One of the most interesting projects of contemporary gothic revival in the first decade of the 21st century was no doubt Syon Abbey -- a Benedictine abbey located near Roanoke, Virginia. The project was executed by Ethan Anthony of the architectural firm, Cram and Ferguson …
21st Century English Medieval Revival: Syon Abbey in Virginia
One of the most interesting projects of contemporary gothic revival in the first decade of the 21st century was no doubt Syon Abbey -- a Benedictine abbey located near Roanoke, Virginia. The project was executed by Ethan Anthony of the architectural firm, Cram and Ferguson …
Some Macabre Details from Torcello's Last Judgement
The twelfth century mosaic of the Last Judgement found in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello, is well enough known, but as with so many scenes of the Last Judgement, they are so filled with detail that it might be easy to miss some of them. Torcello's Last J…
One Hundred Silver Doves
I first published an article on this particular chasuble nearly a decade ago and it is one that I've been intending, for some while now, to introduce to our many new readers here on LAJ. The chasuble in question was one commissioned by a young priest for his ordinatio…
A Model Roman Altar
To speak of a "model" Roman altar is perhaps somewhat hyperbolic. After all, the tradition has seen a couple of basic forms in its long history, from the altar covered with ciborium to the altar with its attached reredos -- however, in terms of the former, there …
Papal Master of Ceremonies: Monsignor Enrico Dante
One of the greatest liturgical minds of the twentieth century was Monsignor Enrico Dante (1884-1967). He was chosen among many to be the papal Master of Ceremonies for three important decades that culminated with a General Council of the Church. April 24th is the anniver…
Ecclesiastical Textiles of Richard Norman Shaw (1831 - 1912)
While by the 20th century the gothic revival had rather stagnated (perhaps through over-reliance on the novelty found in medievalism and its revival) in the 19th century it was frequently quite another story, seeing some momentous accomplishments in the domain of the litur…
What Sits Underneath St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Most are already more than familiar with the altar and baldachin of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as well as the confessio that sits beneath of it. What they may not, however, be as familiar with is exactly just what sits beneath that, beyond what they can see with thei…
Sacristy Tips: The Traditional Way to Wear the Fascia
The fascia (or "sash") is a piece of vesture that is worn by clerics and prelates when wearing the cassock or simar. Many will be familiar with it when worn by cardinals, bishops and monsignors as it is coloured red or purple respectively, thus making it stand ou…
An Early Eighteenth Century Antependium of St. John the Evangelist
The antependium (or altar frontal) is something that only a decade ago was relatively uncommon in many Catholic churches. Fortunately, over the past decade, the use of antependia have become significantly more commonplace -- at least amongst the adherents of the new liturg…
Sacristy Tips: The Roman Method for Wearing a Roman Stole
It may come as a surprise that stoles, like chasubles, can come in different forms. Oh, for certain, the different shapes of the ends of the stole might be well enough known, with some coming in a "spade" or "shovel" form and others being much more stra…
The Paschal Blessing of the "Agnus Dei" (Benedizione degli Agnus Dei nel Mercoledì di Pasqua)
A forgotten sacramental of the Catholic Church is the rite and use of sacred waxes known as the " Agnus Dei ." The Agnus Dei was a round, oval wax disk that was blessed by the pope on the Wednesday after Easter. The blessing ceremony was considered so solemn it wa…
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the USA: Tour de Force of New Art and Beauty
I cannot say enough good things about the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In short, it is one of the most impressive, interesting and stunning sanctuaries I have seen on the North American continent. And to think it is relatively new construction…
Connecting the Natural and Liturgical: Floriated Vestments for Easter, Spring and Summer
It was about one year ago that I published an article on The Tradition of Floral Vestments , noting how apropos they are to the Easter season as well as the feast days of the spring and summer months. I say this because, as I only just noted yesterday, there tends to be a g…
Easter and the Bees
One of the items of the Easter Vigil that frequently gets lots of attention are the mentions of the bees in the Exsultet. The reference in question can be found in these two stanzas:
O holy Father, the evening sacrifice of this incense,
which holy Church renders to Thee
…
Three Vestments for Good Friday
Yesterday we took a look at three chasubles destined for use on Maundy Thursday -- white chasubles that included various symbols of the Passion. Today we will continue on with this meditation, this time turning our attention to some vestments particularly apropos to Good F…
Three Chasubles for Holy Thursday
While there is no actual rule about this, generally we are accustomed to seeing symbols of the Passion, including the crucifixion itself, most commonly found on liturgical colours like violet or black. This makes sense since those times of the liturgical year have a partic…
The "Seña" on Spy Wednesday
The yearly celebration of the vespers of Spy Wednesday in the cathedral of Quito, Ecuador, has become famous due to the spectacular ceremony of the Seña (banner) also called reseña or arrastre de caudas - the dragging of trains. The canons process through the Cathedral wear…
Monsignor Richard.J. Schuler on Art, Music & Beauty in the Liturgy
The late great Msgr. Richard Schuler (1920 - 2007) was an old mentor and friend of mine from my native Minnesota. Ordained in 1945, Msgr. Schuler was a proud priest of the Diocese of St. Paul (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis). Many of his fans, myself, included, …
Eucharistic Utensils
As we live through this 21st century plague with growing concerns regarding the transmission of diseases through the species of Holy Communion, it is interesting to examine the different forms of receiving holy communion with utensils that the Latin Church has employed thr…
Liturgical Treasures from the Cathedral Museum of Krakow
Wawel Cathedral Museum in Krakow, Poland, is home to some very interesting treasures of liturgical art and while I do not have any specific historical information on the following pieces, they are well worth showing regardless. (Many thanks to Nicola de Grandi who took thes…
The Noble Simplicity of the Traditional Sanctuary Order
Readers may recall that I have spoken of the noble beauty and simplicity that is to be found in traditional sanctuary arrangements of the Latin rite. For those who do not recall, it is my contention that these traditional arrangements, taken in their core essentials, prese…
Portable Altars in Malta
Our recent post on house chapels drew a fair bit of interest and in particular the so-called "wardrobe altar" and so it seemed like a good opportunity to share an exhibition that took place in Malta in the around 1999-2000. The exhibition in question was on "…
