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. This verse is taken from St. John's Gospel from …
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. This 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”…
Before and After: St. Leo the Great, Demopolis, Alabama
Continuing on with our popular before and after series, we turn today to a project executed in part by Murals by Jericho who are located in Peoria, Illinois. They recently pursued work at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Demopolis, Alabama. They offer the following comm…
A Rare Glimpse: Painting and Reality
It is very rare that we get an opportunity to see and compare items like the vestments portrayed in historical paintings to the actual historical items but this is one of those occasions. The following painting comes from 1656, painted by the Florentine artist Orazio Fidani…
A Newly Carved Tintinnabulum and Umbraculum
One of the rarer bits of liturgica that one might come across is the tintinnabulum and umbraculum, found only within basilicas. The rather strange sounding name comes with reference to the bell that grace these symbols; symbols intended to reflect the fact that the church t…
Book Review: "Death Comes for the Cathedrals" by Marcel Proust (With New Translation by Dr. John Pepino)
In the history of the Church, episodes of storm or frost are only too common which destroy the blossom in our orchards and blight their rich promise of fruit. To anyone who has traveled through Europe and seen the cathedrals -- today empty shells with no congregation or cl…
Belmont Abbey Basilica Renovation (1964-1965)
The Abbey Basilica of Maryhelp in Belmont, North Carolina is a modified Gothic Revival structure influenced by Chartres Cathedral, the high point and model of the French Gothic. It is an important Catholic landmark in the American south, dedicated to Our Lady under the ve…
A New Renaissance Style Triptych
A LBL Oberammergau in Germany recently revealed a northern Renaissance style triptych that they produced that will be used as the altarpiece for an altar designed by McCrery Architects in the United States. The triptych is comprised of relief carvings (hand carved) that have…
A Nineteenth Century Cope from the Cathedral of Seville
Before we leave the season of Advent, I'be been meaning to share this violet cope which comes from the nineteenth century and is located in the Cathedral of Seville in Spain. The cope is comprised of a dark purple silk that has been ornamented with beautiful, spirallin…
The Lindau Gospels Treasure in New York
The Morgan Library in New York is currently hosting an exciting exhibition titled “Imperial Splendor: The Art of the Book in the Holy Roman Empire ca. 800 - 1500” featuring manuscripts and few important examples of early Medieval metalwork – principally precious book bindin…
Noble Simplicity Versus Post-Conciliar Sanctuary Clutter
Recently I spoke again about the noble simplicity of the traditional Catholic sanctuary order. I thought I would take a slightly different approach this time and show a sanctuary that is not atypical for the post-conciliar era. I am purposefully not identifying the particul…
New Masterpiece Polyptych for Diocese of Charlotte's Seminary
Love, veneration, and praise for Christ the Son of Man has also implied over the centuries praise for His mother. Next to her Son, she is the chief actor in the tragedy and triumph of the greatest story ever told, the Incarnation of the Son of God and His work of Redemptio…
A Brief Survey of the Old Testament in Sacred and Liturgical Art in Different Mediums
While we tend not to think of it as much as we ought, the great figures and stories of the Old Testament have always had a notable place in the Church, including within the liturgical arts. Whether we are talking about painting, sculpture, mosaics or vestments, they are the…
Some Views of the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Mark's in Venice
The basilica of St. Mark's in Venice will need little introduction to many of our readers. The basilica is the seat of the Patriarch of Venice (though at one time, believe it or not, it was the 'chapel' to the doge of Venice), construction being begun in the ele…
