Botticelli : The Last Communion of Saint Jerome

This painting by the renowned Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) is titled The Last Communion of Saint Jerome and was painted around 1495. A priest is shewn with acolytes in a small chapel giving Communion to Saint Jerome. The Altar Cross is decorated with palm branches and a housling cloth is laid on the ground beneath the priest and the saint. It is not clear whether the acolytes are wearing albes or surplices. If they are albes, they are decorated with textile apparels, but neither an amice or a cincture is visible. 

A detail of the painting, depicting the priest's vestments, is shewn below.  

The priest is wearing a linen albe which is decorated with textile apparels of blue damask at the lower edge and at the cuffs. His red chasuble - in the semi-conical form - is ornamented in the Italian manner, namely a column upon the back and a TAU upon the front.  This ornament is made from the same textile as the apparels on the albe. A rather narrow maniple is also shewn.

Botticelli's painting illustrates that in Florence at the end of the 15th century, ample vestments in accordance with ancient traditions were still being used.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Anglican Use Mass

Recently, the Studio completed two chasubles of the Saint Austin design, which we wrote about here . One of these chasubles was commissioned by the Reverend Stephen Hill, a newly-ordained priest of the Anglican-Use Ordinariate in Australia (which is under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Father Hill very kindly sent us this photograph of his offering Mass according to the Ordinariate Use in the Church of Ss Ninian and Chad, in Maylands (a suburb of Perth, Western Australia).

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Priestly Ordinations 2013 : 9

Each year, the Saint Bede Studio has the privilege of preparing sacred vestments for Ordinands. Happily, this year has been no exception. This post concerns a donation of sets of vestments by a priest of the Archdiocese of New York to two newly-ordained priests of the same Archdiocese.

The chasubles (shewn adjacent) were made from a lovely ecclesiastical brocade in straw-gold. Each vestment was ornamented differently, but using braids produced by the Studio based on the designs of AWN Pugin. The vestments were lined in straw-coloured taffeta.

Please pray for all newly-ordained priests.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Chasuble of S' Thomas Becket : 3

Every now and then in the Liturgical Blogdom, interest appears in the famous chasuble of Saint Thomas Becket, preserved at the Sens Cathedral. The Saint Bede Studio is occasionally approached by priests seeking vestments based on the striking design of that ancient chasuble.

A priest from the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey (USA) commissioned the Studio to make a chasuble like the Becket vestments, because of his admiration for Saint Thomas. But, for convenience, he did not want the chasuble in the conical, or bell-shaped form, as the original vestment is.

Instead, the chasuble design was modified to the Saint Martin form.  The result is a surprisingly lightweight chasuble, which is visually similar to the Becket chasuble, without attempting to be an exact replica of it.

The vestments are made from an English silk damask, which is fully lined in blue taffeta. A narrow braid, designed by the Studio in an early mediaeval style, was used to ornament the vestments in the distinctive manner.

Posts describing Saint Thomas' chasuble can be viewed here and here.

From our esteemed customer, Father Daniel O'Mullane of the Diocese of Paterson:

I could not be happier with the Saint Bede Studio's newest creation! As with all of Mr. Sternbeck's work, this chasuble in the style of Saint Thomas Becket's vestments is brilliantly designed and flawlessly made; the Studio's attention to detail apparent in every stitch. The chasuble is visually striking, and will profit our praise of God in the Sacred Liturgy for years to come.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

 

Puginesque vestments for the time "per annum"

Recently, the Saint Bede Studio was commissioned by two priests - one in Australia, the other in the USA - to make the sets of vestments shewn in the adjacent photographs. This vestment is designated The Austin Chasuble.

The chasuble is made from an English ecclesiastical brocade, lined in red taffeta and ornamented with an orphrey braid in green, red and gold.

This orphrey braid is one of several braids which were especially designed by the Saint Bede Studio in 2012 to commemorate the Pugin bicentenary year. A Pugin chasuble in the collection of Saint Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, was the basis for the design of this braid.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Mass with Pope Benedict

An annual meeting which Josef Ratzinger held with his former students from days in Germany came to be held in Rome when he was elected as Benedict XVI in 2005.

This year, the students met in Rome again, at Castelgandolfo. Although Pope Benedict did not join their meetings, we discover through the wonderful world of the Internet that he did celebrate Mass for and with his students in the Vatican on 1st September.

These photographs shew Benedict's celebration of Mass. Amongst the "students" is the Cardinal-Archbishop of Vienna.

Photographs from the Facebook page Mons. Guido Marini.

Mass of Pope Benedict during the Confiteor.

Mass of Pope Benedict at the Doxology.

Pope Benedict leaving the Church where Mass was celebrated.
Accompanying him is Monsignor Ganswein.

Pope Benedict praying in the Church after the
celebration of Mass.