The Very Rev. Christopher Marino, Record of the Cathedral of St. Mary in Miami, on our request sent us some photos of this rather unique set of black vestments that are in his possession. The set seems clearly of twentieth century vintage, produced in Belgium by Rene Lorrai…
An Early Twentieth Century Requiem Set - A Mirror of its Time
The Very Rev. Christopher Marino, Record of the Cathedral of St. Mary in Miami, on our request sent us some photos of this rather unique set of black vestments that are in his possession. The set seems clearly of twentieth century vintage, produced in Belgium by Rene Lorrai…
Detailing and Stencilling on Church Statuary
It has been awhile since we've stopped to take a look at some woodcarving, so today I thought we'd turn our attention to some of the work of Mussner G. Vincenzo , specifically as it relates to the use of ornamental stencilling and painted decoration for statuary. The…
A Taste of the North of Europe in North Carolina: A Project by Cram and Ferguson
Today I wished to share a recent church renovation project coming from within the context of St. Timothy's Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina -- an Anglican church, thus outside LAJ's usual scope of focus, however the liturgical art that was pursued here is cer…
Sacred Vestments from the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century As Seen In Historical Paintings
We have previously touched on the subject of Vestments in Art and I thought I would return to this subject once more, turning this time to some other paintings. Vestments do appear in places other than paintings of course -- illuminations and sculpture being the next most o…
Before and After: The Co-Cathedral of St Thomas More in Tallahassee
On, Wednesday, January 19th, Bishop William Wack, CSC, consecrated the altar and rededicated the Co-Cathedral of St Thomas More in Tallahassee, Florida following a major renovation project that saw Granda Liturgical Arts engaged. The project included the reconstruction of t…
Three Italian Variations in Vestment Design - Florence, Venice and Rome Compared
In a previous article we discussed some of the continental design variations in the shapes and forms of vestments that could be found in some of the regions of Catholic Europe; there we focused on the Italian, French, Spanish and Austrian. However, this list was not intende…
The Magnificent Communion Verse of the Second Sunday After Epiphany
The splendor of the liturgical arts in chant and language! One of my favorite moments of the liturgical year is to hear this beautiful Communion verse sung every January at High Mass on the Second Sunday After Epiphany. The verse is taken from St. John's Gospel - from…
The Parisian Chasuble of St. Louis en I'lle
The following chasuble, called the chasuble of St. Louis en I'lle, comes from the website of the Archdiocese of Paris and shows to us a beautiful red velvet which has been ornamented by gold embroidered work and further embellished by a re-used antique orphrey. The main…
Catholic Artist Neilson Carlin: Master of Classical Realism
Neilson Carlin is a Catholic artist and experienced figure painter who paints in the very difficult style of classical realism. This takes real talent. His popular works are seen in churches across the nation. Over recent years he has become a recognized name as one of t…
Before and After: St. Joseph's Church in Ohio
Recently I came across another project which fits within our particularly popular "Before and After" series, this time coming from St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Ohio. The project was executed by Fynders Keepers Brokerage based out of Stilwell, Kansas and in…
The Eternal Gift: Revisiting An Excellent Resource to Learn the Latin Mass
On Easter Sunday 1940 a very special full-length sound motion picture of Solemn Mass was made for the ages. It marked the first time in history a High Mass had been fully recorded on video. It was recorded on ten reels of film and two years were consumed in the making. T…
The Form of the Altar and the Liturgical Movement
The Liturgical Movement of the twentieth century was, as we well know, a bit of a mixed bag. Like any movement, its adherents were not always on the same page with some factions being more conservative and others more "progressive"; some more traditional, some mor…
Freiburg Cross in the State Hermitage St. Petersburg
A remarkable collection of Medieval and Renaissance art was displayed during the Paris World’s Fair in 1878. The exhibited treasures caused a stir in the higher echelons of European Society, as well as among artists, dealers, collectors and the general public. Earlier in th…
Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso (Diocese of Lincoln)
The beautiful Carmel in Valparaiso, Nebraska was built in 2001 by JVC Architects of Las Vegas, Nevada. For images of the incredible project, see here . The charming architecture is California Mission Revival style, a revivalism and reinterpretation which draws its inspirat…
Our Lady of Guadalupe FSSP Seminary in Nebraska (Seminarium B.M.V. de Guadalupe)
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter ( FSSP ) was originally founded in 1993 with the help of Fr. Arnaud Devillers, FSSP and Fr. William Ashley of Canada. It was established as an international seminary for English-speaking candidates fo…
Papal Patrons of the Arts: Three Medici Popes
The Medici were a Florentine family who were perhaps best known for their positions as bankers during the Renaissance, as well as for effectively bankrolling from their assets what we have now come to think of precisely as the 'renaissance' - a period in which we sa…
Pattern and Detail in Liturgical Art and Architecture
Pattern and detailing are frequently a key part of beautiful and engaging liturgical art and architecture and while the baroque and the gothic are frequently pitted against one another (by some at least) both of these periods share in this same basic design principle. Today…
Excellent Resource for Teaching Boys How to Serve the Traditional Latin Mass
One of the most important resources for families that attend the Traditional Latin Mass is How
to Serve by Dom Matthew Britt, O.S.B. Dom Matthew was a Minnesota-born Benedictine priest from St. John's Abbey in Minnesota who was ordained
in 1901 for St. Martin’s Abbey in …
Conrad Schmitt Studios New Ceiling in Arizona: A Visual Triumph
Our good friends at Conrad Schmitt Studios have done something amazing in the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona. Here can be seen stunning before and after pics of their recent project at the church of St. Bernadette in Scottsdale, Arizona. The parish community had a new chur…
An Eighteenth Century Chasuble from the Re-purposed Robe of Karl III
Recently we shared some information on our social media page about historical textiles and how frequently those found in historical vestments are either repurposed from secular garments that have been re-tailored for sacred use. Today we have yet another example of this in …
St. Trudpert Chalice in New York
A spectacular Medieval chalice, paten, and fistula, known in the United States as St. Trudpert’s Set, are on display alongside the Lindau Treasure and several other important Christian masterpieces at the Morgan Library, where they are a highlight of the “Imperial Splendor”…
