Lenten vestments
I don’t usually feature vestments on this blog. However, I could not pass up sharing a set that I saw yesterday while pilfering around the internet.
According to The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, a Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite was said at Fordham University this past Sunday. I grabbed a few of the photos to share, but the entire set is available if you follow the link to the Society’s blog.
The vestments are simply gorgeous. I think the reason that I’m so fond of them is the red/goldenrod/violet/purple combination, and the chi rho. I’m not usually a fan of any chasuble cut less amply than Gothic, but this particular one is full enough to make me love it anyway.
I do, however, have a question. Take a look at this next photo. See if you notice anything fishy.
Having trouble? I’ll give you a hint.
I will never understand the mistaken notion that a Mass may not be said ad orientem at a freestanding Altar, nor will I ever comprehend why some insist that the old rite must be said against a wall. The freestanding Altar is obviously the primary Altar in use at this particular church; it is even vested.
Anyway, there are some pretty vestments and a bit of liturgical minutiae for your enjoyment.
Pax et bonum.
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I agree with you totally this is a pet peev of mine both in the Episcopal and Roman Traditions… this dual altar arrangement blurs the symbolism and focus of Altar as being a central symbol of Christ in the church. Sometimes for the sake of making a “statement” we distort the real meaning trying to be conveyed.
This appears to be an older church. The altar where the Mass is being celebrated is the original one, with the freestanding one being added after Vatican II. Both are authentic altars, the Mass certainly could be celebrated ad orientem at the freestanding one. However maybe there was a wish to honor tradition by using the older altar; from what I can see of it, it is a beautiful one. I don’t know if it is still the custom, but it used to be that an altar had a first-degree relic of a saint imbedded in it. Regardless of which is used, it is sacred space.
I agree with you that the vestments are beautiful.
Yes, I dislike the dual altar scheme, as well. Far, far better to move the freestanding one to a chapel.
Great vestments! The altar thing is funny. I agree, but I also offer some defense. The free-standing altar does not automatically lend itself to the use of altar cards. This is hardly a big deal, but it is a question. Also, if the free-standing altar has an altar stone/relic embedded in it, it is probably on the versus populum side, and this might make the priest feel funny about offering Mass from the other side.
I have the reverse of this situation in my ministry: I offer Mass versus populum a few days a week on an altar that has been pulled away from a wall, on which the relic stone is on the ad orientem side. Each time I open the corporal I sigh a little bit inside as I see the relic on which I would like to be offering on the other side of the altar. (And yes, I have asked permission to use the other side of the altar!)
Interesting comments, as when I first saw these photos I was uneasy about the vestments – they do not have the feeling of Lent that I would think appropriate, but then I would be a likely critic! (I wondered if they might not be new creations from Watts & Co.)
I agree that it is an odd thing to abandon the newer free-standing altar for the old, not that I object to Ad Orientem, far from it, but nothing stand in the way of using the “current’ altar in that fashion.
Bill, I agree, but please take it away first before ignoring it…
Michael, precisely.
Melody, I understand the desire to honor tradition by using the original altar. However, because there is now a permanent, stone altar in place, it might be more appropriate, at least to me based on my readings on such things, to use the original high altar as an altar of reservation for the Blessed Sacrament, and to use the current altar as the altar of sacrifice.
Bill, perhaps that should be considered, as both of the altars in that space are very handsome.
Br. Charles, I understand the connundrum that that would cause. As far as the altar cards go, some people just prop them up on the candlesticks. (I don’t like to see that, personally, but some EF-ers seem to be masters of innovation, which I find to be wildly ironic.) Hopefully soon you’ll be permitted to use whichever side of the altar you see fit!
Davis, I take your point about the appropriateness of these particular vestments for Lent. I think that’s definitely a consideration. Perhaps they’re good for the first part of Lent (I like a progression, personally), or for Sundays, but perhaps not weekdays in Lent. I happen to prefer some of your violet sets to these.
Thom the reason is very simple. The older altar was conceived, designed and built for Mass facing ad orientem. The newer altar was conceived, designed and built for Mass facing the people. Certainly the EF Mass can be celebrated at an altar built to face the people but, given what I’ve said about how and why each altar was designed and built it should come as no surprise that the results are seldom all that satisfactory.
Why?
Well the placement of the altar cards has already been mentioned as well as that of the altar stone. Notice the old high Altar has the three steps which are called for in the rubrics. When the Priest deacon and subdacon are lined up one behind the other as is often required they should not be on a level plane but on descending plane. In the OF, virtually all the action takes place behind the altar. In the EF the reverse is true and it is likely that even the lighting let alone the degree of space presumes that . As litte as possible is in front of the altar in the OF so that there is no obstruction between the priest and the people. With an altar facing the people there is no room for the sedillia except behind the altar which is awkward and the gospel must usually be sung outside the sanctuary, there being no room otherwise.
But even beyond this is the fact that the EF takes a more verticle approach whereas the OF takes the more horizontal approach. Each altar is designed with sightlines that assist that e.g. the reredos rizing behind the EF alrar.
As to there being two altars, your objection is sound but removing the OF altar might not be all that easy.
Well, I learned something about altars today! Not Catholic but did grow up during elementary and high school at a Catholic school, so I like the liturgy and music of high masses, etc. The vestments are AWESOME! This is the first time I see the term “extraordinary form” though, even though I took some Theology classes at university. Very interesting and thanks for sharing the lovely pictures.
Usually all that traditional stuff turns me off, but I have to confess (pardon the pun) that those vestments are gorgeous. I also think that both altars are so beautiful that it is difficult to choose between the two.
David, thanks for the information.
Trudy, thanks! (BTW, in case it wasn’t clear, “extraordinary form” refers to the rite of Mass that is celebrated from the 1962 Missale Romanum instead of the current MR in force.)
Kevin, I’m glad that you like them. I do, too. And I think that both of the altars are beautiful, too, each in their own way.
Thanks for warming the heart of an old liturgy queen!
Ha of course!
The vestments are very beautiful, but I would prefer a different color. I would want a more simpler style for Lenten vestments.
As far as the altars go,..welll, people who are acquainted with me know that I am no fan of ad orientem. This, however, concerns me even more because it really discourages participation of the congregation in the liturgy. The distance really makes the congregation just observers.
Jonathan, I agree with you about the altar(s). Even if it’s the older rite there’s no reason to have a mile between the altar and the people.
A distance compounded by another barrier at that!
Yep, Thom, I agree.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating Mass ad orientem with a free-standing altar.
Can’t understand it myself!
Actually, there is nothing wrong with celebrating the EF facing the people at a free standing altar. It is perfectly permissable.
Exactly right.
Indeed with the many free-standing altars that were erected during the Liturgical Movement the EF was the current use.
The rubrics of the 1970 edition of the Roman Missal do not require the priest to face the people but the instructions regarding altars states that when new altars are erected they are to be made so that Mass canbe celebrated from either side. Regretably, most altars erected since then have been built with only Mass facing the people in mind. There must be sufficient space in an ad Orientem Mass for the prescribed ceremonies to take place with dignity beween the People and the altar.
There must also be sufficient space for the proper sightlines. If a Mass is celebrated facing ad orientem at an altar that is too near the people, the false impression will be gained that the priest is standing with his back to the people rather than leading the people in facing toward God.
Also, a little space between the altar (which should be elevated by at least one and preferably three steps) and the people enhances both the dignity and the sacredness of the altar.