As we approach All Hallows Eve and some of the cultural associations we have with this time of the year, it seems to me a good time to look at yet another Capuchin Franciscan "catacomb" similar to the crypt of the Capuchins in Rome. In this instance I speak of the…
The Catacombe dei Cappuccini in Palermo, Sicily
As we approach All Hallows Eve and some of the cultural associations we have with this time of the year, it seems to me a good time to look at yet another Capuchin Franciscan "catacomb" similar to the crypt of the Capuchins in Rome. In this instance I speak of the…
Cosmati Style Church Pavement by Rugo Stone
R ugo Stone is a company based out of Virginia that specializes in working with natural stone. The company has a certain pedigree by sheer fact that it was founded by the grandson of an Italian stone-carver. Before we take a look at one of their recent projects, first let…
The Spanish Custom of Vesting Statues
There is an old custom in Spain and her colonies, the practice of clothing statues. Visitors to Spain notice this right away, with many statues in churches commonly vested with articles of clothing. This includes statues of canonized priests and even miniature statues of Ch…
An Impressive Red Vestment Set from the Museu de São Roque in Lisbon, Portugal
The Museu de São Roque in Lisbon, Portugal (which is attached to the Jesuit church of the same name) appears to be one of those impressive museums of liturgical art you might come across in Europe -- at least, based on the collections I have seen. The museum carries an impr…
St. Mary's Oratory of the Immaculate Conception in Wausau, Wisconsin
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the founding of St. Mary's Oratory in Wausau, an apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King. For many St. Mary's has been a refuge, an oasis of liturgical arts in rural Wisconsin, for both locals and those who vacatio…
Exploring the Subterranean Basilica and Christian Art of the Roman Catacombs of Domitilla
The catacombs of Domitilla are a series of catacombs located near the ancient Via Appia. They are sixteen metres underground and span approximately fifteen kilometres in their layout. They are so-named after the Domitilla family who had these catacombs prepared for use, a f…
The Grande Chapelle of the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center is one of the most popular places for pilgrims to stay in Jerusalem, about a ten minute walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was originally built by the French Assumptionists as a center for Catholic pilgrims (a guesthouse), simila…
Chasuble of Cardinal Marco Vegerio (1505-1510)
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Many of the Renaissance era vestments that we have shown here over the years tend to be manifest by very large "a griccia" patterns, accompanied by re-purposed medieval embroidered orphrey panels that were fit as best they could be into the new, more truncated sty…
Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta: Another Example of Romanesque Orderings
Readers of Liturgical Arts Journal will already know that I have a particular passion for the paleochristian and Romanesque orderings of churches. Churches such as these generally include impressive ambones from which to proclaim the readings, ciboria over their altars, bal…
Architectural Proposal for the Basilica of St. Benedict of Norcia by Anthony Ferraro
[LAJ is always pleased to feature young and upcoming architects and today we are featuring an article by Anthony Ferraro, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame's school of architecture. As many of our readers will know, the beautiful basilica of San Benedetto in No…
St. Paul Seminary Chapel Renovation (1988)
St. Mary's Chapel at the St. Paul Seminary was arguably one of the most beautiful Byzantine-Romanesque chapels in the nation. Completed in 1905, its interior was decorated in the 1920s in a whimsical style that has kept with the times and was in perfect harmony with the…
Thoughts on the Origins of the Monastic Style Cope of the Early Liturgical Movement
Sometimes you will hear references to something called a "monastic cope." The question that naturally arises for people is what is meant by this. It's first worth noting that the so-called monastic-cope is neither universally used by monastics and, what's…
Medieval Vestment Survivals: The Terno de San Valero
Genuine medieval survivals where vestments are concerned are not unknown, but neither are they particularly common. This particular set is known as the "Terno de San Valero" which were vestments that were procured in the thirteenth century (ca. 1215-1275). As we h…
A Survey of the Ceramic Reliefs of the Renaissance Florentine Artist Andrea della Robbia
If you spend any time in Tuscany, you will no doubt have come across the beautiful, coloured ceramics that can be found there. One of the most prominent Renaissance artists who produced such works in the region is Andrea della Robbia who was born in Florence -- the heart an…
Two Examples of the Papal Aumônière
As many will be aware, clergy are typically offered a donation called a stipend for Masses celebrated for particular intentions. While for the in-the-trenches clergy this is a supplementary part of their income, for Roman pontiffs it is more symbolic in nature and included …
Notre Dame Priory in Colebrook (Tasmania, Australia)
There is a little-known traditional Benedictine monastic community in Australia on the island of Tasmania called Notre Dame Priory . It was founded by an American monk from Kentucky who is also the community's first prior, Dom Pius Noonan, OSB. The group began with four …
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Medellín in Colombia (Burial Place of Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos)
The Metropolitan Cathedral of of the Immaculate Conception in Medellín (also known as Villanueva Cathedral ) soars heavenward as a well dimensioned architectural expression of movement to God. It is one of the major architectural works of Colombia, a Neo-Romanesque gem, in R…
Further Examples of the Crosier from the Eleventh Through Twentieth Centuries
In our previous article on the subject, we spoke of the general history and symbolism of the crosier as a symbol of jurisdiction and authority, including some of the various forms the crosier has taken. Today our intent is to present a survey of some different forms the Lat…
A Renaissance Era Cope of the Later 1500's or Early 1600's Featuring St. Antony of the Desert
Today I wished to share yet another spectacular cope coming from the late renaissance period. The green fabric comes in one of the popular design motif's of the period called "cammino." Cammino is characterized by its horizontal arrangement of designs that ut…
The Fraternité Saint-Vincent-Ferrier's Stunning New Altar in France
The Fraternité Saint-Vincent-Ferrier (SFVF) is a religious community of friars based in France in the footprint of the Dominican Order. Inspired by the friars preachers, they are under the patronage of St. Vincent Ferrier, the apostle of difficult times, and St. Thomas Aqui…
