red silk and ornamented with a braid in red, blue, white and gold.

This orphrey is formed from one of several braids which were especially designed by the Saint Bede Studio to commemorate the Pugin bicentenary year (2012). This is a free design based on an early Gothic decorative scheme, and features medallions with the MR motif.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Saint Nicholas Bishop of Myra

Detail of Titian's painting.

Since we have not quite left Christmastide, it seems that including this painting of Saint Nicholas is not out of place.  Nikolaos was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia (modern-day Turkey) in the fourth century.  He is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker and Nicholas of Bari (since his holy relics are kept at the Cathedral of Bari in Italy).

The image below is a reproduction of the painting by Titian The Madonna of San Niccolo dei Frari, which is housed in the Vatican Museum.  A detail of the painting is adjacent.

Titian painted this in Venice in the year 1528.  Our interest, of course, is the manner in which Titian depicted Saint Nicholas,  which illustrates a Venetian bishop's vestments in the early 16th century.

Saint Nicholas is shewn wearing a flowing albe, which has an apparel on its lower edge (seen below the dalmatic) and on its cuffs.  These apparels are made from the same fabric as the chasuble.  It is very interesting that ornamental apparels continued to be used in Italy at this time (16th century).

Titian depicts Saint Nicholas wearing a full dalmatic beneath the chasuble.  Dalmatic and chasuble are made from the same fabric.  The chasuble is of the Borromeon proportions and is made of a Renaissance-style damask in deep red and interwoven gold ornament.  The vibrant colours of this chasuble are not clearly reproduced in this image.

The chasuble is ornamented with an embroidered orphrey in the TAU form.  The embroideries of saints are only hinted at in Titian's painting.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Titian's Madonna of San Niccolo dei Frari.

Priestly Ordinations 2012: 4

We are pleased to continue our annual series of vestments prepared by the Studio for Ordinands.

The fourth in this series of Ordination vestments features a  sets of vestments prepared for the Rev'd Jadyn Nelson who was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Diocese of Bismarck (North Dakota USA) on 31st May.

The ordinand asked for a set of vestments in the Borromeon style.  A beautiful silk damask in shades of ivory and straw was chosen for the vestments (a chasuble and dalmatic).

The chasuble and dalmatic were ornamented with an outline galloon in gold,  the chasuble having its orphreys enhanced with a brocade in burgundy and old gold and with applique. The vestments were fully lined in burgundy dupion silk.

The adjacent photographs shew the dalmatic and chasuble.

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Father Nelson very kindly supplied us with the photograph below, which is of great interest. Father Nelson is shewn with his own father, who was ordained a permanent deacon in November. Two ordinations for the one family in one year: a great blessing. 

 Congratulations to Father and Mr Nelson and to all newly-ordaineds.