One of the oldest and most important churches in Rome is Santa Prassede (in Latin: Basilica Sanctae Praxedis ). Here is where Sts. Cyril and Methodius lived while in Rome in the adjoining Benedictine monastery complex. Here visitors gather to see the pray before one of the c…
The Basilica of Santa Prassede: Chapel of St. Zenon
One of the oldest and most important churches in Rome is Santa Prassede (in Latin: Basilica Sanctae Praxedis ). Here is where Sts. Cyril and Methodius lived while in Rome in the adjoining Benedictine monastery complex. Here visitors gather to see the pray before one of the c…
The Sixth Century Archepiscopal Throne of St. Maximianus of Ravenna
Ravenna is, of course, famous for its Italo-Byzantine churches and mosaics, however a relic that frequently gets less attention is the beautiful carved episcopal throne of the sainted archbishop of Ravenna, Maximianus (+556). Before we discuss the throne in particular, let&…
A French Chalice and Paten at the Louvre Museum
Recently while touring the Louvre in Paris with a priest friend, we noticed this rare gem. In some ways a miracle, given that the lion's share of ecclesiastical metalware in France went missing during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, stolen and looted by r…
Silk, Light and Texture: A New Cope from Atelier LAVS
The Italian firm, Atelier LAVS , have been featured here before, most especially their especially splendid precious mitres which are always immediately identifiable when seen worn on the heads of Catholic prelates today -- which they frequently are, particularly within Italy…
Harrison Design and the Church of Mary Our Queen in Peachtree Corners, Georgia
The architects at Harrison Design , a firm based out of Atlanta, Georgia with various other satellite offices, undertood a project in recent years to design a new church for the parish of Mary, Our Queen in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Harrison Design themselves note that the…
Further Examples of the Formale Coming in Other Forms
In two previous articles we covered the topic of the formale -- a decorative clasp used by senior prelates when wearing the cope, placed over the spot where the cope connects at the front. The first article covered the general history of the formale , while our more recent …
The Venerable Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims and Convalescents
In Catholic countries, as in the Diocese of Rome, the role of the (arch)confraternity plays an undisputed role. It follows a very successful model that helps keep serious church members - and especially men - volunteering and actively involved in church life.
French Engraver François Houat's 1694 Edition of the Missale Romanum
Typography and liturgical printing are one of those areas that frequently get neglected in our contemporary considerations of the liturgical arts and yet a well published liturgical book is not only of practical value, it is also yet another manifestation of the beauty that…
An Early Eighteenth Century Monstrance Gifted by Pope Benedict XIII
The Terra Sancta Museum in the Holy Land has many important and prominent treasures of liturgical art within their collections and while we only just recently shared some of their monstrances, with Corpus Christi being observed in many places this past weekend, we couldn…
Boldly Coloured Copes from Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
The dominant design trends for vestments in recent centuries has gone something like this: some sort of damask is used over the entirety of the vestment, with galloons separating the orphreys form the rest of the design. Sometimes, the orphreys might be gold, however, to di…
Three Monstrances from the Collections of the Terra Sancta Museum
Within the collections of the Terra Sancta Museum are many stunning monstrances and to honour this time of the year I thought we would look at just three examples coming from their collections. The first monstrance we will look at today was crafted in Paris during the ninet…
Markos Kampanis' Romanesque Image of Christ in Majesty at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Chester, Illinois
M arkos Kampanis is a painter and muralist based in Athens, Greece. As one might expect, his work is heavily influenced by the Byzantine iconographic tradition, but the scope and potential of his work also extends well beyond that, seeking to "bridge tradition and moder…
The Fresco of the Annunciation at Wadi al-Natroun Monastery in Egypt
When one thinks of Coptic art, one tends to think of very highly stylized icons. Now of course, most icons in the iconographic tradition are highly stylized, including Byzantine and Russian icons for example, but the Coptic tradition took it to a whole other level, with ico…
A Set of Gold Vestments with the Trinitarian Eye
One of the most popularly misunderstood symbols in some parts of the world is that comprised of a triangle with an eye placed within it. Now symbols are the sort of thing that can have various meanings assigned (or re-assigned) to them of course, but within a Western Christ…
Beauty and Catechetical Symbolism: Sacra Domus Aurea's New Pentecost Set
Before we leave the great feast and Octave of Pentecost for yet another year, I wanted to share the following vestment that recently came out of the atelier of Sacra Domus Aurea , an atelier based out of Italy that specializes in vestments of various cuts and styles, all of …
Pentecost Vestments from Nineteenth Century France
For our final Pentecost consideration during what remains of the traditional observance of the Octave of Pentecost, I thought we would take a brief look at some nineteenth century, French vestments. The vestments in question are absolutely indicative of the French style and…
Croci Dipinte: Hand-Painted Italian Crucifixes by the Dal Molin Stefano
Medieval Italian crucifixes are something both distinctive and appealing. The most famous medieval, Italianate crucifix is, without a doubt, the famed San Damiano crucifix associated with St. Francis of Assisi, though there are of course others. Crucifixes such as these are…
Antependia for Pentecost
As we continue our Pentecost considerations this week, I wished to turn our readers attention to various antependia -- that is to say, altar frontals -- which would have been specifically intended for use on Pentecost Sunday, as well as the entire octave of Pentecost as wel…
The Chartres Pilgrimage (Pèlerinage de Chartres)
The Chartres Pilgrimage, also known as the Le Pèlerinage de Chartres, is a walking pilgrimage organized each year in France in conjunction with the liturgical feast known as the Solemnity of Pentecost (Whitsunday). It draws roughly 20,000+ participants from 22 countries, ma…
The Local and Universal Church: A Unique Quebecois Themed Vestment for Pentecost
Over the years we have presented a variety of Pentecost themed vestments. Most of these vestments include the usual elements of the Pentecost dove, while some have included symbols of Pentecost fire, but today we are going to feature something a little bit different. It is …
Antonello Gagini's Exquisite 'Madonna di Trapani' in Palermo
Earlier in the month, we did an article on a beautiful, classical like statue of the Madonna of Trapani found in the Basilica santuario di Maria Santissima Annunziata in Trapani, Sicily and today we are pleased to be able to present another "Madonna of Trapani," t…
Rugo Stone and McCrery Architects Team Up at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale, Virginia
R ugo Stone and McCrery Architects combined their respective talents at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Annandale, Virginia in the year 2021 for a project that involved the installation of new and beautiful stone altars, sanctuary pavement, mosaic works and two pieces of cust…
Sicilian Vestment Works of the Eighteenth Century: Working with Pastels
Springtime, with the blooming of spring flowers and the perfumed scents of greenery once again permeating the air, along with May being the month of Mary in addition, often brings to the fore for me, beautiful floriated vestment designs, especially the sort that are made up…
Christ's Eternal Sacrifice Mural by New Jerusalem Studios at St. Gabriel's Church in Cave Creek, Arizona
N ew Jerusalem Studios , a firm based out of Phoenix, Arizona, specializes in the production of large scale sacred art murals and one of their relatively recent projects (2021) can be found at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church which is located in Cave Creek, Arizona. I…
Before and After: John Paul II Newman Center at the UIC (University of Illinois Chicago)
Continuing on with our consider of before and after projects, we are pleased to turn to a project completed in 2022 by Studio io in collaboration with Murals by Jericho . The project in question comes from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)'s John Paul II Newman Ce…
Sicilian Baroque: The Cappella dell'Immacolata in the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Palermo
Located within the thirteenth century church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Palermo is an even more impressive chapel, the Cappella dell'Immacolata (Chapel of the Immaculate) -- sometimes also referred to as the Cappella Senatoria . This particular chapel is characteri…
Before and After Update: Further Decorative Works Now Installed at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Chapel
In a previous article of Sept. 2024, we covered a project executed by Studio io that involved the conversion of a dining hall into a chapel; the chapel in question is Our Lady, Star of the Sea, located in the "Our Lady Healing Center" in Seadrift, Texas. Well, in …
The May Crowning Ceremony
The annual May Crowning ceremony is a cherished Catholic devotion generally held in early May—the month dedicated to Our Lady—when a statue of Our Blessed Mother is ceremonially crowned with flowers to honor her as the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven. A Lost Tradition…
Watts & Co's New 'Sainte-Chapelle' Inspired Line of Vestments
Anyone who has followed the history and tenure of Watts & Co. of London will know that they are known for two things in particular: their passion for bold, medievally inspired designs and medievally inspired vestments generally. They are, of course, experienced at other…
The Classical Beauty of the Statue of the Madonna di Trapani in Sicily
In this Marian month of May, we turn our attention to one of the most elegant and beautiful statues of the Virgin and Child you may ever come across -- at least in this writer's estimation -- the Madonna di Trapani located in the Basilica santuario di Maria Santissima A…
Before and After: Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Custer, Wisconsin
Recently, Conrad Schmitt Studios share the following with us, about a recently completion renovation at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located in Custer, Wisconsin. We are excited to share the newly completed liturgical decoration at Sacred Heart, an artistic renewal that hon…
Examples of the Solemn and Common Form of the Formale with the Image of the Holy Spirit
The Formale is a medieval ornament and something we covered previously in a 2022 article on this topic, but by way of brief overview, it is a decorative metallic clasp, used by senior prelates, when wearing a cope, covering the place where the cope joins at the front breast…
New Church Architecture: St. John Catholic Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma
C ram and Ferguson Architects are, of course, a storied architectural firm with deep roots in ecclesiastical architecture. While the firm is most often associated with gothic revivalist approaches, you can also find them approaching other styles and such is the case of St. J…
Some Examples of Processional Insignia
One of the things we like to do here at LAJ is present traditions and customs of older Catholic cultures; cultures where Catholic piety became deeply engrained in not only private life, but also "public" life. An example of that is the tradition of outdoor process…
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris
With it being May, the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, what better time to share a little something about the Chapel of Notre Dame de la Medaille Miraculeuse in Paris, France. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was originally a smaller, private conv…
Before and After: St. Frances Borgia in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
C onrad Schmitt Studios have provided us with yet another 'before and after' project, this time coming out of the parish church of St. Francis Borgia in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The present church building was originally constructed in the year 1870 and over the century…
A Sampling of Some Medieval Byzantine Processional Crosses
Very often when one thinks of 'Byzantine art' we naturally tend to jump in our thoughts towards the beautiful icons found on wood panelled boards but, historically speaking, Byzantium was known for much more than just that. They were known for various arts and luxur…
Vestments From the Sacristies of 18th, 19th and Early 20th Century Quebec
In the past, we have featured some of the particularly beautiful chasubles of the Ursulines of Quebec ; these are works that rival anything being produced at this same time on the European continent. The same may also be said of some of the beautiful antependia the Ursulines…
A Roman Tradition: Lamé Silk Chasubles
There is a custom seen in Rome of lamé silk chasubles. This is a particular type of fabric woven or knit with metallic threads combined with thin silk threads. The effect is a material that produces a shine or a glimmer, a sort of heavenly glow. The style became popular in …
A Beautiful Hand-Painted Replica of the Icon of the Madonna Salus Populi Romani
In Roman circles and Catholic circles that have a particular passion and interest in the Eternal City, one of the most popular and venerated historical icons is that of the Madonna Salus Populi Romani. The icon in question takes it name from its historical association with…
The Macchina Barocca (Baroque Machine) of the Church of the Gesù
One of Rome's best kept secrets is the daily Baroque musical catechesis given at the Jesuit church of the Gesù. It begins every day in the left transept in the chapel of St. Ignatius at 5:30 pm and lasts just several minutes. This altar is significant because it showcas…
A Look at Some Custom Wood-Carved Altars and an Ambo from Swiatek Studios in New York
Located in the Western New York State area, Swiatek Studios has been working for over half a century now in the realm of historic building restorations. While their work includes both sacred and secular projects, the studio has quite a history and portfolio in the realm of …
