Durham Cathedral (Part Four)

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

The Norman Columns of Durham Cathedral

(http://www.onpilgrimage.com/id14.html)

In 1986, the Cathedral, together with the nearby Castle, became a World Heritage Site. The UNESCO committee classified the Cathedral under criteria C (ii) (iv) (vi), reporting, "Durham Cathedral is the largest and most perfect monument of 'Norman' style architecture in England".

In 1996, the Great Western Doorway was the setting for Bill Viola's large-scale video installation The Messenger. Interior views of the Cathedral were featured in the 1998 film, Elizabeth.

Durham Cathedral has been featured in the Harry Potter films as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where it had a spire digitally added onto the top of the famous towers.

Architectural historian, Dan Cruickshank, selected the Cathedral as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series, Britain's Best Buildings.

In November 2009, the Cathedral featured in a son et lumière festival, whose highlight was the illumination of the North Front of the Cathedral, with a 15-minute presentation, that told the story of Lindisfarne and the foundation of the Cathedral, using illustrations and text from the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Durham Cathedral's Choir, looking West.

Adapted from Greenwell, p. 32.

Greenwell, William. Durham Cathedral. 

Eighth Edition Durham: Andrews and Company, 1913. NA971 D96G8.

Copyright MAS.

http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/england/durham/cathedral/Interior/durham-interior.html

The copyright holder of this project is © Alison Stones. The pages and their images are used by the University of Pittsburgh with her express permission. Permission is granted for reproduction and use of these images for non-profit research and educational purposes only, provided Alison Stones or any of the other image copyright holders participating in the project is properly attributed as the copyright owner on each and every image reproduced and used. Any further use or reproduction of these images without the express written consent of Alison Stones is prohibited. 

 Email: mastones@hotmail.com. 

Durham Cathedral is notable for the ribbed vault of the nave roof, with pointed transverse arches supported on relatively slender composite piers alternated with massive drum columns, and flying buttresses or lateral abutments concealed within the triforium over the aisles. 

These features appear to be precursors of the Gothic architecture of Northern France a few decades later, doubtless due to the Norman stonemasons responsible, although the building is considered Romanesque, overall. 

The skilled use of the pointed arch and ribbed vault made it possible to cover far more elaborate and complicated ground plans than before. Buttressing made it possible to build taller buildings and open up the intervening wall spaces to create larger windows.

Saint Cuthbert's tomb lies at the East, in the Feretory, and was once an elaborate monument of cream marble and gold. It remains a place of pilgrimage.

Durham Cathedral at Sundown.

Photograph by Robin Widdison.

2006-08-04 (original upload date).

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

Transfer was stated to be made by User:Jalo.

Original uploader was Robin Widdison at en.wikipedia

Released into the public domain (by the author).

(Wikimedia Commons).

"Durham is one of the great experiences of Europe to the eyes of those who appreciate architecture, and to the minds of those who understand architecture. The group of Cathedral, Castle, and Monastery on the rock can only be compared to Avignon and Prague." (Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England).

"I paused upon the bridge, and admired and wondered at the beauty and glory of this scene...it was grand, venerable, and sweet, all at once; I never saw so lovely and magnificent a scene, nor, being content with this, do I care to see a better." (Nathaniel Hawthorne, on Durham Cathedral, The English Notebooks).

'With the Cathedral at Durham, we reach the incomparable masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, not only in England but anywhere. The moment of entering provides for an architectural experience never to be forgotten, one of the greatest England has to offer.' (Alec Clifton-Taylor, 'English Towns' series on BBC television).

"I unhesitatingly gave Durham my vote for best Cathedral on planet Earth." (Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island.").

"Grey towers of Durham. Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles. Half church of God, half castle 'gainst the Scot. And long to roam those venerable aisles. With records stored of deeds long since forgot.". (Sir Walter Scott, Harold the Dauntless, a poem of Saxons and Vikings set in County Durham).

THIS CONCLUDES THE ARTICLE ON DURHAM CATHEDRAL.

Durham Cathedral (Part Three)

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

Durham Cathedral.

Photo: July 2007.

Source: Own Work.

Author: --Immanuel Giel 13:01, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Cuthbert's tomb was destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1538, and the monastery's wealth handed over to the king. The body of the Saint was exhumed, and, according to the Rites of Durham, was discovered to be uncorrupted. It was reburied under a plain stone slab, but the ancient paving around it remains intact, worn by the knees of pilgrims. Two years later, on 31 December 1540, the Benedictine Monastery at Durham was dissolved, and the last Prior of Durham (Hugh Whitehead) became the first Dean of the Cathedral's secular Chapter.

After the Battle of Dunbar, on 3 September 1650, Durham Cathedral was used by Oliver Cromwell as a makeshift prison to hold Scottish prisoners-of-war. It is estimated that as many as 3,000 were imprisoned, of whom 1,700 died in the cathedral itself, where they were kept in inhumane conditions, largely without food, water or heat. The prisoners destroyed much of the cathedral woodwork for firewood but Prior Castell's clock, which featured the Scottish thistle, was spared. It is reputed that the prisoners' bodies were buried in unmarked graves. The survivors were shipped as slave labour to North America.

In 1946, during work to install a new central heating system for the University, a mass grave of the Scottish soldiers was allegedly uncovered. Towards the end of 2007, a campaign was launched to commemorate the Dunbar Martyrs. Further to this, and with the agreement of Durham University, Historic Scotland funded a geophysical survey of Palace Green. It was hoped that this might provide clarity on the final resting place of the dead, but results were inconclusive. During 2010, the Cathedral Chapter agreed to the installation of a memorial plaque within Saint Margaret of Scotland's Chapel at the Cathedral. The "Dunbar Martyr" campaigners are raising funds to assist with the cost of creation and installation of the plaque, which will bear a Scottish Thistle.

Bishop John Cosin, who had previously been a Canon of the Cathedral, set about restoring the damage and refurnishing the building with new Stalls, the Litany Desk and the towering Canopy over the Font. An Oak Screen, to carry the organ, was added at this time to replace a Stone Screen which was pulled down in the 16th-Century. On the remains of the old Refectory, the Dean, John Sudbury, founded a Library of early-printed books.

The Rose Window,

Durham Cathedral.

Photo: April 2010.

Author: Zephyrinus.

During the 18th-Century, the Deans of Durham often held another position in the South of England, and, after spending the statutory time in residence, would depart to manage their affairs. Consequently, after Cosin's refurbishment, there was little by way of restoration or rebuilding. When work commenced again on the building, it was of a most unsympathetic nature. 

In 1773, the architect, George Nicholson, having completed the Prebend's Bridge across the River Wear, persuaded the Dean and Chapter to let him smooth off much of the outer stonework of the Cathedral, thereby considerably altering its character.

Durham Cathedral at sunrise.

Author: Rebecca Kennison.

Source: Own Work. 

Photo: November 1998. 

Permission: Dual-licensed under GFDL and Creative Commons Attribution 2.5. 

(Wikimedia Commons) 

The architect, James Wyatt, greatly added to the destruction by demolishing half the Chapter House, altering the stonework of the East End, and inserting a large rose window that was supposed to be faithful to one that had been there in the 13th-Century. Wyatt also planned to demolish the Galilee Chapel, but the Dean, John Cornwallis, returned and prevented it, just as the lead was being stripped from the roof.

The restoration of the Cathedral's Tower, between 1854 and 1859, was by the architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, working with Edward Robert Robson, who went on to serve as architect-in-charge of the Cathedral for six years. In 1858, Anthony Salvin restored the Cloisters.

PART FOUR FOLLOWS.

16 October - Feast Day of Saint Hedwig, Patroness of Silesia, Poland

Italic Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Non-Italic Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia,

unless otherwise stated.

Saint Hedwig.

Widow.

Semi-Double.

White Vestments.

The Basilica of Saint Hedwig,

Trzebnica, Poland.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Hedwig, of royal birth, and still more illustrious by the innocence of her life, was the daughter of Berthold, Prince of Carinthia, and aunt, on the mother's side, of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.

Having married Henry, Duke of Poland, she fulfilled her duties as wife in so holy a fashion that the Church compares her to the strong woman, whose portrait is drawn for us by the Holy Ghost in today's Epistle.

She had three sons and three daughters. She macerated her body both by fasting and watching and by the roughness of her clothes. She was very charitable to the poor, whom she, herself, served at table.

Her husband, the Duke, having died, Hedwig, like the merchant mentioned in the Gospel, gave away all her riches to acquire the precious pearl of eternal life.

After praying earnestly and under Divine inspiration, she generously exchanged worldly pomp for the life of the Cross (Collect), entering the Cistercian monastery of Trebnitz, where her daughter was Abbess.

She died on 15 October 1243, and Poland honours her with special veneration.

Saint Hedwig Church in Legnickie Pole.

Source: http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/

Author: Marek i Ewa Wojciechowscy

Permission: GFDL

Attribution:

© Marek and Ewa Wojciechowscy / Trips over Poland / CC-BY-SA-3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.0 & GDFL

Polski: Kościół św. Jadwigi w Legnickim Polu pierwotnie stanowił kościół przyklasztorny benedyktynów, stąd jest wpisany na listę zabytków wspólnie z dawnym zespołem klasztornym. Obecnie jest zwykłym kościołem parafialnym.

English: The Church of Saint Hedwig, in Legnickie Pole, used to be part of the Benedictine Monastery and therefore it shares the inscription in the cultural monuments registry with the buildings of the former Monastery. Today, it is an ordinary Parish Church.

The Basilica of Saint Jadwiga (English: Hedwig), in Trzebnica, Poland, is a Convent for Cistercian nuns, situated in Trzebnica (German:Trebnitz) North of Wrocław, in Silesia, Poland, founded in 1203.

After few decades of abandonment in the 19th-Century, it is an now an Abbey of the Sisters of Mercy of Saint Borromeo, since 1889.

The Abbey was established by the Silesian Piast, Duke Henry I (The Bearded), and his wife, Saint Hedwig of Andechs (Polish: Święta Jadwiga Śląska), confirmed by Pope Innocent III. 

The image of Saint Hedwig is

taken from the web-site of

Saint Hedwig Parish,

872, Brunswick Avenue,

Trenton, New Jersey NJ 08638,

United States of America.

www.sainthedwigparish.com

The legend of its foundation relates that Duke Henry, when out hunting, fell into a swamp, from which he could not extricate himself. In return for his rescue from this perilous position, he vowed to build the Abbey. With Hedwig's consent, her brother Ekbert of Andechs, then Bishop of Bamberg, chose the first nuns that occupied the convent.

The first Abbess was Petrussa, from Kitzingen Abbey; she was followed by Gertrude, the daughter of Hedwig. The Abbey was richly endowed with lands by Duke Henry. When Hedwig became a widow in 1238, she went to live at Trzebnica and was finally buried there.

The Church of Saint Hedwig,

Legnickie Pole, Poland.

Source: http://www.poczta-polska.pl/mw/

Photo: 2007.

Author: Marek i Ewa Wojciechowscy

Permission: GFDL

Attribution: 

© Marek and Ewa Wojciechowscy / Trips over Poland / CC-BY-SA-3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.0 & GDFL

(Wikimedia Commons)

Up to 1515, the Abbesses were First Princesses of the Piast dynasty and. afterwards, members of the nobility. 

It is said that, towards the end of the 13th-Century, the nuns numbered 120. The Abbey also became a mausoleum of many rulers of the fragmented Silesian Piasts. In 1672 there were 32 nuns and 6 lay sisters, in 1805 there were 23 nuns and 6 lay sisters. At the Protestant Reformation, most of the nuns were Poles, as were the majority until the 18th-Century.

Saint Hedwig of Andechs Church, Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland.

Polski: Zabytkowy kościół parafialny p.w. św. Jadwigi w dawnym Sadlnie, 

obecnie części Ząbkowic Śląskich.

Photo: July 2011.

Source: Own Work.

Author: 99kerob (Paweł Borkowski)

(Wikimedia Commons) 

The Abbey of Trebnitz suffered so greatly during the Thirty Years War, that the nuns fled across the border onto the territory of the mostly unaffected Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, as they did again in 1663 when the Turks threatened Silesia.

In 1742, in the aftermath of the First Silesian War and the Treaty of Breslau, Trebnitz found itself under the governance of Protestant Prussia and started to suffer from political discrimination.

The last Abbess, Dominica von Giller, died on 17 August 1810, and on 11 November 1810, the Abbey was suppressed and secularised, by order of King Frederick William III. The building, which was extensive, was sold later and turned into a cloth factory. 

Saint Hedwig of Andechs Church, Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland.

Polski: Wnętrze zabytkowego kościoła parafialnego p.w. św. Jadwigi w dawnym Sadlnie, 

obecnie części Ząbkowic Śląskich.

Photo: July 2011.

Source: Own Work.

Author: 99kerob (Paweł Borkowski)

(Wikimedia Commons) 

In the 19th-Century, the ruined Abbey was bought by the Knights Hospitaller and, later, by the Order of Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo, as a hospital.

The Church, a Basilica, has pillars in the Late-Romanesque style, to which Baroque additions were made from 1741. It features several paintings with scenes from the life of Saint Hedwig by Michael Willmann. After the secularisation of the Abbey, it became the Trebnitz Parish Church.

The grave of Saint Hedwig is located in a Chapel, to the right of the High Altar, donated by her grandson, Archbishop Ladislaus of Salzburg, in 1267. The grave of Duke Henry I, her husband, is in front of the High Altar.

Among those buried in the Church, are: Henry I (The Bearded), Duke of Silesia-Wrocław, 1238; Saint Hedwig of Andechs, widow, 1243; Konrad von Feuchtwangen, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, 1296; Karolina of Legnica-Brieg, last scion of the Silesian Piasts, 1707.

Durham Cathedral (Part Two)

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

Durham Cathedral.

Photo taken from: http://www.onpilgrimage.com/id14.html

Initially, a very simple temporary structure was built from local timber to house the relics of Saint Cuthbert. The shrine was then transferred to a sturdier, probably wooden, building known as the White Church. This Church was replaced three years later, in 998 A.D., by a stone building, also known as the White Church, which was complete, apart from its tower, by 1018. 

Durham soon became a site of pilgrimage, encouraged by the growing cult of Saint Cuthbert. King Canute was one early pilgrim, granting many privileges and much land to the Durham community. The defendable position, flow of money from pilgrims, and power embodied in the Church at Durham ensured that a town formed around the Cathedral, establishing the early core of the modern city.

The present Cathedral was designed and built under William of St. Carilef (or William of Calais), who was appointed as the first prince-bishop by William the Conqueror in 1080. Since that time, there have been major additions and reconstructions of some parts of the building, but the greater part of the structure remains true to the Norman design.

Interior of Durham Cathedral.

Photo: February 2009.

Source: From geograph.org.uk

Author: Paul Robson

(Wikimedia Commons)

Construction of the Cathedral began in 1093 at the eastern end. The Choir was completed by 1096 and work proceeded on the Nave, of which the walls were finished by 1128, and the High Vault complete by 1135. The Chapter House, demolished in the 18th-Century, was built between 1133 and 1140. William of Calais died in 1099 before the building's completion, passing responsibility to his successor Ranulf Flambard, who also built Flamwell Bridge, the first crossing of the River Wear in the town. Three bishops, William of St. Carilef, Ranulf Flambard, and Hugh de Puiset, are all buried in the rebuilt Chapter House.

In the 1170s, Bishop Hugh de Puiset, after a false start at the eastern end, where the subsidence and cracking prevented work from continuing, added the Galilee Chapel at the west end of the cathedral. The five-aisled building occupies the position of a porch, it functioned as a Lady Chapel and the Great West Door was blocked during the Mediaeval period by an altar to the Virgin Mary. The door is now blocked by the tomb of Bishop Langley. The Galilee Chapel also holds the remains of the Venerable Bede. The main entrance to the Cathedral is on the northern side, facing towards the Castle.

Cloisters, Durham Cathedral, UK. 

Photograph by Robin Widdison.

Date: 2006-08-04 (original upload date).

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

Transfer was stated to be made by User:Jalo.

Author: Original uploader was Robin Widdison at en.wikipedia

Released into the public domain (by the author).

(Wikimedia Commons)

In 1228, Richard Le Poore came from Salisbury, where a new Cathedral was being built in the Gothic style. At this time, the eastern end of the Cathedral was in urgent need of repair and the proposed eastern extension had failed. 

Richard Le Poore employed the architect Richard Farnham to design an eastern terminal for the building, in which many monks could say the Daily Office simultaneously. The resulting building was the Chapel of the Nine Altars. The towers date from the early 13th-Century, but the central tower was damaged by lightning and replaced in two stages in the 15th-Century, the Master Masons being Thomas Barton and John Bell.

The Shrine of Saint Cuthbert was located in the eastern apsidal end of the Cathedral. The location of the inner wall of the apse is marked on the pavement, and Saint Cuthbert's tomb is covered by a simple slab. However, an unknown monk wrote in 1593: [The shrine] "was estimated to be one of the most sumptuous in all England, so great were the offerings and jewells bestowed upon it, and endless the miracles that were wrought at it, even in these last days." — Rites of Durham.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

This Article is taken from the HOLY CARD HEAVEN Blog.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Each Pater is a diamond.

Each Ave, a flower, added to the crown we offer to Mary. 

Bouasse Lebel 112B.

 The Rosary, Our Lady's Psalter

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

Blessed art thou amongst women,

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners,

Now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Ave Maria,

Gratia plena,

Dominus tecum.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus,

Et benedictus fructus ventria tui,

Jesus.

Santa Maria,

Mater Dei,

Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,

Nunc,

Et in hora mortis nostrae.

Amen.

Durham Cathedral (Part One)

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

Durham Cathedral.

Author: Domstu

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and Saint Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a Cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the Seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995 A.D., with the present Cathedral being founded in 1093. The Cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with nearby Durham Castle, which faces it across Palace Green.

The present Cathedral replaced the 10th-Century "White Church", built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The treasures of Durham Cathedral include relics of Saint Cuthbert, the head of Saint Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede. In addition, its Durham Dean and Chapter Library contains one of the most complete sets of early-printed books in England, the pre-Dissolution monastic accounts, and three copies of the Magna Carta.

Durham Cathedral occupies a strategic position on a promontory high above the River Wear. From 1080 until the 19th-Century, the Bishopric enjoyed the powers of a Bishop Palatine, having military as well as religious leadership and power. Durham Castle was built as the residence for the Bishop of Durham. The seat of the Bishop of Durham is the fourth-most-significant in the Church of England hierarchy, and he stands at the right hand of the monarch at coronations. Signposts for the modern-day County Durham are subtitled "Land of the Prince Bishops."

There are daily Church of England services at the Cathedral, with the Durham Cathedral Choir singing daily except Mondays and when the Choir is on holiday. The Cathedral is a major tourist attraction within the region, the central tower of 217 feet (66 metres) giving views of Durham and the surrounding area.

Durham Cathedral interior.

Photo: August 2010.

Author: Oliver-Bonjoch

(Wikimedia Commons)

The See of Durham takes its origins from the Diocese of Lindisfarne, founded by Saint Aidan at the behest of Oswald of Northumbria, around 635 A.D. The See lasted until 664 A.D., at which point it was translated to York. The See was then re-instated at Lindisfarne in 678 A.D., by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Among the many Saints produced in the community at Lindisfarne Priory, Saint Cuthbert, who was Bishop of Lindisfarne from 685 A.D., until his death on Farne Island in 687 A.D., is central to the development of Durham Cathedral.

After repeated Viking raids, the monks fled Lindisfarne in 875 A.D., carrying Saint Cuthbert's relics with them. The Diocese of Lindisfarne remained itinerant until 882 A.D., when a community was re-established in Chester-le-Street. The See had its Seat here until 995 A.D., when further incursions once again caused the monks to move with the relics.

According to local legend, the monks followed two milk maids who were searching for a dun (i.e. brown) cow and were led into a peninsula formed by a loop in the River Wear. At this point, Saint Cuthbert's coffin became immovable. This trope of hagiography was offered for a sign that the new shrine should be built here. A more prosaic set of reasons for the selection of the peninsula is its highly defensible position, and that a community established here would enjoy the protection of the Earl of Northumberland, as the bishop at this time, Aldhun, had strong family links with the earls. Nevertheless, the street leading from The Bailey, past the Cathedral's eastern towers up to Palace Green, is named Dun Cow Lane.

PART TWO FOLLOWS

Vigil of Reparation, tonight, (Friday, 5 October 2012), in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.

Christ Crowned with Thorns

by Matthias Stom (1615 - 1649).

Current location: Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California, United States.

Accession Number: M.1977.25.P

Source/Photographer: Norton Simon Museum Website (www.nortonsimon.org)

From Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

The Roman Catholic tradition includes specific prayers and devotions as acts of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion. These Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ do not involve a petition for a living or deceased beneficiary, but aim to repair the sins against Jesus. Some such prayers are provided in the Raccolta Catholic prayer book (approved by a Decree of 1854, and published by the Holy See in 1898) which also includes prayers as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary.

In his encyclical, Miserentissimus Redemptor, on reparations, Pope Pius XI called Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ a duty for Catholics and referred to them as "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury" with respect to the sufferings of Jesus.

Pope John Paul II referred to Acts of Reparation as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless Crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified".

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND ON THE SOCIETY OF ST. HUGH OF CLUNY BLOG.

Vigil of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, 5 October, at St. Peter Church in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Vigil begins with the Traditional Latin Mass (Low Mass) of the Sacred Heart at 7:00 p.m., followed by Rosary, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction, closing with the Traditional Latin Mass (Low Mass) of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 12:00 Midnight. 

 Location: 160 Main St., Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Part Nine)

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

20 August (Feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church)
Double
White Vestments

English: Stained glass representing St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Upper Rhine, circa 1450.

Français : Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, vitrail. Rhin supérieur, vers 1450.

Source/Photographer: Jastrow (2006)

(Wikimedia Commons)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux was named a Doctor of the Church in 1830. At the 800th anniversary of his death, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical on Bernard, Doctor Mellifluus, in which he labelled him "The Last of the Fathers." Bernard did not reject human philosophy which is genuine philosophy, which leads to God; he differentiates between different kinds of knowledge, the highest being theological. Three central elements of Bernard's Mariology are how he explained the virginity of Mary, the "Star of the Sea", how the faithful should pray to the Virgin Mary, and how he relied on the Virgin Mary as Mediatrix.

Bernard also held some doctrines which the Reformers would later rekindle at the beginnings of the Protestant movement. Some people have therefore equated him with a Protestant before there were Protestants. In truth, he held to a mix of the Reformers' doctrines and the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church of his day. Bernard fought against the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Also of great importance to the Reformers would be Bernard's conception of justification. Calvin quotes Bernard several times to show the historical validity of Sola Fide, which Luther described as the article upon which the Church stands or falls. Calvin also quotes him in setting forth his doctrine of a forensic alien righteousness, or, as it is commonly called, imputed righteousness.

Bernard was instrumental in re-emphasising the importance of Lectio Divina and contemplation on Scripture within the Cistercian Order. Bernard had observed that, when Lectio Divina was neglected, monasticism suffered. Bernard considered Lectio Divina, and contemplation guided by the Holy Spirit, the keys to nourishing Christian spirituality.

Bernard of Clairvaux, as shown in the church of Heiligenkreuz Abbey, near Baden bei Wien, Lower Austria. Portrait (1700) with the true effigy of the Saint by Georg Andreas Wasshuber (1650-1732), (painted after a statue in Clairvaux with the true effigy of the saint)

Author: Georges Jansoone.

Photo: June 2006.

(Wikimedia Commons).

Bernard's theology and Mariology continue to be of major importance, particularly within the Cistercian and Trappist Orders. Bernard led to the foundation of 163 monasteries in different parts of Europe. At his death, they numbered 343. His influence led Pope Alexander III to launch reforms that would lead to the establishment of Canon Law. He was the first Cistercian monk placed on the Calendar of Saints and was canonized by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174. Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title of Doctor of the Church. He is fondly remembered as the "Mellifluous Doctor" (the Honey-Sweet-voiced Doctor) for his eloquence. The Cistercians honour him, as only the founders of Orders are honoured, because of the widespread activity which he gave to the Order.

The works of Bernard are as follows:

De Gradibus Superbiae, his first treatise;
Homilies on the Gospel, Missus est, written in 1120;
"Apology to William of St. Thierry" against the claims of the monks of Cluny;
"On the Conversion of Clerics," a book addressed to the young ecclesiastics of Paris, written in 1122;
De Laude Novae Militiae, addressed to Hugues de Payens, first Grand Master and Prior of Jerusalem (1129). This is a eulogy of the military Order, instituted in 1118, and an exhortation to the knights to conduct themselves with courage in their several stations;
De Amore Dei", wherein Bernard argues that the manner of loving God is to love without measure and gives the different degree of this love;
"Book of Precepts and Dispensations" (1131), which contains answers to questions upon certain points of the Rule of St Benedict, from which the abbot can, or cannot, dispense;
De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio, in which the Roman Catholic Dogma of Grace and Free Will was defended according to the principles of St Augustine;
De Consideratione ("On Consideration"), addressed to Pope Eugenius III;
De Officiis Episcoporum, addressed to Henry, Archbishop of Sens.

His sermons are also numerous:

On Psalm 90, Qui habitat, written about 1125;
"On the Song of Songs". [with an autobiographical passage, sermon 26, mourning the death of his brother, Gerard];
There are also 86 "Sermons for the Whole Year."

530 letters survive.

Many letters, treatises, and other works, falsely attributed to him survive, such as the l'Echelle du Cloître, les Méditations, and l'Edification de la Maison intérieure.

Saint Bernard's Prayer to the Shoulder Wound of Jesus is often published in Catholic prayer books.

Saint Bernard's views on the Virgin Mary also influenced other saints, e.g., in the classic text on Mariology, "The Glories of Mary", Saint Alphonsus Liguori based his analysis of Mary as the "Gate to Heaven" on Saint Bernard's statement: No one can enter Heaven, unless by Mary, as though through a door.

Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" places him as the last guide for Dante, as he travels through the Empyrean (Paradiso, cantos XXXI–XXXIII). Dante's choice appears to be based on Bernard's contemplative mysticism, his devotion to Mary, and his reputation for eloquence.

He is also the attributed author of the poem, often translated in English hymnals as, "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded".

THIS CONCLUDES THE ARTICLE ON SAINT BERNARD, ABBOT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

7 October - High Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

This Article was taken from the Blog THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY

High Mass for our forthcoming feast day

Our Parish patronal feast day at Blackfen is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, 7 October, which falls on a Sunday this year.

At the 10.30am Mass, the group Cantores Missae, a consort group of singers comprising some of the UK’s leading soloists will be singing for this Mass which will be a High Mass with Fr James Bradley of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham as celebrant and preacher, Fr Bernard McNally as Deacon and Fr Timothy Finigan (parish priest) as Subdeacon.

Music for the Mass:

Andrea Gabrieli Missa Brevis;

Victoria Ave Maris Stella;

Elgar Ave Verum; 

Gounod Domine Salvum Fac; 

Schubert Salve Regina.

Here is a link to the website of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen, which has directions for getting to the Church. (Check the TFL website for weekend engineering works if you are travelling by public transport.)

"I want to be a courageous orthodox bishop"

This Article can be found on THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY Blog, by Fr Finigan.

Bishop Egan of Portsmouth

In the booklet for the Mass at Portsmouth today, at which Philip Egan was consecrated eighth Bishop of Portsmouth, there is an introduction by Bishop Egan (a musically educated man himself) explaining, among other things, the choice of music for the Mass.

There were some "old favourite" Catholic hymns at appropriate points (O purest of creatures, Soul of my Saviour, Sweet Sacrament Divine) and some elements from "A Community Mass" by Richard Proulx, as well as Gregorian chant. It was good to see that after various motets, songs, organ pieces and the hymn Praise to the Holiest, which were sung before Mass, the introit Salve Sancta Parens was sung while the altar was incensed. Also from the (modern) gradual was the Alleluia and verse.

More on this Article can be found on THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY Blog

The Sweet Name of Mary is my Hope and my Refuge

This Article can be found on the HOLY CARD HEAVEN Blog.

THE SWEET NAME OF MARY IS MY HOPE AND MY REFUGE.

Solemn Pontifical Mass and Solemn Vespers and Benediction at Chislehurst, Kent

SAINT MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH,

CROWN LANE,

CHISLEHURST,

KENT.

ANNIVERSARY OF CONSECRATION

SUNDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2012. 

11AM – SOLEMN PONTIFICAL MASS

CELEBRANT:

THE MOST REVEREND 

KEVIN McDONALD

TRUMPET MINUET – HOLLINS 

ECCE SACERDOS MAGNUS – ELGAR 

CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION – PURCELL/HAWKINS 

MASS IN C “CREDO MASS” – MOZART 

LAUDATE DOMINUM – MOZART 

PANIS ANGELICUS – FRANCK 

HOLY LIGHT ON EARTH’S HORIZON – CASWELL 

FINALE FROM ORGAN SONATA NO 1 – MENDELSSOHN

5PM – SOLEMN VESPERS 

AND 

BENEDICTION

PSALMS – PLAINCHANT -  GUERRERO 

MAGNIFICAT – PALESTRINA 

O SALUTARIS – ELGAR 

AVE VERUM – BYRD 

TANTUM ERG0 – VIERNE 

SALVE REGINA – PLAINCHANT 

FANFARE - LEMMENS

Stabat Mater

The Stabat Mater (the Mother stood) is the Sequence 
for today's Mass (15 September) of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Illustrations taken from GOSPEL OPERATION INTERNATIONAL Web-Site.

Stabat Mater dolorosa,

Juxta crucem lacrimosa,

Dum pendebat Filius.

At the Cross, her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Cujus animam gementem,

Contristatam et dolentem,

Pertransivit gladius.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

O quam tristis et afflicta,

Fuit illa benedicta,

Mater Unigeniti !

Oh, how sad and sore distress'd,

Was that Mother, highly blest

Of the sole-begotten One !

Quae maerebat, et dolebat,

Pia Mater dum videbat

Nati poenas inclyti.

Christ above in torment hangs;

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son.

Quis est homo, qui non fleret,

Matrem Christi si videret

In tanto supplicio ?

Is there one who would not weep

Whelm'd in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold ?

Quis non posset contristari,
Christi Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio ?

Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold ?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Jesum in tormentis
Et flagellis subditum.

Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,
She beheld her tender child:
All with bloody scourges rent.

Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum,
Dum emisit spiritum.

For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
'Til His spirit forth He sent.

Eia Mater, fons amoris,

Me sentire vim doloris

Fac, ut tecum lugeam.

O thou Mother, fount of love !

Touch my spirit from above;

Make my heart with thine accord.

Fac ut ardeat cor meum

In amando Christum Deum,

Ut sibi complaceam.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ Our Lord.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,

Crucifixi fige plagas

Cordi meo valide.

Holy Mother ! Pierce me through;

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Saviour crucified.

Tui nati vulnerati,

Tam dignati pro me pati,

Poenas mecum divide.

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all my sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died.

Fac me tecum pie flere,

Crucifixo condolere,

Donec ego vixero.

Let me mingle tears with thee,

Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,

All the days that I may live.

Juxta crucem tecum stare,

Et me tibi sociare

In planctu desidero.

By the Cross with thee to stay,

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgo virginum praeclara,

Mihi jam non sis amara:

Fac me tecum plangere.

Virgin of all virgins best,

Listen to my fond request:

Let me share thy grief divine.

Fac ut portem Christi mortem,

Passionis fac consortem,

Et plagas recolere.

Let me, to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of thine.

Fac me plagis vulnerati
Fac me cruce inebriari,
Et cruore Filii.

Wounded with his every wound,

Steep my soul 'til it hath swoon'd

In His very blood away.

Flammis ne urar succensus,

Per te, Virgo, sim defensus,

In die judicii.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

Lest in flames I burn and die,

In His awful Judgment Day.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,

Da per Matrem me venire

Ad palmam victoriae.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

Be Thy Mother my defence,

Be Thy Cross my victory.

Quando corpus morietur,

Fac ut animae donetur

Paradisi gloria.

Amen. Alleluia.

While my body here decays,

May my Soul Thy goodness praise,

Safe in Paradise with Thee.

Amen. Alleluia.