Discouraging Times

The rubble ruins of the Basilica of Saint Benedict
in Norcia, Italy,
Largely flattened on Sunday morning by a powerful earthquake.

Almighty, Eternal God,
by ever giving strength to our weakness,
you enable the Church to flourish, even amidst her trials,
so that, when she appears to men to be utterly cast down,
then rather does she gloriously prevail.
Whilst then, she accepts affliction as a proving of her faith,
let her persevere, by your grace, in triumphant loyalty.

Missal of Robert of Jumieges 11^th century.

For the Season "Per Annum" 2016 : 7

The vestments shewn in the adjacent photograph were prepared by the Saint Bede Studio for a returning customer in the Diocese of Arlington, USA.

This chasuble, in the Saint Bede Studio's Saint Austin design, is made from an English ecclesiastical brocade and is lined in taffeta. The vestments are ornamented with a new orphrey braid of the Studio's own design in colours of green, gold and ivory upon red. The braid is a modern expression of a mediaeval exemplar and features the chi-rho emblem.





Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Priestly Ordinations 2016 : 7

Each year, the Saint Bede Studio has the privilege of preparing sacred vestments for priestly Ordinands. Happily, this year has been no exception.

In this post, we are pleased to mention the ordination of Father Tomas Zuna of the Archdiocese of Birmingham (United Kingdom).

Father Zuna commissioned a set of festal vestments from the Studio in the the Borromeon form which were made from silk damask. The chasuble is ornamented in a damask of burgundy and gold silk, outlined with narrow galloons in the Roman style. It is lined in a wine-red taffeta. This design we have named Saint Bartholomew.  Very similar vestments can be seen here and here.

Father Zuna was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on 16th July by the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev'd Bernard Longley, in the renowned Gothic Revival Cathedral of Saint Chad. This Cathedral, designed by AWN Pugin, was the first greater Catholic church to be constructed in England since the Reformation and following Catholic emancipation in 1829. It was built on the scale of a Cathedral between 1839 and 1841. It became a Cathedral-church in 1852 after the re-establishment of the Catholic Hierarchy in England.

Figure 2.
Archbishop Longley at the Imposition
of Hands
during the Ordination Mass of
Father Tomas Zuna.
Image : Copyright J Lopuszynski.

For this post, we are pleased to include photographs taken at the Ordination Mass in the Birmingham Cathedral.

Please pray for Father Zuna and for all newly-ordained priests.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

Figure 3.
Archbishop Longley congratulating
the newly-ordained.
Image : Copyright J Lopuszynski.

Figure 4.
The Canon of the Mass.
Image : Copyright J Lopuszynski.

Figure 5.
The interior of S' Chad's Cathedral :
a hall-church reminiscent of the North German Gothic style.
Image : 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29644919@N03/with/2784623493/

Figure 6
Saint Chad's Cathedral Birmingham:
the design of AWN Pugin.
Image : 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeljh/4513986695/sizes/l

Figure 7.
The Ladye Chapel of  S' Chad's Cathedral :
a marvellous ensemble of Pugin's design genius.

Anglophone Missals of the "Interim Rite" 1964 - 1969 : 1

In 1964, as a consequence of the deliberations of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, culminating in the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, changes began to be introduced into the Celebration of Mass. New liturgical books which reflected these alterations were required.

On this Blog we will be examining the various iterations of the Roman Missal which were published between 1964 and 1969. These missals are often referred to as "Interim Rite" missals. Of necessity, these posts must be confined to Anglophone Interim Rite Missals.

The first of these Missals for the English-speaking world was published by the Catholic Book Publishing Company (New York) after May 1964, for the use of the Dioceses of the United States of America. Below are photographs from that Missal.

The next post in this series will study the Canadian-Australian Altar Missal of 1964.

Please click on the images for an enlarged view.

The Missal handsomely-bound in red morocco leather and gold stamped.

The titlepage of the 1964 Missal.

On the reverse of the titlepage, the Imprimatur of Cardinal Spellman of New York is shewn.
It also makes reference to the translation of the Scriptures which the Bishops determined for use.

In publishing this Missal, the Bishops Conference of the United States obtained a decree from the now infamous Consilium, signed by Cardinal Lercaro and Father Annibale Bugnini CM and dated 1st May 1964. The decree defined the specific changes to the celebration of the Mass which were permitted. The English language was permitted to be included in the following parts of the Mass (shewn in the photograph below) : the proclamation of the Epistle and Gospel; in the chants of the Ordinary of the Mass, namely the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei; in the Lord's Prayer; in the formula Ecce Agnus Dei before the Communion of the Faithful; in the chants of the Proper of the Mass, namely the Introit, Gradual etc., Offertorium and Communio; in acclamations, Greetings and Dialogues between the celebrant and the faithful. Lastly in the "Common Prayer" or prayers of the Faithful.

First part of the decree of the "Consilium" : May 1964.

This Missal, however, is a curiosity: it was published before the decisions regarding revisions to the rite of Mass were published at the beginning of 1965. Consequently, ritually it contains no changes from the celebration of Mass according to the 1962 typical edition of the Missale Romanum. All it admits of is the inclusion of the English language. It permits English for the use of the "Common Prayer" (General Intercessions), but no reference to these prayers is made in the rubrics of the Order of Mass. But one thing worthy of note : where these vernacular admissions are printed, no alternative in Latin is shewn. It seems that when the Consilium used the words in its decree " Linguam anglicanam adhibere licet ", it was more of a requirement than a permission.

The first page of the Proper of the Seasons
shewing the Introit and Epistle in English,
but the Collect still entirely in Latin.

The next photographs are a selection of the pages of the Order of Mass.

The Prayers at the foot of the Altar : still entirely in Latin.

Pages shewing the Kyrie and Gloria, given only in English.
Compare the translation with the present translation for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

One of the prefaces :
The Preface itself and its introductory dialogue are entirely in Latin;
the Sanctus given only in English.

Pages shewing the Communion Rite :
The Lord's Prayer and Agnus Dei given in English,
everything else in Latin.

The concluding prayers of the Mass remain unaltered
from the 1962 edition of the Missale Romanum and all its predecessors.

Pages shewing the Rite of Burial, including English for chants and orations,
but the antiphon remaining in Latin with its gregorian notation.

Orphrey Braids of the Saint Bede Studio

Each year, the Saint Bede Studio adds to its stable of orphrey braids. These unique braids are designed by the Studio and only used in conjunction with our vestments. They are not commercially available, nor available to any other vestment makers and are reserved under international copyright.

Most of our braids are derived from precedents, either Gothic Revival or Mediaeval. They are never merely copies, but always have original touches to enhance the diversity of their use.

The braids shewn in the adjacent image are used for orphreys in both the Gothic and Roman * styles of vestments designed and made by the Studio.

Enquiries : stbede62@gmail.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* The Studio's interpretation of the Roman style is represented by the Borromeon, Saint Martin and Saint Philip Neri chasubles.

Beuron School of Liturgical Art

Adjacent is a beautiful liturgical drawing from 1910  in the Beuronese style  Messe mit Wandlungskerze auf dem Altar. It was found at the Wikimedia Commons. Go here to read a little about the Beuron School of liturgical art.

This stylised depiction of a priest celebrating Low Mass is rich with the aesthetic ideals of the Liturgical Movement. The celebrant wears a flowing albe, ornamented with continuous decoration around its hem. Over this he is vested in a conical chasuble, decorated very simply. Not least of interest is the manner in which the altar cloth is decorated, with geometric embroideries and tassles of silk. 

One curiosity is the almost sleeveless surplice being worn by the altar server. Note the restrained gesture with which he lifts the celebrant's chasuble for the Elevation.

Would that this dignified aesthetic were more fully adopted for the celebration of Mass according to both usages of the Roman Rite.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.