In a previous article, A Brief Inquiry Into the Roman Custom of Painted Candles , we more generally touched upon the tradition of painted candles that can be frequently seen in Roman churches, especially prior to the post-conciliar period. Many of us are familiar with this c…
Traditions of the Solemn Papal Mass: Canonization Candles
In a previous article, A Brief Inquiry Into the Roman Custom of Painted Candles , we more generally touched upon the tradition of painted candles that can be frequently seen in Roman churches, especially prior to the post-conciliar period. Many of us are familiar with this c…
Dom Lambert Beauduin's 1914 Programme for (Genuine) Liturgical Restoration
Dom Lambert Beauduin, OSB (1873–1960) was one of the important figures of the early Liturgical Movement and in 1914 he wrote La Piété de l'Eglise (published in English translation as Liturgy the Life of the Church ) where he detailed his proposal for a programme for the …
Book Review: The Once and Future Roman Rite by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski
Dr. Peter Kwasnieski has been widely praised as one of the most important theologians and historians of Catholic liturgy in our time. His recent book, The Once and Future Roman Rite ( TAN Books , 2022), is being called his magnum opus . Indeed, in my estimation, the book is th…
Marian Offerings from Altarworthy Vestments
With today being the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it seemed a good time to feature a couple of contemporary vestment offerings from Altarworthy which feature Marian imagery. Earlier this year they introduced a gothic revival piece that included as its central image an i…
St. Raphael’s Cathedral: A Proposal by Michael Bursch
St. Raphael’s Cathedral: A Thesis Proposal by Michael Bursch In 2005, the stately, old cathedral of Madison, Wisconsin burned to the ground overnight from a case of arson. Ever since, the diocese has needed a new cathedral.
Whether the daily Mass-goer or the simple passerby, …
Before and After: St. Joseph's in Leavenworth, Kansas
It has long been our contention that a little bit of colour and pattern can go a very long way in terms of beautifying a church -- and by the same token, its removal and/or absence can also go a long way in making a church rather more mundane that it might actually need to …
Showcasing One of the Largest Vestment Collections in the United States
One of the largest and most impressive parochial collections of antique vestments in the US is kept at the church of Saint Agnes in St. Paul, Minnesota. By the time the 1960s came around, a great many beautiful and elaborate vestments were being discarded in the name of ch…
Our Lady of Walsingham Shrine: The Slipper Chapel at England's Nazareth
Before the Protestant Reformation the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk, England was one of the most visited shrines in the Catholic world. In England it was second only to Canterbury in the ranks of importance for English pilgrims. Under royal patronage its pro…
Before and After: The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Frequently our 'before and after' series looks at a situation where a modernized church had been transformed into something more traditional, but every once in a while we like to feature situations where there was already a fairly classical design. Such is the case …
A Proposed University Chapel Design from McCrery Architects
M cCrery Architects , based out of Washington, D.C., recently shared with LAJ news of a design project which they did in 2016 in relation to a proposed chapel design for the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio (a design which, while never implemented, is worth explo…
Illustrations of Purgatory and Memento Mori in Antique Requiem Missals
As we continue on in November, the month of the Holy Souls, let's pause and take a look at some of the more unique historical title pages found within the missal of the Requiem Mass. By way of explanation, while the full-fledged edition of the Missale Romanum carries th…
The Art of Statue Restoration with E.A Hayes Studio
How right Plato was when he wrote that at the sight of beauty the human soul grows wings. The beauty of statues inspires awe and raises our minds to heavenly ascents. So many times in my travels I have seen a statue in need of restoration or I have had someone ask me whe…
Liturgical Practice of Covers for the Lectionary
I took this photo in the sacristy of Westminster Cathedral in London. It is impressive to see this venerable custom maintained, of covering the Gospel & Epistle book for Solemn Mass. This tradition has been cultivated in both the Latin and Greek Churches, as an extra …
The Paleochristian Revival of the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century
While the gothic revival is well enough known -- the movement by which late medieval forms and styles were re-adopted -- something one seldom seems to hear spoken of is what I am going to call the "paleochristian revival." After the centuries moved forward and th…
A Cope of Venerable Cesare Cardinal Baronius
The church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, or what is better known as Chiesa Nuova, contains many treasures of liturgical art, not the least of which is a cope of Venerable Cesare Cardinal Baronius, the erudite Oratorian, antiquarian and scholar of ecclesiastical history. In …
Unique Feature of Vesting Prayers in Decorative Window (University of St. Thomas)
As a young college student I would sometimes find my way to the basement of our university chapel to pray. There I discovered this unique window displaying the vesting prayers. I imagine it was once part of a crypt chapel sacristy that existed according to the original p…
Liturgical Arts Shine in Africa at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes (Archdiocese of Libreville, Gabon)
For years I have been following the exciting developments from the wonderful French-speaking mission parish of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in the African city of Libreville, in Gabon. This community is a foreign mission effort under the auspices of the Institute of Christ the K…
Embossed Embroidery from the Late Nineteenth or Early Twentieth Century
Today I thought I would share a chasuble that, regrettably I have virtually no information on and, even more regrettably, only this one photo of which isn't of the highest quality. Despite that, it presents an example of a kind of work that was prominent within France i…
Beacon of Liturgical Arts: Assumption Grotto in Detroit
One of our favorite churches to visit is Assumption Grotto in Detroit. It has a national reputation as an oasis of liturgical arts and sacred liturgy. It is a centre of Marian devotion. Many have come here to revivify their faith. A truly universal Church is a Church wh…
Death and Resurrection: Combining Memento Mori with Symbols of Christian Hope
With All Souls and the month of the Holy Souls fast approaching, I thought I would take a moment to feature a contemporary vestment work that includes memento mori , but with a twist. While many Catholics have no objections to their use (and in fact, if the interest shown on…
A Rare Glimpse: Hacienda Private House Chapel in Mexico
In Spanish America many haciendas in the Mexican countryside have private house chapels. Pictured here is an example, set up in a converted room. Mass is celebrated early before the heat of the day sets in, occasionally offered by a priest in the family. This is a worthy…
