Matters are seldom resolved overnight but are rather a progression of steps. This is as true in liturgical life as it is in life itself. Many years ago when the traditions of the Requiem Mass were yet being rediscovered, the use of unbleached beeswax candles were a relative…
Recovering the Traditions of the Requiem: Crosses and Candlesticks
Matters are seldom resolved overnight but are rather a progression of steps. This is as true in liturgical life as it is in life itself. Many years ago when the traditions of the Requiem Mass were yet being rediscovered, the use of unbleached beeswax candles were a relative…
A New Altar for the Oxford Oratory
We were recently sent an email from one of the Brothers of the Oxford Oratory , informing us of the commission and execution of a new altar in the aforesaid oratory church. The Oxford Oratory is, of course, one of the premiere venues of Catholic Oxford, and as such any news …
Book Notices: Cardinal Schuster's The Sacramentary (and Conciliar Limericks)
While our focus here is primarily the liturgical arts, these do not exist outside liturgical history and for that reason we wanted to inform our readers about the timely reprint of one the classics of liturgical history, Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster's The Sacramentary: H…
Memento Mori: Not For Vestments Alone
Most of our readers are more than familiar with the fact that many historical requiem Mass vestments included images of the dead on them as a form of memento mori . We also recently shared some funerary banners that included the same. In point of fact, the use of memento mor…
The Phoenix Cope from Watts and Co. of London
For more than a century, Watts & Co. of London have been known for their work within the context of the gothic revival. This is perfectly natural given that its founders include some of the premiere gothic revivalists of their time. Continuing on within this tradition, …
Book Review: Excellent New Paperback Hand Missal for the EF
The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in Chicago along with our good friends at Biretta Books have published an exciting new Latin-English booklet missal for the lay faithful. It is called The Latin Mass Companion and includes the Order of Mass in Latin and English with P…
Three "Before and After" Projects of the Earlier Liturgical Movement
Generally our "before and after" series presents contemporary projects, but today I thought I would share three remodelling projects that come from the earlier period of the Liturgical Movement as featured in a 1934 issue of Liturgical Arts Quarterly . They actuall…
The Ongoing Evolution of North American Martyrs Parish in Edmonds, Washington
Over the past year, we have been checking in with Jasper and Scheer Liturgical Art , and their project of beautifying the North American Martyrs parish in Edmonds, Washington. We began with their altar in January of this year, and then turned back to the project later in Feb…
Home of the Extraordinary Form in Paris: Church of Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile
My favorite church to visit in Paris for Sunday High Mass is the Église Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile . Catholics who visit Paris should know about this wonderful church and visit -- it is the home of the EF in the Archdiocese of Paris. Liturgy is done very well here with grea…
In Tribute to Our Priestly Liturgical Scholars: Fr. William Ashley, STL of Canada
One of the finest priests I know is Fr. Bill Ashley of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He is a noble son of the Church, born in the city named for the greatest of prophets (cf. Luke 7:28), St. John the Baptist, St. John's Newfoundland, the easternmost outpost of the Nort…
La Garde Traditional Benedictine Monastery in France is Growing
One of the most delightful traditional monasteries I have visited in Europe is the Monastery of Sainte-Marie de la Garde. This little-known EF monastery should be on the radar for all traditional Catholics who visit France. It is located in the beautiful French countrysid…
Booklet Missals for "Latin Mass" EF Weddings
With more and more weddings celebrated in the EF, many young couples are seeking resources to aid their guests in the pew. The wedding ceremony presents a perfect opportunity to introduce visiting Catholics (and non-Catholics alike) to the EF, with the benefit and wonder o…
The Character of Seventeenth Century Vestment Embroidery
Mention embroidered vestments in the Roman tradition and what will typically come to mind for most people are the heavily laden gold embroideries that were typical to the vestments of the later 18th and 19th centuries in particular. However, as you go back a bit earlier in …
The Titular Church of Cardinal Dante and Cardinal Burke: Sant'Agata de' Goti
Nestled in the heart of Rome and sitting below the present street level is a former Arian church, Sant'Agata de' Goti (St. Agatha of the Goths). This fifth century church is not one of the primary tourist attractions in the myriad of competing churches and basilica…
Antique Vestment Restorations by Atelier Sirio
We tend to think of restorations primarily in the context of architecture or painting, however the realm of the textile arts is not one we should forget in this regard either. Atelier Sirio , a vestment firm located in Bergamo, Italy, have an interesting feature on their soc…
Before and After: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Norwich, Connecticut
We are pleased to be able to present another installment in our 'before and after' series, this time coming by way of Canning Liturgical Arts and St. Patrick's Cathedral in Norwich, Connecticut. This particular project shows just how influential colour and desig…
English Gothic at Holy Family in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Located in a quiet suburb of Minneapolis is the parish church of the Holy Family in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. This beautiful building, built in 1960, boasts several unique treasures not commonly seen in other Catholic churches in this part of the world. Originally inspir…
The Milanese Altar
When you look at enough church arrangements over the years, you begin to pick up on patterns and can start to discern particular styles. One which has been particularly evident to me for some while is a particular form of altar found in the north of Italy, particularly Mila…
Our Lady of Victory Chapel at St. Catherine University
One of my absolute favorite churches in North America is the Romanesque Revival chapel of Our Lady of Victory at the University of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. The structure was built by the school Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) in Roman Basilica style,…
