Recently the head chaplain of the St. John's Catholic Newman Center located at the University of Illinois reached out to LAJ to share a renovation project they undertook in collaboration with Daprato Rigali Studios of Chicago. The project involved a two million dollar…
Before and After: St. John's Catholic Newman Centre in Illinois
Recently the head chaplain of the St. John's Catholic Newman Center located at the University of Illinois reached out to LAJ to share a renovation project they undertook in collaboration with Daprato Rigali Studios of Chicago. The project involved a two million dollar…
The Art of Altar Missal Ribbons
A forgotten liturgical art related to bookbinding is the art of the ribbon. Over the years I have noticed a wide variety of ribbons used in altar missals the world over. My favorite are the ribbons of the immediate preconciliar period that came from Belgium. Following ar…
Churches of Latin America: Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Buenos Aires
.jpeg)
Perhaps one of the most well known cities of South America is that of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The name of the city itself takes its origins from a medieval Sardinian devotion to the "Madonna di Bonaira" -- which could be literally translated as &q…
Before and After: Church of St. Dominic in Brick, New Jersey
Our "Before and After" series can range from projects which constitute small but impactful restorations/renovations to those which represent significant and substantial improvements to the fabric of the church. Today's instalment features the latter and comes …
The 'Stola' of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Anyone who has attended liturgical rites of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) in places like England or Rome can appreciate the visuals, the high level of pageantry, and colorful symbolism particular to the Order. What many do not know is that the Order of Malta…
New Reredos for Corpus Christi Church by Studio io and Granda
Hearty congratulations to Corpus Christi parish in South River, NJ on the occasion of their new altar reredos that is a true work of art designed by our good friends at Studio io . Many thanks to Michael Raia, the president and founder of Studio io, along with his entire tea…
On the Road to Emmaus: the Benedictine Abbey of Abu Gosh in the Holy Land
The Benedictine Abbey of Abu Gosh , formally known as St. Mary of the Resurrection Abbey, is one of the best preserved Crusader remains in the Holy Land. I have a vivid memory of visiting here for the first time on a rainy day on the way to the Tel Aviv airport. It was pouri…
The Fifteenth Century Cope of San Ponziano
The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is an early fifteenth century basilica located within Gandino in the north of Italy. Within its treasury is an impressive cope -- called the Cope of San Ponziano -- which dates to the second half of the fifteenth century, thereby making…
French Heraldic Altar Cards Featuring the Arms of the British and Russian Empires
The following is a curious set of hand illuminated altar cards made in the year 1900. What makes them rather curious is that they were made in Lyon for a Visitation Monastery in France and within their art are found the arms of the British and Russian empires. In point of f…
Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe: The Terno del Tanto Monta
Awhile ago we gave a more general view of the treasury museums of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Spain, including its significant and impressive collection of sacred vestments and other liturgical textiles. Today I wanted to dive into the details of a c…
The Monks of Norcia: Monastero di San Benedetto in Monte (Norcia, Italy)
One of the most peaceful places you will ever visit is the Monastery of St. Benedict on the Mountain in Norcia, Italy. I wish everyone could visit here. Personally, I was blessed to visit before the devastating earthquake of 2016 -- I had the privilege of serving Low Mass i…
A Cope from Fifteenth Century Spain
The following cope is presently in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum and originates in late medieval Spain dated to approximately the year 1438. Prior to being in the possession of the Met, it was in the Treasury of the Cathedral of Burgos. To my mind it well repre…
Before and After: St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Menasha, Wisconsin
While there are many things in our time that we might understandably lament, one of those things surely isn't the absence of parish beautification projects. Today's project, executed by Conrad Schmitt Studios , comes within the context of the church of St. Mary of th…
Manuscripts from the Treasury of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Spain
The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Spain is a treasure trove of liturgical art. Previously we had shared some of their collection of sacred vestments and today we turn our attention to their impressive collection of manuscripts and liturgical books. Some of…
Tissus Lyonnais: A Prize-Winning Solemn Set in Cloth of Gold from 1900
Generally we haven't given a great deal of attention to vestments of the twentieth century, and in great part this is due to a general decline that was seen with the rise of industrialization that led to lower quality materials. What's more, many of the vestments of…
Vestments in Honour of St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence is one of the most popular saints in the Roman church -- and when I say "Roman church" I mean not only the Roman and Latin rites, I mean specifically also the local church in Rome. This is testified to the fact that St. Lawrence has not only one churc…
The Duomo of Fiesole in Tuscany
The Duomo of Fiesole is situated in Tuscany and anyone who has been to Tuscany will certainly recognize this right from the outset by simply looking at its external architecture, most especially its distinctly Tuscan style tower. The foundation of the cathedral dates to the…
Pentecost Themed Vestments from the Nineteenth Century French School
To date we arguably haven't given enough focus to vestments coming from within the French school and when one thinks of the French school what you are invariably referring to are the styles and approaches that were popularized in the nineteenth century in particular. V…
St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit: A Victorian Gothic Masterpiece
The recently restored Victorian Gothic steeple of St. Joseph Shrine looms above the city of Detroit. The tower, with its decorative oxidized copper cross, and the church with its towering vaults, is a vestige of a bygone era built by craftsmen with lost skills intended to s…
America’s First Cathedral: Baltimore Basilica
Above the scurry and tumult of a port city with early American roots, there is a majestic downtown space known as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption . Its herculean procession of Ionic columns gracing its front façade makes it a recognizable city landmark,…
The Romanesque Abbey Church of San Clemente a Casauria
Generally if you ask people about traditional ecclesiastical architecture they think of gothic and baroque, but another major category is the Romanesque. Romanesque architecture is not as lofty as later medieval gothic forms, nor as playful as the baroque / rococo, but it h…
The Translation of St. Katharine Drexel
On August 2nd, 2018, the mortal remains of St. Katharine Drexel were moved—“translated” in ecclesiastical terminology—from their former resting place at the Motherhouse of the Shrine of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Bensalem, PA to a new shrine at the Cathedral Ba…
Hidden Catholic Churches in Amsterdam
One of our readers, Pieter-Jan van Giersbergen, who is one of the curators at the Our Lord in the Attic Museum has sent in the following article to LAJ at our request. Many readers of LAJ will, of course, be familiar with the English recusants, "priest holes" and …
