While the consideration of liturgical textiles tends to be primarily focused on vestments and antependia, one of the less widely seen instantiations is the processional banner. Processional banners are, of course, used within processions, carried as devotional objects, oft…
Funerary Processional Banners with Memento Mori
While the consideration of liturgical textiles tends to be primarily focused on vestments and antependia, one of the less widely seen instantiations is the processional banner. Processional banners are, of course, used within processions, carried as devotional objects, oft…
The Other Modern Ciborium of the Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń
There are some altars which simply cry out for your attention. One of those is the high altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń (Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Licheńskiej) in Poland. This is particularly so because of the ciborium. It is one that I've long intended to hig…
An FSSP Inspired Solemn Mass Set
Recently, Altarworthy completed a new Solemn Mass Set that was commissioned by benefactors for (soon to be Father) Thomas Sofatzis, FSSP -- who will be ordained to the priesthood this Saturday in Sydney, Australia. The folks at Altarworthy offered LAJ a few comments on thei…
The Liturgical Construction of the Altar - Part 2 of 2
We continue with the second part of "The Liturgical Construction of the Altar" written by Fr. Edwin Ryan and published in the Fall 1931 issue of Liturgical Arts Quarterly. * * * The Altar Furnishings The crucifix should be large and prominent. It may be of metal or w…
The Liturgical Construction of the Altar - Part 1 of 2
Our previous reprint on the "textile appurtenances" of the altar from Liturgical Arts Quarterly proved of great interest to many, so I thought I would reprint another similar article from the Fall 1931 issue of the same (the very first issue in point of fact), th…
Before and After: Holy Cross Catholic Church in East Bernard, Texas
Just a very quick "before and after" for this Friday, coming from Holy Cross Catholic Church in East Bernard, Texas. The sanctuary renovation was done by Ecclesiastical Studios and Sons who are based out of Greenwood, Montana and involved the restoration of an al…
The Textiles of the Altar, Its Vessels and the Sanctuary - Part 2 of 2
We now continue on with the second and final part of "The Textile Appurtenances of the Altar" by William J. Lallou and William R. Tablot, originally published in the 1932 edition of Liturgical Arts Quarterly.
* * * The Dressing of the Tabernacle The Conopaeum, or v…
Slovenian Liturgical Arts Displayed at Fr. Rok Pogačnik's Ordination
One historically Catholic land that is deserving of the adjective “superb” is Slovenia. Bordering Italy and Austria, this smaller country is something to behold, showcasing the full fragrance of liturgical arts. It was an immense privilege for me to visit here once again f…
The Textiles of the Altar, Its Vessels and the Sanctuary - Part 1 of 2
Browsing some of the articles in the 1932 edition of Liturgical Arts Quarterly , I came across "The Textile Appurtenances of the Altar" by William J. Lallou and William R. Tablot which is focused on the traditional legislation around the various textiles that acco…
The Historical Christian Arrangement of Hagia Sophia
There has, understandably, been a great deal of focus in recent weeks on Hagia Sophia which, for most of its existence, was the patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul), built in A.D. 537 under the Emperor Justinian. While it is commonly referred in t…
The Liturgical Movement in New York: Two Altars
The twentieth century Liturgical Movement was something of a mixed bag as I've long commented but one of the areas where it tended to excel -- at least in the first half of the twentieth century - was the restoration of the ciborium magnum to many churches as well as a…
Prelatial Dress of the Religious Orders: The Capuchins
In a previous installment in our series considering the unique, traditional prelatial dress of those prelates that were attached to religious orders, we considered the Franciscans -- whose distinctive prelatial dress was typically grey. However in that article it was noted…
French Abbey of Notre-Dame d’Annonciation Flourishes with “Latin Mass” Nuns
Imagine for a moment the most idyllic setting imaginable for a convent. A traditional monastery of nuns in the south of France amid the vineyards, wineries, olive groves and lavender fields of the coveted Provence-Alpes-Côte region. Where the nuns can still be heard singin…
The Ecclesiastical Heraldry of Andrew Stewart Jamieson
A little over a month ago we featured some of the illuminated artwork of Andrew Stewart Jamieson and today I thought our readers might be interested to see some of his ecclesiastical heraldry more specifically. In fact, Jamieson's hand painted heraldic works are amongs…
Slovenia Shines with the Bled Island Shrine of the Assumption
Truly one of my favorite pilgrimage destinations in the world is Slovenia. It is a land of great beauty and wonderful people. Twice I had the privilege of visiting here while on pilgrimage. Both times at the kind invitation of our dear friend Fr. Rok Pogacnik . I must sa…
Examples of Contemporary Liturgical Embroidery from Malta
The following are a few examples of liturgical embroidery coming from Malta. Regrettably, I can provide little commentary on these examples, but it seems to me that they will be of interest to many of our readers all the same. They include altar frontals, tabernacle veils …
Historic Papal Cross and Ring from Days of Epic Solemn Papal Liturgies
This historic hand-crafted cross and matching ring, exquisite works of art that were kept many years in the Treasury of the Vatican Basilica, were made from gemstones from the Vatican's own collection. These items - blessed objects - were taken out and made generous u…
Two Recent Offerings from Watts and Co. and Sacra Domus Aurea
Returning to a bit of contemporary work in the area of vestment design, I thought I would share two recent offerings from a couple of our partners, Watts & Co. of London and Sacra Domsu Aurea in Italy .
The first is a recent offering from Watt's, a Pentecost cope th…
A New Ciborium for the Basilica of Christ the King in Paola, Malta
When an altar and sanctuary is further beautified, it is always a cause for rejoicing -- and usually also a matter of great interest to our readers. A little over a year ago we ran an article on a baldachin that was being planned for the basilica of Christ the King in Paol…
Other Modern: Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians in Gliwice-Sośnica, Poland
The Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians in Gliwice-Sośnica, Poland presents us with yet another example in our Other Modern considerations. As is often the case with Other Modern, the church utilizes rectangular and square shapes but done in a way which is consonant wit…
Ceremonial Variations of the Solemn Mass in the Rite of Lyon
We are very fortunate in our time to be seeing the revival not only of the ancient form of the Roman rite, but also the revival of some of the other Western rites and uses, be they of the religious orders or be they of certain venerable sees, such as Milan, or more recentl…
The New St. Michael's Abbey in California: An Architectural Landmark
How exciting to receive a progress report on the wondrous new St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, California. The new abbey church and attached monastery are taking shape, inside and out, amid a live construction site. Friends and benefactors are rejoicing over the…
The Life and Work of Geoffrey Webb (Author of The Liturgical Altar)
PREAMBLE: Many of our readers will already be familiar with the name of Geoffrey Webb, who is perhaps best known for his excellent little work, The Liturgical Altar , which treats on the classic design principles of the Catholic altar and all of its related parts. (I person…
The Spanish "El Bonete Español" Biretta
Our good friend Fr. Pablo Santa Maria, born in New Spain, wears the Spanish "bonete" biretta in this photo. This style of biretta is common to the Spanish Empire, a fine example of authentic "inculturation" in the liturgy. A biretta in this fashion br…
The Sanpietrini and the Illumination of St. Peter's Basilica
Many but perhaps not all LAJ readers will be familiar with the fact that for the greatest of solemnities, the tradition of St. Peter's Basilica was to drape it in festal red hangings and to illuminate it with candlelight. This is a sight that only a small few might now…
