Made from a beautiful pale purple silk lamé between the years 1650-1700, this beautiful (presumably pontifical) set comes from the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina located in Italy's southern region of Basilicata. Uniquely, this particular set is not only comprised of the u…
A Seventeenth Century Pontifical Set Comprised of Twenty-Three Chasubles
Made from a beautiful pale purple silk lamé between the years 1650-1700, this beautiful (presumably pontifical) set comes from the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina located in Italy's southern region of Basilicata. Uniquely, this particular set is not only comprised of the u…
The Urn of Repose from the Cathedral of Florence
We have discussed previously the urn used on the altar of repose for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Week, and we have also previously shared a number of historical examples of this liturgical object. However, I recently came across a rather noteworthy…
The Veil of Veronica and Trinitarian Eye of Providence: A Neoclassically Styled Lenten Set
Produced between the years 1800-1825, this beautiful, Lenten themed chasuble is made of a purple/gold silk lamé with metallic gold thread embroidery, wiht the usual vegetal motifs that characterize vestments of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, as well as neo-cl…
Watts & Co. of London's Passiontide Cope
Vestments with imagery of the instruments of the Passion of Christ, which is to say, the Arma Christi, or weapons of Christ, are frequently considered some of the most unique and most striking works in the historical repertoire of vestment design. Typically such vestments …
Gothic, Neri and Roman: Variations of the Folded Chasuble and Broad Stole
The folded chasuble was (and is) a vestment used within the Roman liturgy during penitential times as well as Good Friday. (For a detailed account of the history of this, please see our December 2017 article on the " History and Designs of the Folded Chasuble .") Of…
Dal Molin Stefano's Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross)
One of the interesting projects that the Italian woodworking and iconography studio Dal Molin Stefano unveiled in recent years is this particularly beautiful set of Stations of the Cross that they worked on in collaboration with iconographers Giovanni Raffa and Laura Renzi …
Beuronese Inspirations in Tempe, Arizona: New Jerusalem Studios Work at All Saints Newman Center
N ew Jerusalem Studios , based out of Phoenix, Arizona, is a firm that was founded in the year 2014 by Ruth and Geoff Stricklin (the latter of which is a graduate of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, IL, an institution that I suspect many of our readers will be familiar …
Rediscovered and Revived Lenten Veils in Austria
Today I'd like to feature some nineteenth century Lenten veils from the parish church of St. John the Baptist ( Pfarrkirche hl. Johannes der Täufer ) in Kaning, Austria. The parish was founded in the mid fifteenth century and is a quaint gothic structure with some Baroque…
A Traditionally Wood-Carved Statue of St. Joseph by Hape Sculpture
Nestled in the Dolomites in the north of Italy is Val Gardena, an area renowned for its tradition of wood carving, is the workshop of Hape Sculpture . This particular firm has been operating for more than 35 years now, though from the quality of their work, you'd certain…
New Church Architecture: St. Jude Catholic Church in Spotsylvania, Virginia
O 'Brien and Keane , an architectural firm based in Northern Virginia and Maryland, recently shared with LAJ, news of a new church project they were involved with in Spotsylvania, Virginia:
Reprint of the Breviarium Monasticum (1963 Edition)
It brings great joy to see the Breviarum Monasticum has been reprinted in its 1963 edition. The publishers are the monks of the Monastere Saint Beoit in France. The two-volume set is a dignified and worthy edition of the monastic breviary.
The Chasuble of St. Ignatius of Loyola
The chasuble of St. Ignatius of Loyola is one of the oldest in the world still in existence. It is a hallowed relic from the sixteenth century kept in his former personal quarters in Rome, attached to the church of the Gesù. Today it is faded and a shadow of its former self…
A Rose By Any Other Name: A Medievally Inspired Rose Chasuble from Atelier LAVS
Typically when we have shown rose coloured chasubles over the years, most of them have come in the baroque form. This is for good reason; this period and style is where most of the extant historical examples are situated and, frequently, it is the examples coming from this …
Cult Meets Culture: Lecce's Patronal Festival and the Silver Statue of St. Oronzo, Bishop and Martyr
Lecce is a southern Italian city, located right within the 'heel' of the Italian boot near the Adriatic and each year, between August 24-26th, the city celebrates its patron festival and saints: St. Oronzo (the city's first bishop), as well as two of his discipl…
A Eighteenth Century Belgian Solemn Mass Set
Brussels' Inventaire du Patrimoine Mobilier has an interesting set of vestments that they have dated to the eighteenth century, taken from the inventory of the Sint-Katelijnekerk (St. Catherine's Church) -- an impressive fourteenth or fifteenth century gothic pile l…
The "Rito del Faro" at the Cathedral of Milan
The mystical edifice of Christ, the Church, has permitted and lauded through the centuries certain pliable customs and traditions for teaching in her liturgy. Respectful and solemn, they avoid any irreverent attitude, but are faithful to the teaching role applied to them.
Further Vestments As Seen in Art
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Seeing vestments in sacred art provides us with an opportunity to witness the types of vestments -- the shape of the vestments, the textiles that were used used and any ornamentation employed -- at a particular period of history. Anyone familiar with the artistic process of…
Son of Rome: The Roman Baptismal Font Where the Future Venerable Pius XII Was Baptized
Two days after he was born, on March 4, 1876, Eugenio Pacelli was baptized at this font. The location was the parish of Saints Celso and Giuliano, situated near the Ponte Sant'Angelo along an old pilgrims' road that leads to the Vatican. The current church was compl…
More Varieties of Violacea
One of the elements that makes Western liturgical art so very interesting is the great diversity of artistic styles and periods that make it up. By contrast, imagine if all churches looked substantially the same; our natural human tendency would become bored and unappreciat…
A Survey of Some of the Recent Vestment Works of Adornare Paramenti Sacri
We have been taking some time recently to look at what some of our partner liturgical artisans have been up to in their workshops -- after all, while we all enjoy the historical liturgical works of our tradition, it is also a living tradition in which we continue to see new…
Malachite Decorations in the Vatican
The polished stone known as malachite is a very rare sight in Rome. It can be seen in the Vatican Basilica with the altar built over the tomb of St. Peter in the Clementine Chapel of the Vatican Grottos. It can also be seen on two altars at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside …
Take a Guess: What Colour is This Set?
What colour is this set of vestments do you think? Is it a blue Marian set? Is it a kind of green? I suspect if most people were to look at this set, the natural inclination would be to call it blue, and indeed, it certainly appears like that. It is not blue, however; it is…
