The liturgical artists at ALBL Oberammergau , in operation since the 16th century, have been quietly at work at their trade since we last featured them, and today I wished to show the crucifix of San Gimignano, a five foot high crucifix they have created based upon the 13th…
ALBL Oberammergau: The San Gimignano Crucifix
The liturgical artists at ALBL Oberammergau , in operation since the 16th century, have been quietly at work at their trade since we last featured them, and today I wished to show the crucifix of San Gimignano, a five foot high crucifix they have created based upon the 13th…
Before and After: Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Kenosha, Wisconsin
It has been a little while since we have shown a church as part of our ever popular "before and after" series and today we are very pleased to be able to showcase the work of Stephen S. Cascio at his very own parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Kenosha, Wiscons…
Daniel Mitsui and Gardiner-Hall Collaboration on Altar Rugs for the Cathedral-Basilica of Covington, Kentucky
The matter of altar rugs is one of those subjects that gets very little treatment in the liturgical arts, but this is something of a shame as they actually fulfill both a very practical purpose (in terms of the sacred ministers) as well as an artistic one (in terms of lend…
A Model Roman (Side) Altar
The well known Alcuin Club tracts of Anglo-Catholic fame included various considerations of "English altars" (namely, medieval altars found within England) throughout their course and today I wanted to show what I consider a very good model for a "Roman alta…
Fifteenth Century Pentecost Vestments of Pope Nicholas V
Today I wished to share with our readers a set of historical vestments that were commissioned in the fifteenth century (1449-1450) by the Commune of Siena and Aquila for use by Pope Nicholas V for the occasion of the canonization of St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) on t…
Spanish Bespoke Vestment Designer A&M Ornamentos
For our final piece (for now at least) in our bespoke vestment designers series, I wanted to turn to a maker based out of Spain, A&M Ornamentos . This particular designer is, not unsurprisingly, focused on vestments in the Spanish tradition. For those who want to browse …
Bespoke Vestment Designer Maris Stella Vestments
We are nearing the conclusion of our considerations of various contemporary (but traditional) vestment designers and today I wished to continue with a maker we have featured on LAJ before, Maris Stella Vestments . This particular maker is based out to the United Kingdom and…
Keeping the Votive Mass Alive in the Holy Land
A lot of readers have been asking for more information about the planned liturgies for the upcoming Holy Land Ash Wednesday Pilgrimage with Fr. Z . My response is short: "It's a surprise, you will have to join the tour. It is a Latin Mass tour. There will be lot…
Nuns and Religious Professions
Speaking of liturgical arts, one of the most simple and yet fascinating rites in the life of the Church is the Perpetual Profession of Vows and the Investiture of Novices for sisters. It was an immense pleasure to witness both these sacred rites conducted with the greates…
Contemporary Hand Embroidery from Watts and Co. of London
If you think the art of hand embroidery is entirely lost to our time that is not in fact the case. Granted, it is ever more difficult to find such work as many of those who procure works of liturgical art today are either unwilling to wait or to pay for the hours of work t…
Two Vestments from Watts & Co. of London
We have been speaking a lot these past few days of makers of bespoke vestments, and Watts & Co. of London are certainly one of the makers who offer such vestments , but today I wanted to focus on two other of their offerings, the first being a embroidered cope . The cope…
Bespoke Vestments from Lyon, France: L'Atelier Romanitas
We are now nearing the completion of our series featuring various bespoke vestment designers and I cannot fail to mention L'Atelier Romanitas . This particular workshop operates out of Lyon, France, and many of their vestments have appeared here and elsewhere before, pr…
Bespoke Vestments from Altarworthy
Continuing on with our consideration of some of the bespoke vestment designers that are out there, today I wanted to turn your attention to Altarworthy -- whom we have featured here on LAJ before. Altarworthy is an American based vestment maker who specialize in traditiona…
Marian-Passionist Shrine in the South of Poland
Among the many wonderful treasures bestowed on future generations by Medieval Christianity was the development of pilgrimage routes and eminent shrine churches. Since about the 8th century, holy sites began to take more and more magnificent forms reviving and inventing art…
Baroque Inspired Bespoke Vestments from Spain: Pluriarte
Today I would turn your attention to Pluriarte - Arte Sacro , a small family business based out of Spain. In addition to their bespoke vestment work, they also do goldsmithing and restorative repairs -- but their vestments are our focus for today.
Pluriarte craft vestments i…
Bespoke Vestments, Frontals and More from Luzar Vestments
Continuing on with our consideration of vestment designers, I want to turn our readers' attention to Luzar Vestments who are based out of Oxfordshire. Luzar offers a range of ecclesiastical goods, from vestments and vesture to other items. In terms of their vestments,…
European, Bespoke Vestment Designer Sacra Domus Aurea
Continuing on with our considerations of some of the up and coming vestment designers out there, today I wanted to turn back toward Europe and to the maker, Sacra Domus Aurea who are based out of Italy and who we introduced you to for the first time last month .
Before proce…
Bespoke Vestments from Paramentica
Continuing on with our considerations of some of bespoke vestment makers who are operating at the moment, I wanted to turn our readers' attention to Paramentica Liturgical Design .
Paramentica is based out of the California, selling second hand and new vestment work. Tod…
Rare American Byzantine Romanesque Revival
One of the top most beautiful little examples of whimsical twenties church architecture in the American Midwest is seen here, the former parish church of St. Andrew in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sadly, it will be torn down later this month, bringing to mind a line from T.S. Eli…
Lessons of St. Francis of Assisi about Poverty and Sacred Liturgy
St. Francis of Assisi is famously quoted as saying, "preach the Gospel and use words if necessary." The lesson is straightforward enough: lead by example. In that vein, what lessons can we find from the example of St. Francis where liturgical beauty is concerned? …
Establishing an Oasis of Beauty and Joy (by Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB)
Early in the Summer of 2018 one of our bishop’s assistants telephoned: would we consider looking at some ancient monastic buildings beside a small chapel as a possible permanent location for our monastic community? In the South-East of France there are many such. But here i…
