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.

Vestments for Pentecost

A Greeting to all readers, after these days of great Feasts: the Ascension, Our Lady Help of Christians, Saint Philip Neri, Saint Bede the Venerable (patron saint of our Studio), Saint Augustine of Canterbury and lastly, Pentecost.

Father Mitchell Beachey of Quebec, Canada, commisioned the Studio to prepare a set of vestments for Pentecost. Father Beachey chose to have the set prepared in the "Philip Neri" style. The vestments were made of a silk damask of deep-red colour, ornamented with a brocade of dark red and gold.

Having received the vestments this week, Father Beachey wrote to us:

Just finished opening and trying on the new chasuble. I love it. This is absolutely beautiful and well made. In making such works of art, you add so much to the beauty and sanctity of the Church's worship. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The St. Philip Neri style, now that I have actually seen it and wore it, is the perfect chasuble for priests who celebrate both the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form. Although I like the fiddleback or Roman style for the EF, I do not it like for the OF celebrated versus populum because the front of the Roman vestment does not lend itself very well to versus populum. The St. Philip Neri chasuble is perfect for both ad orientem and versus populum.

Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

Oratory of Bishop Peter Elliott

The auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev'd Peter Elliott (pictured at left), well-known as a scholar of Sacred Liturgy and ceremonial, commissioned the Saint Bede Studio to do a "make-over" of the Oratory of his private residence.

The Oratory is very small and has a low ceiling, but is well-lit by colourful leadlights comprising one wall. At the other end of the room, the bishop had placed a newly-made timber altar upon a one-step platform. The bishop asked for the altar to be enhanced with a frontal and also a reredos.

The Oratory being so small-scale, a very simple design was prepared. The wall behind the altar was painted a crimson red (subsequently to be stencilled) and framed with a timber reredos, which went right up to the ceiling. A frontal of Coronation tapestry was made, ornamented with a superfrontal of rich crimson with gold tassling.

The (not quite complete) results can be seen in the photographs of before and after.

NB This article is copyright and may not be reproduced on other internet sites without prior permission.

Before
(click on photograph to enlarge):

After
(click on photograph to enlarge):

Ordination Vestments II

An ordinand of the Archdiocese of Sydney commissioned the Saint Bede Studio to make a "Philip Neri" style chasuble for his Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood on 30th April.

These vestments are made from a soft-gold coloured renaissance-inspired damask, ornamented with a silk damask of burgundy and old gold and lined in terra-cotta red.

Click on the picture for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

12th May

Congratulations to Father Raymond Blake, Pastor of Saint Mary Magdalene's Parish, Brighton UK, who celebrates his Jubilee of Ordination today, 12th May. Ad multos annos!

A chasuble was commissioned for Father's Jubilee, shewn in the adjacent photograph.

This chasuble, in the "Philip Neri" style, was made from a silk damask in ivory, and old gold featuring an extremely large pattern. It was ornamented with a silk damask in old rose and old gold.

Click on the photograph for a larger image.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Easter Vestments

The Dean of a Catholic Cathedral in USA commissioned the Saint Bede Studio to make a special chasuble for Easter Day. The Dean requested that the design of the vestments have some elements to link it with Passiontide.

A cloth-gold brocade was chosen as the ground fabric for the chasuble, so that the vestment would catch the light dramatically in the large Gothic-Revival Cathedral. This brocade is ornamented with quatrefoils and crosses, and stylised crowns of thorns in burgundy. Another brocade of crimson-red and gold was chosen for the orphreys of the chasuble. This brocade features crowns in gold, chosen to represent Christ's Kingship. Lastly, the chasuble was lined in a cotton of deep purple.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

First Mass

On Thursday 30th April, four deacons of the Archdiocese of Sydney were ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in Saint Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. The following evening, one of the new priests, Father Andrew Benton, celebrated his First Mass as a Missa Solemnis in the Extraordinary Form at the Cerretti Chapel, Manly. This magnificent chapel has been until recent years the chapel of the Archdiocesan Seminary. Vestments used on this occasion were designed by the Saint Bede Studio. Below are some photographs of the Mass (courtesy of Dr Chris Steward, Melbourne).

Click on the image for an enlarged view

At the Collect:

At the Offertory:

Preparing Incense:

At the Pax:

At the Blessing:

Rorate Caeli Blogspot

Around two years ago, the editor of the site Rorate Caeli invited me to be a contributor on matters liturgical. This Blog is run by Father Demets FSSP, although there are a number of pseudonymn-contributors.

More recently, I have noticed a decidedly bigoted tone marking articles on this Blog. A low-point was reached yesterday in a mocking, deplorable article about Pope Paul VI, which was posted by "New Catholic". I have made known my views about this article directly to Rorate Caeli.

I would like friends and clients of the Saint Bede Studio to be very clear that I do not support and am not responsible for the Editorial policy of Rorate Caeli. I am a guest contributor. But I will think twice about posting any article on my own account on that blog in the future (Rorate Caeli have taken care of that now on my behalf: cancelling my access to the site).

Please make this little note clear to others who may associate the Saint Bede Studio with "Rorate Caeli".

UPDATE

Those running the Rorate Caeli blogspot have now blocked my access rights to that site.  Presumably those who differ with their Editorial policy are no longer welcome.  Thus maybe discerned the true spirit of "Rorate Caeli".

Vestments for Masses of the Dead

The Saint Bede Studio has recently completed this Low Mass set called Absolve which is intended for Masses of the Dead. This set is made from dupion silk and lined in olive green cotton. It is ornamented with a black and straw-coloured brocade depicting the Crucifixion. The chasuble is made according to the dimensions set down by Saint Charles Borromeo in 16th century.