While there is an increasing awareness of traditional vesture such as the cappa magna and pontificals such as sandalia , gauntlets and so forth, one area that remains still relatively unknown to many today is the penitential and mourning dress of prelates. To help simplify …
The Traditional Penitential and Mourning Dress of Cardinals of the Roman Church
While there is an increasing awareness of traditional vesture such as the cappa magna and pontificals such as sandalia , gauntlets and so forth, one area that remains still relatively unknown to many today is the penitential and mourning dress of prelates. To help simplify …
Vestments for the Pentecost Octave
Continuing on with our meditations around Pentecost during the octave, this is a good opportunity to share a few odds and ends where red vestments are concerned -- particularly those with 'Pentecostal' imagery.
This first chasuble is one that is located in the Phi…
The 2019 Chartres Pilgrimage
As we sit within the Octave of Pentecost in the traditional Roman calendar, I cannot resist our annual opportunity to showcase some photos from the recent Chartres Pentecost Pilgrimage in France. Traditionally that pilgrimage begins at Notre Dame in Paris and ends up at No…
Tintoretto's Vision of Paradise
This year marks several significant art anniversaries: Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and Tintoretto are all artists who are especially remembered in 2019. In the United States, The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is hosting a splendid exhibition that honors Tintoretto. Amo…
Customs: The Shower of Rose Petals on the Feast of Pentecost
Yesterday, for the solemnity of Pentecost, a venerable custom was performed at the Pantheon, or Basilica of S. Maria ad Martyres. The Italians call this custom "la pioggia di petali di rosa" (or shower/rain of rose petals). While not exclusive to the Pantheon it …
The Spanish Mission Reredos of San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico
S an Miguel Chapel (Misión de San Miguel) is Spanish mission church that dates back to the early 1600's, being the oldest known church in the continental USA. While the chapel is generally of interest, it is the reredos which is of particular interest today, being anot…
Ceremonies of the Consecration of Churches: The Writing of the Latin and Greek Alphabets on the Church Pavement
The traditional ceremonies associated with the consecration of churches have always spawned a great deal of interest, no doubt in part for their relative rarity, but also because of their particular antiquity, symbolism and majesty. Like the ceremonies of Holy Week, they l…
Some Works from the Museo del Tesoro del Duomo Vigevano
Our good friend Nicola de Grandi tipped us off to a recent visit he made to the Museo del Tesoro del Duomo Vigevano where he took some photos of a unique early 18th century chasuble that bears the image of a sainted bishop. Unfortunately I have little in the way of inform…
A Liturgical Rarity: Rose Pontifical Sandals
By now many of our readers will be familiar with the pontifical sandal . As sandals are particular to the liturgical colour of the day, these are seen in white, red, green and violet. The only liturgical colour excluded is black. Nainfa in Costume of Prelates comments acco…
The Beautiful Madonna of Wrocław
Quality in any of the liturgical arts is of paramount importance, but one area I have frequently touched upon in this regard is the area of sculpture -- quite likely because there have been so many examples of those that have been poorly and/or sentimentally done in this p…
More Vestments from the Papal Sacristy
For this last Friday of May I thought it would be of interest to look through more of the papal and papally related vestments that have been so admirably catalogued in the book, Il Papa e le sue vesti . Shown here today are a variety of liturgical sandals as well as some c…
The 'Three Kings' of Catholic Spirituality: Mass, the Office and Sacred Scripture
This is a combined book notice and commentary that I've been meaning to write for some time. Originally I had thought about it for the Christmas season -- being a gift-giving season -- but in my experience times like those are already over-saturated with gift ideas and…
Updates on Clear Creek Abbey and Another Project from Heyer Architect
It has been awhile since we dropped in with some of our architects and William Heyer Architects recently update their site with some new projects that should be of interest to LAJ readers. One such project is that of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, Ohio .
From Heye…
What Are Rogation Days?
These next three days are rogation days in the Roman calendar, but in this period of rediscovery of our traditions, many may well be asking: what exactly are Rogation days? Rogation days were days which were instituted to appease divine justice, ask for protection, and inv…
Other Modern: The Moriarty Chasuble of Downside Abbey
One of the contemporary (but traditional) chasubles coming out of the sacristy of Downside Abbey that has always interested me is the so-called "Moriarty chasuble." This particular chasuble is a clear byproduct of the very best of the monastic school of the Litu…
Reader Question: Vestment Offerings in an Italianate Style
Frequently I am asked where vestments of a 'high baroque' variety can be purchased these days -- if anywhere at all. What is typically meant by this are the sort of vestments that have very rich gold embroidery on them, embroidered onto some sort of lamé in one or …
The Poesy and Aesthetics of the Doberan Cross
Doberan Abbey is one of the great Cistercian edifices constructed between the XII c. and XV c., a venerable and original gem of Gothic brick architecture found along the ancient merchant route between Poland, Germany, and Denmark. The buildings and the liturgical treasures…
Before and After: The Restoration of St. Mary's, German Village, in Columbus, Ohio
I wanted to share a little bit of the work coming out of Meleca Architects , namely the restoration of the church of St. Mary's, German Village , in Columbus, Ohio. You can see from this view below that, first off, the high altar has been restored. In the 'before'…
Our Lady of Paris and Other New Work from ALBL Oberammergau
It has been awhile since we dropped in on our friends at ALBL Oberaammergau but as they had recently updated the portfolio on their website, it was an opportune time for a visit.
I would take a moment to note that this company works in traditional materials like wood; as …
Solemn Pontifical Mass in Minneapolis
The FSSP in Minneapolis recently had a visit from Cardinal Burke for the occasion of the First Communions of a number of the children affiliated with the community. I would take a moment to mention the vestments that were used for this event, which take their inspiration …
