Continuing on with our considerations of the traditional prelatial dress of prelates belonging to religious orders, today we turn to the Camaldolese. The Camaldolese (Ordo Camaldulensium) were founded by St. Romuald in Italy, founded upon his desire to renew the eremitical…
Prelatial Dress of the Religious Orders: The Camaldolese
Continuing on with our considerations of the traditional prelatial dress of prelates belonging to religious orders, today we turn to the Camaldolese. The Camaldolese (Ordo Camaldulensium) were founded by St. Romuald in Italy, founded upon his desire to renew the eremitical…
Vestments of the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Misericordio in Savona
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy ( Santuario di Nostra Signora della Misericordia ) is a Renaissance era church originally constructed in the mid 16th century, designed by Pace Antonio Somano with a later baroque facade added early on in the 17th century by Taddeo Carlone. …
Liturgical Notes on Candlemas - The Blessing of and Procession with Candles
The feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called Candlemas and celebrated on February 2nd, takes place forty days after Christmas. It was at this time that the Mosaic law required that mothers 'bring to the temple a lamb…
The Art of Traditional Liturgical Bookbinding
Over the years I have heard various parties lament the state of contemporary bookbinding where liturgical books are concerned. "The bindings are simply not as qualitative as the older bindings" would be an adequate summation of the sentiment in question. Of course…
Of St. Agnes and Rome
January 21st saw the feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, commemorated and it is a feast that has particular importance within the Roman church. In fact, the Catholic Encyclopedia comments: "Of all the virgin martyrs of Rome none was held in such high honour by the p…
Before and After: Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Seton Hall
We have shown many very recent 'Before and After' projects, but I wanted to turn the clock back to the year 2008 when Granda Liturgical Arts and Evergreene Architectural Arts completed a renovation of the Immaculate Conception Chapel at Seton Hall University in New …
Contemporary Italian Woodcarvings of Some Early Saints and Martyrs
Mussner G. Vincenzo Ars Sacra has been quite active online of late, treating us to some of their excellent sculptural works and what caught my attention in particular where some of their projects which involve some of the earlier martyrs and saints coming from the first hal…
The Sacred Drama of the Traditional Liturgical Rites Compared with Their Modern Counterparts
Traditional Catholic liturgical rites have the benefit of having been formed over the course of centuries, even millenia, and with that has come the seasoned maturity of a very finely aged wine whose recipe has been honed over a long period of time. The contemporary liturgi…
Reconstructions of the Interior of St. Peter's Basilica as Built by the Emperor Constantine
There is always a great deal of interest into possible insights into the look and feel of the original St, Peter's Basilica in Rome that was constructed under the Emperor Constantine. There are, of course, various reconstructions or the odd period first hand depiction w…
Nineteenth Century France's Iconic Vestment Style Revived
Vestment design has seen many iterations over the centuries and two of the most popular styles, not simply for embroidered works but overall, remain the Italian tradition as represented through the 17th-19th centuries and the French tradition of the 19th century. We have fr…
Learning to Serve: A Book for New Altar Boys by St. Augustine Academy Press
Teaching liturgical arts to children has never been more important. I have been asked to review this fine book, Learning to Serve by Fr. Charles Carmody. Such a delightful little gem - written specifically for new altar boys who serve the Extraordinary Form of the Roman R…
New Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary & Joseph in Fairfield, Pennsylvania
Many readers will be happy to know progress is being made with the construction of the new traditional Carmel in Fairfield, Pennsylvania (near the historic Catholic town of Emmitsburg, Maryland). The monastery is set up as a cloistered convent for Carmelite nuns, a foundat…
Liturgical Arts Alive and Well in Croatia
Photos: Tradicionalna Misa on Facebook Thankfully the liturgical arts are flourishing in Croatia, a venerable Catholic country that borders Italy. Croatia is the land of St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church, who was born there in the Roman province of Dalmatia (and buried in th…
Madonna and Child Statue in Vancouver Cathedral by Granda Liturgical Arts
Photos: OC-Travel The lady altar of Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver showcases an exquisite Spanish polychrome and gilded wood sculpture of the Madonna and Child that is definitely worth a mention. The statue is a creation from Granda in Spain, so impressive that for some…
Woodcarved Crozier in Neo-Gothic Style by Catholic Wood Carver Paul Sirba
Photo: OC-Travel As everyone knows, the crozier ( baculus pastoralis ) is a hooked staff carried by bishops and abbots, symbolic of their pastoral office. It was originally carried by shepherds to lead and direct the flock entrusted to their care and to rescue lost sheep by …
Italian Wall Tapestries for Church Furnishing and Decoration
Photos: OC-Travel Wall hangings can greatly enrich the interior decor of a church. As I have traveled Europe in recent years I have seen some amazing new tapestries for sale, made almost exclusively by computers that automate time-honored pattering in places like Flanders a…
Customs and Traditions: The Boy Bishop
The colorful medieval tradition of the boy bishop was once popular all over Europe and even in the Americas. Over the centuries, it was progressively abandoned until its revival in recent years. It's interpretation and symbolism are varied, but the best accepted theory …
King Richard's Workshop: Preview of Some Newly Carved Stations of the Cross
K ing Richard's Liturgical Design & Contracting recently unveiled a new set of carved Stations of the Cross they produced for a high school chapel within the United States. The final result is quite spectacular as I am sure you will agree. The final result is always…
