Now that we are once again entering the season of Advent, a time which is characterized by its violet coloured vestments, it seemed apropos to use this opportunity to feature some of these vestments and use the opportunity to give specific focus to vestments coming out of t…
A Selection of Violet Vestments from the Nineteenth Century French Tradition
Now that we are once again entering the season of Advent, a time which is characterized by its violet coloured vestments, it seemed apropos to use this opportunity to feature some of these vestments and use the opportunity to give specific focus to vestments coming out of t…
Gothic and Art Nouveau at St. Mary Magdalen's in Wandsworth, London
One of the 'modern' styles that gets far too little expression in sacred architecture and art in my estimation is Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau found its primary historical expression between the last decade of the nineteenth century and first decade of the twentieth. It…
In the Workshop with Hape Sculpture: The Emergence of a Statue of Mary, Help of Christians
There is something I personally find particularly fascinating about the process of woodcarving, particularly the carving of fully three dimensional sculptures. Perhaps it is that 'Michelangelian' notion of the entrapped statue emerging, as though from a cocoon, from…
Thanksgiving as a Catholic Feast, Not a Catholic First
Around this time of year American Catholics are repeatedly hit with a number of competing claims of the “First” Thanksgiving. We delight in putting forward Thanksgiving Masses offered by Catholic explorers and settlers as the “true” first Thanksgiving—thereby undercutting t…
Papal Flabella Donated by the Drexel Family
This set of flabellum was donated in 1902 to Pope Leo XIII by Lucy Wharton Drexel (1841-1912) of Philadelphia, widow of the prominent banker and philanthropist, Joseph Drexel. She was a convert to the Faith and a woman of high stature who belonged to one of the oldest and m…
An Impressively Complete Solemn Pontifical Set from 1767 (with the Arms of Clement XIII)
In the light of the great feast of Easter, I can think of no better time to share the following solemn pontifical set of vestments that is dated to 1767 and which bear the arms of Pope Clement XIII. This particular set of vestments presently reside in Padua and contains amo…
Reliquaries from Mussner G. Vincenzo Ars Sacra
There's something I always find appealing about anthropomorphic reliquaries, whether that be full figures, busts or other forms, and as such I was quite pleased to recently see some of Mussner G. Vincenzo Ars Sacra 's efforts in this regard. Those of you who who hav…
A Masterpiece of Gothic Revival Vestment Work by G.F. Bodley
Sometimes gothic revival vestment work gets a bad rap, though I am convinced that in great part this is due to the fact that most of what we tend to associate with gothic revival vestment work is what the religious supply companies pumped out en masse in the twentieth centu…
The Development of the Shape of the Eastern Phelonion (Chasuble) and Its Parallels to the Same in the Latin West
Within the Latin rite, at least the English speaking portion of it, there is a century old (and in my estimation, rather tiresome) debate around the shape of the chasuble. Of course, anyone who has paid attention to articles here or elsewhere will know that the chasuble ha…
Roman Tradition of the Funerary Epitaph
A time-honored custom in Rome is the funeral epitaph, poetic words written in memory of a deceased person, a funerary oration written in the supreme eloquence of the language of Cicero. It is fixed to the bier that the coffin sits atop for the funeral rites. The same is don…
Before and After: St. Anne's Church in Somerset, Wisconsin
Recently Conrad Schmitt Studios revealed a project they pursued at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Somerset, Wisconsin which we're happy to feature here today as part of our 'Before and After' series. The origins of the parish go back 150 years, having been f…
Three Chasubles of the Sixteenth Century
Today I thought we would take a quick look at three chasubles, each coming from the sixteenth century and each of them utilizing re-purposed medieval embroideries. This sort of thing was common at this time of course. In some instances the original medieval vestments were s…
The Chapel of Pope Clement XIII at the Papal Summer Villa of Castel Gandolfo
Recently I was privileged to visit the papal apartment at the papal summer villa at Castel Gandolfo. Just down the hallway from the papal bedroom is this chapel, called the Cappella di Papa Clemente XIII. It was refreshing to see the altar cards have not gone missing. The c…
Monsignor R.J. Schuler, PhD on the Elimination of Gregorian Chant
Below is a fascinating article written three years after the close of the Council. The author is the late Monsignor Richard Schuler, a professor of music at the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Minnesota. It gives a rare glimpse of the state of sacred liturgy in the years…
Before and After: St. Ann's Catholic Church in Plattsburg, Missouri
In yet another installment of 'Before and After' we turn to a project undertaken by Conrad Schmitt Studios and others in collaboration with St. Ann's Catholic Church in Plattsburg, Missouri, a church that, from the outside, is rather quaint and unassuming, not p…
The 16th Century San Lorenzo Requiem Vestments Spotted in 19th Century Art
Seeing the painting of the Madrid painter, José Moreno Carbonero, which is entitled "The Conversion of the Duke of GandÃa" something seemed awfully familiar to me. The painting was done in 1884 and is found in the Museum of Prado who describe the scene as follows: …
Rediscovering the Elegance of Old Roman Chant: A Journey into the Ancient Tones of Gregorian Chant
Guest Article by Dr. Lorris Chevalier, Université de Bourgogne Rooted in the medieval traditions of the Catholic Church, this unique form of music before Gregorian chant encapsulates centuries of spiritual expression and cultural evolution. As we delve into the enchanting wo…
The Sixteenth Century Tabernacle of the Duomo of Milan by Pellegrino Tibaldi
One of the most striking features of the Duomo of Milan is the monumental tabernacle and its associated covering. Despite the very large proportions of this particular cathedral, which presents the worshipper and visitor with a variety of styles spanning the centuries, this…
A Festal Antependium Made for the Canonization of St. Charles Borromeo (1609-1610)
This spectacular altar frontal was made between 1609-10 specifically for the canonization of St. Charles Borromeo, one time Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. Gold and silver embroidery have been set onto a background of silk and originally -- prior to the Napoleonic era -- this…
The Solemn Ostentation of Relics on All Saints Day at FSSP in Urbe
Images and information courtesy of The Home Oratory . On the feast of All Saints in Rome a wonderful old tradition has been revived by the FSSP known as the Solenne Ostensione delle Reliquie ("Solemn Ostentation of the Relics"). This ceremony is carried out after M…
