The Church of the London Oratory, or what is more properly the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in South Kensington in London, is notable as a gem of sacred architecture, sacred art, sacred music and sacred liturgy. Most of us are already familiar, at least in passing…
A Tour of the London Oratory: The High Altar and Sanctuary
The Church of the London Oratory, or what is more properly the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in South Kensington in London, is notable as a gem of sacred architecture, sacred art, sacred music and sacred liturgy. Most of us are already familiar, at least in passing…
St. John Fisher by Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs
An artist whose work I have been intending to feature for a little while now is the painter, Gwyneth Thompson Briggs . Ms. Briggs, in the words of her own website, is "a contemporary sacred artist in the perennial tradition of Western sacred art. She is dedicated in …
How Basic Elements Can Create Simple, Beautiful Vestments
Today I wished to share an example of contemporary vestment work that I believe demonstrates how much good can be accomplished with little good taste and something noble to work with. Put another way, with a good eye for materials and design, you can make an awful lot from…
Rempublicam Nostram: A Patriotic Text for the Latin Mass
The versicle and response Domine salvum fac regem , “God save the King” is liturgically part of the Divine Office, where it appears in the Preces said during Lauds and Vespers in Advent and Lent. There had also developed a secondary usage, originating in the Ancien Régime of…
Mozart's Famed Requiem Properly Seen and Understood: Liturgically
It has been awhile since we have spoken about sacred music and one video I have frequently shared elsewhere is this recording of Mozart's famed Requiem setting, but as executed within its proper context: the traditional Requiem Mass. More frequently Mozart's great w…
Embroidered Buskins of Pope Pius VII
In a previous piece about pontifical buskins (stockings) it had been noted that in instance of cardinals and popes, their buskins might also be embroidered in gold. This is something mentioned but rarely illustrated so I thought it would be fitting to remedy the latter poi…
Gothic Revival from Altarworthy
Yet another fine offering from Altarworthy , this time coming from the gothic revival. They have done this pattern in other colours, including rose , and it is a very dignified pattern. A very fine example of a good "day to day" type of vestment that is both straig…
Scenes from the Solemn Papal Liturgy of Yesteryear
It has often struck me as somewhat ironic that just as we entered the age of the modern spectacle, particularly as seen through sporting events and the like, that some of our liturgists and churchmen would "blink" and dispense with so much of the most grandiose s…
Before and After: Monte Cassino Shrine at St. Meinrad Archabbey
I always enjoy sharing the work of those who advertise with us -- there's a reason, after all, that they are advertising here! -- and in this instance I wanted to share a "before and after" that comes from Conrad Schmitt Studios and their work on the Monte Ca…
Papal Vestments: The Subcinctorium
An old papal vestment that always catches people's curiosity is the subcinctorium . Perhaps it is for reason that it is one of the less visible of the papal vestments that this is so. Or perhaps it is just one more manifestation of the thirst many have for knowledge of t…
Chasuble from 19th Century Spain
Just a quick share of a chasuble that caught my attention recently, taken from the Cooper Hewitt collection . They identify this chasuble as being from 19th century Spain. The design was quite a bit more muted than I am accustomed to seeing in work of this period (for as …
The Riches of the Pontifical Mass of the Rite of Lyon
Over the years I have shared various writings and bits of information on the pontifical form of the rite of Lyon -- the Missale Romano-Lugdunense . Here are a few of the pieces I have done over the years on this impressive rite: Ceremonial Details of the Pontifical Mass in …
The Voyages Liturgiques: Public Penance in 18th Century France
[The Voyages Liturgiques describes the ritual of public penance as it was still practiced in the diocese of Rouen as late as the beginning of the 18th century.]
There is perhaps no church in France where public penance is observed with more exactitude and ceremony than in t…
The Voyages Liturgiques de France: St. Maurice of Vienne and the Solemn Pontifical Mass
Continuing with St. Maurice of Vienne , the author describes the cathedral liturgy as portrayed in a 13th century Ordinal, pointing out that little has changed in the meantime. The Calendar. Solemn Feasts. Christmas Mass. ( Download the original French here .) * * *
I think it…
The Four Evangelists: Carving by ALBL Oberammergau
As readers of LAJ will know, I particularly enjoy featuring original woodcarving and today I wanted to share the four evangelists by ALBL Oberammergau . These particular sculptural reliefs were made for St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Spring, Texas. I don't be…
Two 'Mystery' Vestments
We live in a world of more available content than ever. In some instances this content comes full od detail, but in the age of the internet, some of it can come without much in the way of explanation or historical details and context. While this is regrettable for many of …
From Giotto to Rubens: The Baptism of the Lord in Painting
The earliest pictorial representations of the Baptism of the Lord were carved in stone, on Christian sarcophagi. Later, during the long Middle Ages, stone reliefs of this scene are found above church entrances or sometimes in the interior, always carved as fragments of bro…
The Voyages Liturgiques de France: St. Maurice of Vienne - Lent
On all Sundays from Septuagesima to Easter there was a procession or station at a church in the city. On Ash Wednesday there were also stations. After None they blessed the ashes. Then the archbishop (or in his absence the priest of St. Pierre de Vienne) and his chaplain, …
Revival of 1920's Designer Fabrics
Finally we are beginning to see the revival of some more interesting (and truly artistic) fabrics from yesteryear. This prime example - originally from circa 1920's Belgium - has been revived and made available again courtesy of the Leaflet Missal Company in St. Paul,…
Other Modern Chasuble of the Bishop of Monaco
The following chasuble was exhibited as part of the exhibition, "Apparelled in Celestial Light" at Indar Pasricha Fine Arts in London. It sits as another example of Other Modern coming from within the Liturgical Movement. Readers may be particularly interest to …
The Voyages Liturgiques de France: Easter and Other Feasts at the Cathedral of St. Maurice of Vienne
[While liturgical ceremonial is not traditionally considered a "liturgical art," here on LAJ we have chosen to take a broader interpretation. Ceremonies and ceremonial, after all, form a part of the incarnate nature of the sacred liturgy; a part of the 'dance…
Marian Chasuble from Atelier LAVS
Continuing on with our 'Marian theme' of the past days, the other day I presented to readers a glorious example from the 18th century and today I wished to turn to some contemporary work coming from the Italian firm, Atelier LAVS -- they code it "SP34" fo…
