After living many years in Rome and being accustomed to seeing differing versions of the Roman style chasuble, it is always interesting to see the slim Spanish versions. This example is from the baroque city of Zarazoga in northeast Spain, probably from around the 1920s. …
The Spanish Cut Chasuble
After living many years in Rome and being accustomed to seeing differing versions of the Roman style chasuble, it is always interesting to see the slim Spanish versions. This example is from the baroque city of Zarazoga in northeast Spain, probably from around the 1920s. …
Lampada Over the Centuries - Some Examples
One of the elements found within churches that are at one at the same time both readily noticed and at the same time readily ignored are "lampada" -- or, to sound slightly less exotic, lamps. That might sound like a contradiction of course; how can something be b…
The St. Louis Cathedral: Monumental Display of Mosaics (Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri)
In 1992 my mother brought me to see the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis , dedicated to the victorious Christ and St. Louis IX, King of France, patron saint of the city. It was an unforgettable experience. Since that visit this mighty fortress has captured my imagination and…
Envisioning Old St. Peter's: The Interior from the Time of Constantine through the Renaissance
In a previous article we considered what the exterior of Old St. Peter's was like and today we will turn our attention to the interior of the same. In many regards, to envision the interior of the old Constantinian basilica, just as with the exterior, we should first b…
Spanish Liturgical Tradition of the "Scruple" Spoon
I took these photos in a sacristy in Madrid, Spain staffed by the Institute of Christ the King. The spoon (buscar) caught my eye, an old Spanish custom that was used to place the drop of water in the chalice during the Offertory. In English the spoon is called a "scr…
Minor Roman Basilicas: San Silvestro in Capite
For pilgrims of Rome, the main churches one sets out to see are usually fairly obvious, with St. Peter's reigning topmost of course, followed by the other major basilicas like St. Paul's, St. Mary Major and the Lateran archbasilica. Even amongst the minor basilicas,…
Gold Mitre (Mitra Auphrygiata) of Pope St. Pius V
A few years ago I was privileged to visit the truly impressive Vatican Splendors exhibit in California. Looking back at the images, I thought it opportune to share these photos of the gold cloth miter of Pius V that dates from the year 1566. The orphreyed miter (in Latin,…
Minor Roman Churches: San Cesareo de Appia
The Roman church San Cesareo de Appia (also known as San Cesario in Palatio) is -- as you might have guessed already -- located on the ancient Appian Way (Via Appia) on the site of what was around the second or third century, originally a Roman bath. The patron saint of th…
Ordination and First Mass of Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong
Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong has shared a few precious photos of his Ordination and First Mass on social media. Readers will recognize the Servant of God Fr. Carlo Braga, SDB in the images (known as "the Little Don Bosco of China"). Cardinal Zen was born in …
The Empress Helena and the Finding of the True Cross
September 14th marks the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and with that it seemed like a good day to give some consideration to St. Helena, Empress and mother of Constantine, as well as to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. The former because it i…
The Roman Style Cotta Griccia
A handful of readers have reached out to ask if we can provide crisp images of the wonderful cotta griccia alla Romana . Following are several photos I took in Rome that help reveal the different patterns evidenced on the same cotta. It is a fascinating sight to behold. I …
Lost Roman Customs: The Illuminated Cross in St. Peter's on Holy Thursday and Good Friday
One of the lost customs of Holy Week in the Vatican was the custom of illuminating a grand cross within St. Peter's Basilica. This particular custom was captured in an etching which was done by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century. As you will see in this det…
Liturgical Notes on the Traditional Requirement for Green Sanctuary Carpeting on Solemn Occasions
Until the latter half of the twentieth century, Rome was generally known for its conservatism -- which is to say, its preservation of its own rich tradition and history. In many instances, these customs and traditions came to be lost in many places, but were held onto in Ro…
Book Review: Ministers of Christ - Recovering the Roles of Clergy and Laity in an Age of Confusion
Dr. Peter Kwasniewski has written yet another outstanding book entitled Ministers of Christ (Crisis Publications, 2021). This solid book comes highly recommended and in my opinion should be required reading in every minor and major seminary to help address the storm cloud …
The Paleochristian Art of the Roman Catacombs
Rome is famously known for its catacombs and in point of fact there are some forty catacombs to be found around the Eternal City. These catacombs are all underground and could be easily missed by pilgrims as it requires venturing "outside the walls" -- for reason …
Cathedral Liturgy in Savannah, Georgia
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia is the mother church of the Diocese of Savannah. It is also an iconic symbol of the French Gothic in the American South. Recently I was privileged to visit here for Sunday Mass. The grandeur of the ornate interio…
Ornamental, Polychrome Marble Altars of the 17th and 18th Centuries
In the modern era we've become accustomed to seeing altars that are rather monochromatic in form -- perhaps accented by gold, but otherwise usually found in white, grey or, wood painted white or stained. It would be easy to assume this is the only form altars take Howe…
From the Vatican Basilica: Alb of Blessed Pius IX
This antique alb (camice) of Pope Pius IX caught my attention in the Treasury Museum of St. Peter's Basilica. I naturally thought readers might like to see it and so here are a few images. It probably dates from sometime around the 1870s or even before. The cuffs are…
The Spanish Missions in California: Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
The Spanish Missions in present-day California are a subject of interest to many though for many outside of that region of the world it is more familiar in name that anything more tangible. By way of background, the Spanish missions were comprised of twenty one outposts -- …
A Brief Survey of the Altar Cards of St. Peter's Basilica
The old altar cards of St. Peter's Basilica were many and varied. Those on the side altars were simple, in a sort of Arts and Crafts style. Those on the Altar of the Chair and in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and the Canons Chapel were understandably Baroque in design.…
Vestments of Velvet Through the Centuries
One of the materials that we frequently see used in vestments coming especially from the later middle ages through the renaissance was velvet -- thought it obviously can also be found in other periods as well. Velvet, traditionally speaking, was made from silk and was time-…
Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Fontgombault
My favorite place to visit in France is the Abbey of Our Lady of Fontgombault (Fontgombault Abbey). I wish everyone could visit here on retreat in the summer months, especially priests. This is a Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation, located down the road fr…
Minor Roman Basilicas: San Crisogono
Continuing on with our considerations of some of the 'must-see' basilicas in Rome -- outside the usual, well known suspects -- we turn today to the minor Roman basilica of San Crisogono. San Crisogono is named after the martyr St Chrysogonus who was killed during t…
Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux (Le Barroux)
I remember once having lunch with an eminent French priest in Lourdes who explained that France is the perfect place to live because it is the land of "wine, castles, and cathedrals." Indeed, I had to agree but I reminded him to not forget to include monasteries.…
Mosan Masterpieces: Phylacteries of Hugo de Walcourt
The D’Oignies Treasure is a 13th century collection of liturgical artworks that belonged to the Priory of St. Nicholas in D’Oignies. All religious artefacts that are part of the Treasure represent finest Mosan art accomplishment, a splendid regional variety of the Romanesqu…
Sacristy Art: the Custom of Denoting "Titulus Ecclesiae" and "Nomen Ordinarii"
In sacristies there is an old custom of having a "titulus" sign that reads the name of the church ( titulor ecclesiae ) and the local ordinary ( nomen ordinarii ). Sometimes it will also say Orationes Imperatae or Oratio Imperata at the bottom (to remind priests of a…
A Brief History on the Concept of Titular Churches in Rome
One of the traditions Catholics might hear of but know little about is that of a cardinal taking his "titulus" (i.e. titular church) in Rome. The concept of a titulus itself, some suggest, reaches back to antiquity when stones marked the confines of a property. Wh…
Liturgical Arts Flourishing at Prince of Peace in Taylors, South Carolina
Good things are happening at Prince of Peace parish in Taylors, South Carolina. The pastor, Fr. Christopher Smith, is doing terrific work. Earlier this year I was privileged to visit the parish twice, witnessing the splendor of the Sunday High Mass. The liturgical arts f…
A Sneak Peak of the Private Papal Chapel at Castel Gandolfo
.jpg)
One of the most interesting places I have ever visited are the papal apartments at the papal summer villa of Castel Gandolfo. Until recently this has been off limits of the public. Under the current papacy the gardens and villa are open for tours. Part of one of the tour…
Prince, Prelate or Pauper: Memento Mori
As we have noted many times before, the use of memento mori (reminders of mortality) have a long tradition in the Church. From vestments to funerary monuments, they have a long and venerable tradition in the life of the Church and served a very great purpose: they remind us…
.jpg)
