Ottobeuren Abbey.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

English: Imperial Abbey of Ottobeuren.

The façade of the Basilica, designed by Johann Michael Fischer, 

has been hailed as a pinnacle of Bavarian Baroque architecture.

Deutsch: Reichskloster Ottobeuren.

Fassade der spätbarocken Basilika in Ottobeuren.

Erbaut von 1737-1766 von Simpert Kramer (bis 1748) und Johann Michael Fischer.

Русский: Оттобойрен.

Photo: 19. Mai 2004 / erste Veröffentlichung in Wikimedia Commons: 11. Juli 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Simon Brixel Wbrix.

Permission: Dieses Bild darf frei verwendet werden. Es gelten die Lizenz-Bedingungen der Creative Commons 'Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen 2.0 Deutschland' 

(abgekürzt „cc-by-sa/2.0/de“). Mehr Infos: http://creativecommons.org/.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The High Altar at Ottobeuren Abbey

(Kloster Ottobeuren), Ottobeuren, Germany.

Photo: 18 April 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ottobeuren is a Benedictine Abbey, located in Ottobeuren, near Memmingen, in the Bavarian Allgäu, Germany.

For part of its history, Ottobeuren Abbey was one of the 40-odd, self-ruling, Imperial Abbeys of the Holy Roman Empire, and, as such, was a virtually independent State. At the time of its dissolution, in 1802, the Imperial Abbey covered 266 square kilometers and had about 10,000 subjects.

It was founded in 764 A.D., by Blessed Toto, and dedicated to Saint Alexander, the Martyr. Of its early history little is known beyond the fact that Toto, its first Abbot, died about 815 A.D., and that Saint Ulrich was its Abbot in 972 A.D.

Rococo interior of Ottobeuren Abbey, Ottobeuren, Germany.

Photo: 4 October 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: BobTheMad.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the 11th-Century, its discipline was on the decline, until Abbot Adalhalm (1082–94) introduced the Hirsau Reform. The same Abbot began a restoration of the decaying buildings, which was completed along with the addition of a Convent for noble Ladies, by his successor, Abbot Rupert I (1102–45). Under the rule of the latter, the newly-founded Marienberg Abbey was recruited with Monks from Ottobeuren Abbey. His successor, Abbot Isengrim (1145–80), wrote Annales minores and Annales majores.

Blessed Conrad of Ottobeuren was Abbot, from 1193 until his death in 1227, and was described by the Benedictines as a "lover of the brethren and of the poor".

In 1153, and again in 1217, the Abbey was consumed by fire. In the 14th-Century and 15th-Century, it declined so completely that, at the accession of Abbot Johann Schedler (1416–43), only six or eight Monks were left, and its annual revenues did not exceed 46 Silver Marks.

Altar of the Holy Cross,

Ottobeuren Abbey,

Ottobeuren, Germany.

Photo: 17 April 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Under Abbot Leonard Wiedemann (1508–46), it again began to flourish: He erected a printing establishment and a Common House of Studies for the Swabian Benedictines. The latter, however, was soon closed, owing to the ravages of the Thirty Years' War.

Ottobeuren became an Imperial Abbey in 1299, but lost this status after the Prince-Bishop of Augsburg had become Vogt of the Abbey. These Rights were renounced after a Court Case at the Reichskammergericht in 1624. In 1710, the Abbey regained its status as an Imperial Abbey, but did not become a Member of the Swabian Circle.

Altar of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica at 

Ottobeuren Abbey, Ottobeuren, Germany.

Photo: 17 April 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Baroque Pulpit at Ottobeuren Abbey

(Kloster Ottobeuren), Ottobeuren, Germany.

Photo: 18 April 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The most flourishing period, in the history of Ottobeuren Abbey, began with the accession of Abbot Rupert Ness (1710–40) and lasted until its secularisation in 1802. From 1711-1725, Abbot Rupert erected the present Monastery, the architectural grandeur of which has merited for it the name of "the Swabian Escorial". In 1737, he also began the building of the present Church, completed by his successor, Anselm Erb, in 1766. In the zenith of its glory, Ottobeuren Abbey fell prey to the greediness of the Bavarian Government. In 1803, Ottobeuren became part of Bavaria. At that time, the territory had about 12,000 inhabitants and an area of some 165 km2 (64 sq mi).

Basilica of Ottobeuren Abbey.

Photo: 21 May 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Dr. Volkmar Rudolf.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In 1834, King Louis I of Bavaria restored it as a Benedictine Priory, dependent on Saint Stephen's Abbey, Augsburg. It was granted the status of an Independent Abbey in 1918.

As of 1910, the Community consisted of five Fathers, sixteen Lay Brothers, and one Lay Novice, who had, under their charge, the Parish of Ottobeuren, a District School, and an Industrial School for poor boys.

English: The Holy Ghost Organ, Ottobeuren Basilica.

Deutsch: Chorgestühl mit Heilig-Geist-Orgel (F10), Basilika Ottobeuren.

Photo: 3 March 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Johannes Böckh & Thomas Mirtsch.

Permission: Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and 

Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5 and older versions (2.0 and 1.0)

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ottobeuren has been a Member of the Bavarian Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation since 1893.

Ottobeuren Abbey has one of the richest music programmes in Bavaria, with concerts every Saturday. Most concerts feature one or more of the Abbey's famous organs. The old organ, the masterpiece of French organ-builder, Karl Joseph Riepp (1710–75), is actually a double organ; it is one of the most treasured historic organs in Europe. It was the main instrument for 200 years, until 1957, when a third organ was added by G. F. Steinmeyer & Co, renovated and augmented in 2002 by Johannes Klais, making 100 stops available on five manuals (or keyboards).

Romanesque (Part Three).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: The Minor Basilica of Speyer Cathedral 

(Kaiser- und Mariendom zu Speyer), viewed from the South.

Deutsch: Südseite des Kaiser- und Mariendoms zu Speyer.

Русский: Шпайерский собор, вид с юга.

Photo: 31 August 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sole Creator and Copyright Holder: Alfred Hutter aka Gentry.

The copyright holder of this file, Alfred Hutter, allows anyone to use it 

for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder 

is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, 

commercial use, and all other use is permitted. 

Attribution: Image by Alfred Hutter.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Saint Stephen, 

in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer) 

in Speyer, Germany, is the Seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer 

and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg.

The Cathedral, which is dedicated to Saint Mary, Patron Saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis"), 

and Saint Stephen, is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). 

Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the Rank of a Minor Basilica 

of the Roman Catholic Church in 1925.

Paintings by Schraudolph 

in Speyer Cathedral, Germany.

Photo: 31 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Joachim Köhler.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Begun in 1030, under Conrad II, with the East End and High Vault of 1090-1103, 

the imposing Triple-Aisled Vaulted Basilica, of red sandstone, is the "culmination of a design 

which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture 

during the 11th-Century and the 12th-Century".

As the burial site for Salian, Staufer and Habsburg Emperors and Kings, the Cathedral 

is regarded as a symbol of Imperial Power.

With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, it remains the largest Romanesque Church. 

It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture", one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.

In 1981, the Cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire".

English: Carcassonne, France. View of the Mediaeval town and vineyards.

Français: Carcassonne, France, vue de la cité médiévale, vignes.

Source: http://www.gnuart.net/data/photo/Harry/Carcassonne/ville_3.zip (zip).

Author: Harry.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Much of Europe was affected by Feudalism, in which peasants held tenure, from local rulers, over the land that they farmed in exchange for military service. The result of this was that they could be called upon, not only for local and regional spats, but to follow their lord to travel across Europe to the Crusades, if they were required to do so.

The Crusades, 1095–1270, brought about a very large movement of people and, with them, ideas and trade skills, particularly those involved in the building of fortifications and the metal-working needed for the provision of arms, which was also applied to the fitting and decoration of buildings. The continual movement of people, Rulers, nobles, Bishops, Abbots, craftsmen and peasants, was an important factor in creating a homogeneity in building methods and a recognisable Romanesque style, despite regional differences.

Life became generally less secure after the Carolingian period. This resulted in the building of Castles at strategic points, many of them being constructed as strongholds of the Normans, descendants of the Vikings, who invaded Northern France in 911 A.D. Political struggles also resulted in the fortification of many towns, or the rebuilding and strengthening of walls that remained from the Roman period. One of the most notable surviving fortifications is that of the city of Carcassonne. The enclosure of towns brought about a lack of living space within the walls, and resulted in a style of town-house that was tall and narrow, often surrounding communal courtyards, as at San Gimignano in Tuscany.

English: The Tower of London, (1078).

William the Conqueror built the central White Tower as his stronghold and residence.

Ελληνικά: Ο Πύργος του Λονδίνου.

Photo: 7 August 2004.

Source: Έργο αυτού που το ανεβάζει (own work).

Author: Georgios Pazios (Alaniaris).

The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, 

provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. 

Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Castle at Carcassonne, France.

Photo: 25 July 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: bmsgator.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In Germany, the Holy Roman Emperors built a number of residences, fortified, but essentially Palaces rather than Castles, at strategic points and on trade routes. The Imperial Palace of Goslar (heavily restored in the 19th-Century) was built in the early 11th-Century by Otto III and Henry III, while the ruined Palace at Gelnhausen was received by Frederick Barbarossa, prior to 1170.

The movement of people and armies also brought about the building of bridges, some of which have survived, including the 12th-Century bridge at Besalú, Catalonia, the 11th-Century Puente de la Reina, Navarre, Spain, and the Pont-Saint-Bénézet, Avignon.

Many towns, such as San Gimignano, Italy, were enclosed with walls, 

causing crowding and the building of tower houses.

Photo: 9 April 2006.

Source: Uploaded by User:RicciSpeziari. 

Author: Basilio Speziari.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Across Europe, the Late-11th-Century and 12th-Century saw an unprecedented growth in the number of Churches. A great number of these buildings, both large and small, remain, some almost intact and others altered almost beyond recognition in later centuries.

They include many very well-known Churches, such as Santa Maria in Cosmedin, in Rome, the Baptistery in Florence and San Zeno Maggiore, in Verona. In France, the famous Abbeys of Aux Dames and Les Hommes at Caen and Mont Saint-Michel, date from this period, as well as the Abbeys of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

Mont Saint-Michel, 

as viewed along the Couesnon River, 

in Brittany, France.

Photo: 5 July 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Diliff.

Attribution: Photo by DAVID ILIFF. 

License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Cathedrals owe their foundation to this date, with others beginning as Abbey Churches, and, later, becoming Cathedrals. In England, of the Cathedrals of ancient foundation, all were begun in this period, with the exception of Salisbury Cathedral, where the Monks relocated from the Norman Church at Old Sarum, and several, such as Canterbury Cathedral, which were rebuilt on the site of Saxon Churches.

In Spain, the most famous Church of the period is Santiago de Compostela. In Germany, the Rhine and its tributaries were the location of many Romanesque Abbeys, notably Mainz, Worms, Speyer and Bamberg. In Cologne, then the largest city North of the Alps, a very important group of large city Churches survives largely intact. As Monasticism spread across Europe, Romanesque Churches sprang up in Scotland, Scandinavia, Poland, Hungary, Sicily, Serbia and Tunisia. Several important Romanesque Churches were built in the Crusader Kingdoms.

PART FOUR FOLLOWS.

Dies Irae.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

Attributed to Hans Memling (circa 1440-1494).

"Last Judgement Triptych" (central panel) in 

Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk, Poland. 

http://www.wga.hu/preview/m/memling/1early3/02last2.jpg.

Date: 16 June 2006 (original upload date).

Source: Web Gallery of Art:  Image.  Info about artwork.

Author: Original uploader was Stroika at en.wikipedia.

Permission: PD-US; PD-ART.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Dies Irae.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/Dlr90NLDp-0.

"Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) is a 13th-Century Latin Hymn, attributed to, either, Thomas of Celano, of the Franciscan Order (1200 – circa 1265), or Latino Malabranca Orsini (+1294), Lector at the Dominican studium at Santa Sabina, the forerunner of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, in Rome.

It is a Mediaeval Latin poem, characterised by its accentual stress and its rhymed lines. The metre is trochaic. The poem describes the Day of Judgment, the last trumpet summoning Souls, before the Throne of God, where the Saved will be delivered, and the Unsaved cast into eternal flames.

The Hymn is best known from its use as a Sequence in the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass (Mass for the Dead or Funeral Mass). An English version is found in various Anglican Communion Missals.

The "Dies Irae" was used in the Roman Liturgy, as the Sequence for the Requiem Mass, for centuries, as evidenced by the important place it holds in musical settings, such as those by Mozart and Verdi. It appears in the Roman Missal of 1962 (the last edition before revisions from the Second Vatican Council were implemented). As such, it is still heard in Churches where the Tridentine Latin Liturgy is celebrated. It also forms part of the Traditional Liturgy of All Souls' Day.

The Usus Antiquior Mass Returns To The Contemplative Franciscan Friars And Sisters Of The Immaculate, Lanherne, Cornwall.

Text and Illustrations from CATHOLICISM PURE & SIMPLE, where the full Article can be read.

Lanherne Convent, Cornwall, England.

Deo Gratias.

Thanks to the Prayers and petitions of many, the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate at Lanherne, have received dispensation from Commissioner, Fr. Fidenzio Volpi OFM Cap., to resume celebration of the Extraordinary form on Sundays and weekdays. The Sisters and Friars extend their gratitude for all the Prayers, works and support that they have received for this end.

Credo I.

Image: NATION STATES.

Zephyrinus is delighted to see that MATTHAEUS has also put up a Post on the Credo. Although, this time, it's Credo I.

You will find his excellent coverage of Credo I over on his Blog, SUB UMBRA ALARUM SUARUM, at

http://sub-umbra-alarum-suarum.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/credo-i.html

Credo. The Nicene Creed.

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

Image: NATION STATES.

The Nicene Creed.
Available on YouTube at
http://youtu.be/Muo5W5GlGys.

The Nicene Creed (Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Νίκαιας, Latin: Symbolum Nicaenum) is the profession of Faith, or Creed, that is most widely used in Christian Liturgy. It forms the mainstream definition of Christianity for most Christians.

It is called Nicene /ˈnaɪsiːn/, because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea (present day Iznik, in Turkey) by the First Ecumenical Council, which met there in 325 A.D.

The Nicene Creed has been normative for the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion, and the great majority of Protestant denominations. It forms the mainstream definition of Christianity, itself, in Nicene Christianity.

The Apostles' Creed, which in its present form is later, is also broadly accepted in the West, but is not used in the East. One or other of these two Creeds is recited in the Roman Rite Mass, directly after the Homily, or Sermon, on all Sundays and Solemnities (Tridentine Feasts of the First Class). In the Roman Catholic Church, the Nicene Creed is part of the profession of Faith required of those undertaking important functions within the Church.

In the Byzantine Rite, the Nicene Creed is always sung or recited at the Divine Liturgy, immediately preceding the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer), and is also recited, daily, at Compline, as well as at sundry other Services.

Romanesque (Part Two).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Deutsch: Abtei Maria Laach.

English: Maria Laach Abbey.

Polski: Opactwo Maria Laach - wodok na kościół.

Photo: 16 September 2007.

Source: Transferred from de.wikipedia.(Original text : selbst fotografiert).

Author: Goldi64 at de.wikipedia.

Permission: Licensed under the GFDL by the author.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Buildings of every type were constructed in the Romanesque style, with evidence remaining of simple domestic buildings, elegant town houses, grand Palaces, commercial premises, civic buildings, Castles, city walls, bridges, village Churches, Abbey Churches, Abbey complexes and large Cathedrals.

Of these types of buildings, domestic and commercial buildings are the most rare, with only a handful of survivors in the United Kingdom, several clusters in France, isolated buildings across Europe and, by far the largest number, often unidentified and altered over the centuries, in Italy. Many Castles exist, the foundations of which date from the Romanesque period. Most have been substantially altered, and many are in ruins.

By far the greatest number of surviving Romanesque buildings are Churches. These range from tiny Chapels to large Cathedrals, and although many have been extended and altered in different styles, a large number remain either substantially intact or sympathetically restored, demonstrating the form, character and decoration of Romanesque Church architecture.

English: Lessay Abbey, Normandy, France.

Note: A traceried Gothic window, left, contrasts with the 

simple round-headed Arches of the Romanesque building.

Français: Abbaye de Lessay (département de la Manche).

Photo: 19 April 2008.

Source: Ji-Elle.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque architecture was the first distinctive style to spread across Europe since the Roman Empire. With the decline of Rome, Roman building methods survived to an extent in Western Europe, where the successive Merovingian, Carolingian and Ottonian architects continued to build large stone buildings such as Monastery Churches and Palaces.

In the more Northern countries, Roman building styles and techniques had never been adopted, except for official buildings, while in Scandinavia they were unknown. Although the round Arch continued to be utilised, the engineering skills required to Vault large spaces and build large Domes were lost. There was a loss of stylistic continuity, particularly apparent in the decline of the formal vocabulary of the Classical Orders. 

In Rome, several great Constantinian Basilicas continued in use as an inspiration to later builders. Some traditions of Roman architecture also survived in Byzantine architecture with the 6th-Century octagonal Byzantine Basilica of San Vitale, in Ravenna, Italy, being the inspiration for the greatest building of the Dark Ages in Europe, the Emperor Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel, Aachen, Germany, built around the year 800 A.D.

View from the North. Aachen Cathedral, also referred to as the Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral) of Aachen, is a building of great historical, architectural and religious importance. Built by Charlemagne in 805 A.D., its unique design was highly influential on German Church architecture and it was a site of Imperial Coronations and pilgrimage for many centuries.

Photo: 6 June 2010.

Source: originally posted to Flickr as Aachen Cathedral And Palatine Chapel - Germany.

Author: Jim.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Catholic Parish Church of Saint Nicholas is located in 

Buren, Paderborn, (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany. 

It is a Three-Nave Romanesque Basilica. 

The Church is the oldest building in the City of Buren.

Photo: 26 April 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Romanesque Portal of the 

Catholic Parish Church of Saint Nicholas, 

Buren, Paderborn, (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany.

Photo: 26 April 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Dating shortly after the Palatine Chapel is a remarkable 9th-Century Swiss manuscript, known as the Plan of Saint Gall, and showing a very detailed plan of a Monastic complex, with all its various Monastic buildings and their functions labelled. 

The largest building is the Church, the Plan of which is distinctly Germanic, having an Apse at both ends, an arrangement not generally seen elsewhere. Another feature of the Church is its regular proportion, the square Plan of the Crossing Tower providing a module for the rest of the Plan. These features can both be seen at the Proto-Romanesque Saint Michael's Church, Hildesheim, 1001–1030.

Architecture of a Romanesque style also developed simultaneously in the North of Italy, parts of France, and in the Iberian Peninsula, in the 10th-Century and prior to the later influence of the Abbey of Cluny. The style, sometimes called "First Romanesque" or "Lombard Romanesque", is characterised by thick walls, lack of sculpture and the presence of rhythmic ornamental Arches known as a Lombard Band.

English: Saint Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany.

Deutsch: Ottonische Kirche St. Michael in Hildesheim – Weltkulturerbe UNESCO.

Photo: 29 December 2009.

Source: Own work / eigenes Bild.

Author: Heinz-Josef Lücking.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Interior of Saint Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany.

Photo: Autumn 2005.

Source: de:Image:St.MichaelInnen.jpg.

Author: Dronkitmaster.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope in Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, on Christmas Day in 800 A.D., with the aim of re-establishing the old Roman Empire. Charlemagne's political successors continued to rule much of Europe, with a gradual emergence of the separate political States that were eventually to become welded into nations, either by allegiance or defeat, the Kingdom of Germany giving rise to the Holy Roman Empire.

The invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066, saw the building of both Castles and Churches that reinforced the Norman presence. Several significant Churches that were built at this time were founded by rulers as Seats of temporal and religious power, or places of Coronation and burial. These include the Abbaye-Saint-Denis, Speyer Cathedral and Westminster Abbey (where little of the Norman Church now remains).

At a time when the remaining architectural structures of the Roman Empire were falling into decay, and much of its learning and technology lost, the building of masonry Domes and the carving of decorative architectural details continued unabated, though greatly evolved in style since the fall of Rome, in the enduring Byzantine Empire. 

The Domed Churches of Constantinople and Eastern Europe were to greatly affect the architecture of certain towns, particularly through trade and through the Crusades. The most notable single building that demonstrates this is Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, but there are many lesser-known examples, particularly in France, such as the Church of Saint-Front, Périgueux and Angoulême Cathedral.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.

Pange Lingua Gloriosi.

Monstrance.

Photo: 2004-10-18 (original upload date).

Source: Own work (zelf gemaakt).

Originally from nl.wikipedia; description page is/was here.

Author: Original uploader was Broederhugo at nl.wikipedia.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Pange Lingua Gloriosi.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/r3H5f7oePQE.

Sweet Heart Of Jesus, Fount Of Love And Mercy.

Google Images.

Sweet Heart of Jesus.

Sung by Regina Nathan.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/hJsAjEgTShI.

Regina Nathan singing "Sweet Heart of Jesus", 

from Faith of Our Fathers concert, 

filmed in the Point Theatre in Dublin 1997.

Sweet Heart of Jesus, fount of love and mercy

Today we come, Thy blessing to implore.

Oh touch our hearts, so cold and so ungrateful

And make them Lord, Thine own for evermore.

Sweet Heart of Jesus we implore,

Oh make us love Thee more and more.

Sweet Heart of Jesus, make us pure and gentle

And teach us how to do Thy blessed will;

To follow close the print of Thy dear footsteps

And when we fall, Sweet Heart, oh love us still.

Sweet Heart of Jesus we implore,

Oh make us love Thee more and more.

Romanesque (Part One).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: The Nave of the Basilique Sainte Marie-Madeleine, 

Vézelay, France.

Français: Nef de la Basilique de Vézelay.

Photo: 10 May 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Vézelay Abbey (now known as Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine) was a Benedictine and Cluniac Monastery in Vézelay, in the Yonne départment in Northern Burgundy, France. The Benedictine Abbey Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine (or Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene), with its complicated programme of imagery in sculpted Capitals and Portals, is one of the outstanding masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture, though much of its exterior sculpture was defaced during the French Revolution.

The Church at Vézelay was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

English: The same Nave of the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene,

Vézelay, France, this time without the chairs.

Français: Le 23 juin 1976 à 14h27 dans la nef de la basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, le Père Hugues Delautre o.f.m. a donné rendez-vous au soleil, à cet instant précis en culmination par rapport à la terre, pour qu'il lui manifeste le secret de l'édifice. Photographie de François Walch.

Photo: 23 June 1976.

Source: Own work.

Author: Francis Vérillon. J'ai créé ce fichier en numérisant le tirage papier d'une photographie argentique faite par François Walch qui m'a autorisé à la publier dans Wikipédia par courriel du 28 août 2008. Cette photographie m'a été donnée par Hugues Delautre, o.f.m., commanditaire de l'oeuvre et cité dans l'article de Wikipédia intitulé "Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay", paragraphe "Vézelay et la lumière" comportant quatre références bibliographiques.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Mediaeval Europe, characterised by semi-circular Arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th-Century to the 10th-Century. It developed in the 12th-Century into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed Arches.

Examples of Romanesque architecture can be found across the Continent, making it the first Pan-European architectural style since Imperial Roman Architecture. The Romanesque style in England is traditionally referred to as Norman architecture.

Combining features of Roman and Byzantine buildings and other local traditions, Romanesque architecture is known by its massive quality, thick walls, round Arches, sturdy Piers, Groin Vaults, large Towers and decorative Arcading. Each building has clearly defined forms and they are frequently of very regular, symmetrical Plan, so that the overall appearance is one of simplicity, when compared with the Gothic buildings that were to follow. The style can be identified right across Europe, despite regional characteristics and different materials.

English: The central Tympanum of the Narthex of the 

Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene, Vézelay, France.

Français: Le tympan central du narthex (1140-1150), 

ouvert pour la sortie de la messe. 

Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay.

Photo: 15 July 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Vassil.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Castles were built during this period, but they are greatly outnumbered by Churches. The most significant are the great Abbey Churches, many of which are still standing, more or less complete and frequently in use.

The enormous quantity of Churches, built in the Romanesque period, was succeeded by the still-busier period of Gothic architecture, which partly or entirely rebuilt most Romanesque Churches in prosperous areas like England and Portugal. The largest groups of Romanesque survivors are in areas that were less prosperous in subsequent periods, including parts of Southern France, Northern Spain and rural Italy. Survivals of unfortified Romanesque secular houses and Palaces, and the domestic quarters of Monasteries, are far rarer, but these used and adapted the features found in Church buildings, on a domestic scale.

Interior of the Basilica of 

Saint Mary Magdalene, Vézelay, France.

Photo: 13 April 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: PMRMaeyaert.

(Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "Romanesque", meaning "descended from Roman", was first used in English to designate what are now called Romance languages (first cited 1715).

Architecturally, the French term "romane" was first used by the archaeologist, Charles de Gerville, in a letter of 18 December 1818 to Auguste Le Prévost, to describe what Gerville sees as a debased Roman architecture. In 1824, Gerville's friend, Arcisse de Caumont, adopted the label "roman" to describe the "degraded" European architecture from the 5th-Century to the 13th-Century, in his Essai sur l'architecture religieuse du moyen-âge, particulièrement en Normandie, at a time when the actual dates of many of the buildings so described, had not been ascertained: 

"The name Roman(esque) we give to this architecture, which should be universal as it is the same everywhere with slight local differences, also has the merit of indicating its origin and is not new since it is used already to describe the language of the same period. Romance language is degenerated Latin language. Romanesque architecture is debased Roman architecture".

Cloister of the Basilica di San Giovanni 

in Laterano, Rome.

Photo: 30 May 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Joonas Lyytinen.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The first use in a published work is in William Gunn's "An Inquiry into the Origin and Influence of Gothic Architecture" (London 1819). The word was used by Gunn to describe the style that was identifiably Mediaeval and prefigured the Gothic, yet maintained the rounded Roman Arch and thus appeared to be a continuation of the Roman tradition of building.

Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Photo: 5 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ("Men's Abbey"), is a former Monastery in the French city of Caen, Normandy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen ("Saint Étienne"), it is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ("Ladies' Abbey"), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major Abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine. Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was Abbot of Saint-Etienne.

Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Photo: 5 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The term is now used for the more restricted period from the Late-10th- to the12th-Centuries. The term "Pre-Romanesque" is sometimes applied to architecture in Germany of the Carolingian and Ottonian periods and Visigothic, Mozarabic and Asturian constructions between the 8th- and the 10th-Centuries in the Iberian Peninsula, while "First Romanesque" is applied to buildings in the North of Italy and Spain, and parts of France, that have Romanesque features, but pre-date the influence of the Monastery of Cluny.

Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, France.

Photo: 5 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque is generally considered, by art historians, as a Pan-European architecture with both the manner of construction and the style having a consistency that stretches geographically from Ireland to the Balkans. Professor Tadhg O'Keeffe argues against this accepted concept of a Pan-European Romanesque, seeing, in the examples of architecture, a sign of the dissolution of the effects of the Roman Empire and its building methods, rather than a cultural renaissance brought about by the influence of the Church. In either argument, it is seen that local influences, such as materials, history and decorative traditions, brought about distinctive regional characteristics.

PART TWO FOLLOWS.

Hail, Queen Of Heaven. Star Of The Sea.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Title: "Song of the Angels".

Date: 1881.

Author: William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Hail, Queen of Heaven.

Sung by Regina Nathan.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/ouacvQWASFw.

Hail, Queen of Heav'n, the ocean Star,

Guide of the wand'rer here below;

Thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care;

Save us from peril and from woe.

Mother of Christ, star of the sea,

Pray for the wanderer, pray for me. 

O gentle, chaste and spotless Maid,

We sinners make our prayers through thee;

Remind thy Son that He has paid

The price of our iniquity.

Virgin most pure, star of the sea,

Pray for the sinner, pray for me.

And while to Him who reigns above,

In Godhead One, in Persons Three,

The Source of life, of grace, of love,

Homage we pay on bended knee.

Do thou, bright Queen, star of the sea,

Pray for thy children, pray for me.

Gougane Barra Church, County Cork, Ireland.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

The Church at Gougane Barra (above and below).

Built on an island, near the Monastery/Well site,

at the end of the 19th-Century.

Gougane Barra on a foggy Winter morning.

Date: 2006-08-25 (original upload date).

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mozzercork/93995659/.

Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is/was here.

Author: mozzercork @ flickr.

Original uploader was Guliolopez at en.wikipedia.

Permission: CC-BY-2.5.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Gougane Barra (Irish: Guagán Barra, meaning "the rock of Barra") is a settlement, West of Macroom in County Cork, Ireland.

The name Gougane Barra comes from Saint Finbarr, who is said to have built a Monastery, on an island in the lake, during the 6th-Century. The present ruins date from around 1700, when a Priest, called Denis O'Mahony, Retreated to the island.

During the times of the Penal Laws, Gougane Barra's remoteness meant that it became a popular place for the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass. The 19th-Century Oratory, which stands near the original Monastery, is famous for its picturesque location, and richly decorated interior, and is a popular place for weddings.

Saint Finbarr's Oratory, Gougane Barra, West Cork.

Part of a Monastery founded by Saint Finbarr in the 6th-Century,

on an island (now joined to the surrounding land 

by a causeway) in Lough Gougane Barra.

Photo: 15 April 2004.

Source: From geograph.org.uk.

Author: Raymond Norris.

(Wikimedia Commons)

It is a popular pilgrimage destination, with pilgrims coming to Pray a 'Round' of Prayers, described in a 'tablet' at the entrance to the island. This 'Round' includes Prayers at a series of stone cells, in a small walled court, as well as the Oratory. There is a hotel near the Oratory, with a coffee shop and a gift shop.

Saint Finbarr's Cathedral, Cork, Ireland.

Photo: 13 March 2006.

Source: Flickr.

Author: Flickr member Charlie cravero.

Permission: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Afforestation of the area, around the settlement, began in 1938, and Gougane Barra is now home to a 1.42 square kilometre (or 138 hectare) forest park, with 20 different species of tree, mainly Sitka Spruce, Japanese Larch, Scots Pine and Lodgepole pine, and a large number of native species of flora and fauna. The source of the River Lee rises in the hills above the park and flows into Gougane Lake. The forest park has 5km of motor trail and 10km of hill walks, nature points and vista trails.

Feast Day Of The Immaculate Heart Of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Feast Day 22 August.
Double of the Second-Class.
White Vestments.

The Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to a tradition, sanctioned by authority, it was at Jerusalem, near the room of the Last Supper, at the spot where now stands a Church committed to the care of the Benedictines, that Mary breathed her last (Secret).

And it is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in a place where, about 1130, a Monastery of the Benedictine Monks of Cluny was built, that her mortal remains were laid and "she was carried up to Heaven" (Alleluia).

The pilgrimages made to this tomb originated the Feast of the Assumption, which was already solemnised in the East at the end of the 6th-Century. At the beginning of the 7th-Century, the Feast was also solemnised at Rome, and it spread with the Roman Liturgy over the whole West.

Pope Leo IV instituted the Octave in 847 A.D.

"We have accompanied thee with all our Prayers, when thou didst ascend towards thy Son," says Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, "and we have at least followed thee at a distance, O Blessed Virgin ! May thy goodness make known to the world the Grace bestowed on thee by God: Obtain by thy Holy Prayers, the forgiveness of the guilty, health for the sick, strength for weak Souls, consolation for the afflicted, help and deliverance for those in peril.

O Mary, Queen of Clemency, on this joyful Solemnity, may thy humble servants, who praise and invoke thy sweet name, be overwhelmed with Graces by Jesus Christ thy Son, Our Lord, who is the Sovereign God, Blessed throughout the ages. Amen." [Fifth and Sixth Lessons at Matins.]

Let us honour Mary with special confidence during these Feasts which celebrate her triumph.

Mass: Adeamus. With a Commemoration.