Tewkesbury Abbey.

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

Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin,

Tewkesbury Abbey,

Gloucestershire, England.

Photo: 20 July 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Velela.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Title: "Sanctuary — King Edward IV and Lancastrian Fugitives at Tewkesbury Abbey".

Also known as "King Edward IV Withheld by Ecclesiastics from Pursuing

Lancastrian Fugitives into a Church".

Artist: Richard Burchett (1815–75).

Date: 1867.

Current location: Guildhall Art Gallery and

London's Roman Amphitheatre, London, England.

Source/Photographer: File:Richard Burchett - Sanctuary (1867).jpg.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Among the leading Lancastrians who died on the field were Somerset's younger brother, John Beaufort, Marquess of Dorset, and the Earl of Devon.

The Prince of Wales was found in a grove by some of

Clarence's men. He was summarily executed, despite pleading for his life to Clarence, who had sworn allegiance to him in France barely a year before.

Many of the other Lancastrian nobles and knights

sought Sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey. King Edward IV

attended Prayers in the Abbey, shortly after the battle. He granted permission for the Prince of Wales, and others slain in the battle, to be buried within the Abbey, or elsewhere in the town, without being quartered, (the dead body being cut into quarters) as traitors, as was customary.

However, two days after the battle, The Duke of Somerset and other leaders were dragged out of the Abbey, and were ordered by the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Norfolk to be put to death after perfunctory trials. Among them were Hugh Courtenay, younger brother of the Earl of Devon, and Sir John Langstrother, the Prior of the Military Order of Saint John. The Abbey was not officially a Sanctuary, though it is doubtful whether this would have deterred King Edward IV even if it had been. The Abbey had to be re-Consecrated, a month after the battle, following the violence done within its precincts.

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Tewkesbury Abbey was founded in 1087

and Consecrated in 1121.

Photo: 14 July 2011.

Source: Own work.

Permission: Outside of Wikimedia Foundation projects, attribution is to be made to:

W. Lloyd MacKenzie, via Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/saffron_blaze/

Author: Saffron Blaze.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Nave,

Tewkesbury Abbey,

Gloucestershire, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury (commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey), in the English County of Gloucestershire, is the second-largest Parish Church in the Country and a former Benedictine Monastery. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain, and has probably the largest Romanesque Crossing Tower in Europe.

The Chronicle of Tewkesbury records that the first Christian worship was brought to the area by Theoc, a Missionary from Northumbria, who built his Cell, in the Mid-7th-Century, near a gravel spit where the River Severn and River Avon join together. The Cell was succeeded by a Monastery in 715 A.D., but nothing remaining of it has been identified.

In the 10th-Century, the Religious Foundation at Tewkesbury became a Priory, subordinate to the Benedictine Cranbourne Abbey, in Dorset. In 1087, William the Conqueror gave the Manor of Tewkesbury to his cousin, Robert Fitzhamon, who, with Giraldus, Abbot of Cranbourne, founded the present Abbey in 1092. Building of the present Abbey Church did not start until 1102, employing Caen stone, imported from Normandy, and floated up the River Severn.

Ceiling Bosses,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The tall Norman Arch of the facade is unique in England.

Photo: 7 November 2008,

Source: From geograph.org.uk

Author: Pauline Eccles

(Wikimedia Commons)

Robert Fitzhamon was wounded at Falaise, in Normandy, France, in 1105, and died two years later, but his son-in-law, Robert FitzRoy, the natural son of Henry I, who was made Earl of Gloucester, continued to fund the building work. The Abbey's greatest single later Patron was Lady Eleanor le Despenser, last of the De Clare heirs of FitzRoy. In the High Middle Ages, Tewkesbury became one of the richest Abbeys of England.

After the Battle of Tewkesbury, in the Wars of the Roses, on 4 May 1471, some of the defeated Lancastrians sought Sanctuary in the Abbey. The victorious Yorkists, led by King Edward IV, forced their way into the Abbey; the resulting bloodshed caused the building to be closed for a month, until it could be purified and re-Consecrated.

At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the last Abbot, John Wakeman, surrendered the Abbey to the Commissioners of King Henry VIII on 9 January 1539. Perhaps because of his co-operation with the proceedings, he was awarded an annuity of 400 Marks and was Ordained as the first Bishop of Gloucester in September 1541. Meanwhile, the people of Tewkesbury saved the Abbey from destruction. Insisting that it was their Parish Church, which they had the right to keep. They bought it from the Crown for the value of its Bells and Lead Roof, which would have been salvaged and melted down, leaving the structure a roofless ruin. The price came to £453.

The Pulpit and Rood Screen,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Bells merited their own free-standing Bell-Tower, an unusual feature in English sites. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536-1541), the Bell-Tower was used as the Gaol for the Borough, until it was demolished in the Late-18th-Century.

The Central Stone Tower was originally topped with a Wooden Spire, which collapsed in 1559 and was never rebuilt. Some restoration, undertaken in the 19th-Century, under Sir Gilbert Scott, included the Rood Screen, that replaced the one removed when the Abbey became a Parish Church.

Flood-waters, from the nearby River Severn, reached inside the Abbey during severe floods in 1760, and again on 23 July 2007.

The Rood Screen,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Church is one of the finest Norman buildings in England. Its massive Crossing Tower was said to be "probably the largest and finest Romanesque Tower in England" by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner. Fourteen of England's Cathedrals are of smaller dimensions, while only Westminster Abbey contains more Mediaeval Church Monuments.

Notable Church Monuments surviving in Tewkesbury Abbey include:

1107 — When the Abbey's Founder, Robert Fitzhamon, died in 1107, he was buried in the Chapter House, while his son-in-law, Robert FitzRoy, Earl of Gloucester (an illegitimate son of King Henry I), continued building the Abbey;

1375 — Edward Despenser, Lord of the Manor of Tewkesbury, is remembered today chiefly for the effigy on his Monument, which shows him in full colour, kneeling on top of the Canopy of his Chantry, facing toward the High Altar;

1395 — Robert Fitzhamon's remains were moved into a new Chapel built as his Tomb;

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 18 January 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Poliphilo.

(Wikimedia Commons)

1471 — a brass plate on the floor, in the centre of the Sanctuary, marks the grave of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the son of King Henry VI, and the end of the Lancastrian line, who was killed in the Battle of Tewkesbury — the only Prince of Wales ever to die in battle. He was aged only 17 at his death;

1477 — the bones of George, Duke of Clarence (brother of Edward IV and Richard III), and his wife, Isabelle (daughter of "Warwick, the Kingmaker"), are housed behind a glass window in a wall of their inaccessible Burial Vault, behind the High Altar;

1539 — the Cadaver Monument, which Abbot Wakeman had erected for himself, is only a Cenotaph, because he was not buried there.

Also buried in the Abbey, are several members of the Despenser, de Clare and Beauchamp families, all of whom were generous benefactors of the Abbey. Such members include Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick, and his wife, Cecily Neville, Duchess of Warwick, sister of "Warwick, the Kingmaker".

The Rood Screen,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Interior,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 11 July 2010.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davehamster/5254627495

Author: David Merrett

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey's 17th-Century Organ – known as the Milton Organ – was originally made for Magdalen College, Oxford, by Robert Dallam. After the English Civil War, it was removed to the Chapel of Hampton Court Palace, and came to Tewkesbury in 1737. Since then, it has undergone several major rebuilds. A specification of the Organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. In the North Transept is the stupendous Grove Organ, built by the short-lived partnership of Michell & Thynne in 1885. The third Organ in the Abbey is the Elliott Chamber Organ of 1812, mounted on a movable platform.

The Bells at the Abbey were overhauled in 1962. The Ring is now made up of Twelve Bells, hung for Change Ringing, cast in 1962, by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. The inscriptions of the old 5th and 10th Bells are copied in facsimile onto the new Bells. The Bells have modern cast-iron headstocks and all run on self-aligning ball bearings. They are hung in the North-East corner of the Tower, and the Ringing Chamber is partitioned off from the rest of the Tower. There is also a Semi-Tone Bell (Flat 6th), also cast by Taylor of Loughborough in 1991.

The Old Clock Bells are the old 6th (Abraham Rudhall II, 1725), the old 7th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696), the old 8th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696) and the old 11th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1717). In Saint Dunstan's Chapel, at the East End of the Abbey, is a small disused Bell, inscribed "T. MEARS FECT. 1837".

The Rood Screen,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Stained-Glass Windows,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey Bells are rung from 10:15 a.m., to 11:00 a.m., every Sunday, except the first Sunday of the Month (a quarter peal). There is also ringing for Evensong, from 4:00 p.m., to 5:00 p.m., except on the third Sunday (a quarter peal) and most fifth Sundays. Practice takes place Thursdays from 7:30 p.m., to 9:00 p.m.

The Market Town of Tewkesbury developed to the North of the Abbey precincts, of which vestiges remain in the layout of the streets and a few buildings: The Abbot's Gatehouse; the Almonry Barn; the Abbey Mill; Abbey House; the present Vicarage and some Half-Timbered dwellings in Church Street. The Abbey now sits partly isolated in lawns, like a Cathedral in its Cathedral Close, for the area surrounding the Abbey is protected from development by the Abbey Lawn Trust, originally funded by a United States benefactor in 1962.

The Nave Ceiling,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Clerestory,

Tewkesbury Abbey, England.

Photo: 29 June 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Mattis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey possesses, in effect, two Choirs. The Abbey Choir sings at Sunday Services, with children (boys and girls) and adults in the morning, and adults in the evening. Schola Cantorum is a professional Choir of men and boys, based at Dean Close Preparatory School and sings at weekday Evensong, as well as occasional Masses and Concerts.

The Abbey School, Tewkesbury, which educated, trained and provided Choristers to sing the Service of Evensong, from its Foundation in 1973 by Miles Amherst, closed in 2006; the Choir was then re-housed at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and renamed the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum.

The Dedication Of The Church Of Our Lady Of The Snow. Feast Day 5 August.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,

unless otherwise stated.

The Dedication of The Church of Our Lady of The Snow.

Feast Day 5 August.

Greater-Double.

White Vestments.

The Basilica of Our Lady of The Snow,

Rome, Italy.

Photo: March 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sixtus.

(Wikimedia Commons)

This Church was built at Rome, on Mount Esquiline, in the 4th-Century, during the Pontificate of Pope Liberius. In the Middle Ages, a graceful and popular tradition ascribed its foundation to a noble Patrician, who, having been favoured with a Vision of Mary, caused the Church to be erected on a spot covered by a miraculous fall of snow.

This Sanctuary was rebuilt in the following Century and Dedicated by Pope Sixtus III, in 432 A.D., to Mary, whom the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), had just proclaimed the Mother of God. The mosaics of the Triumphal Arch glorify this Divine Maternity, and the representations of the two Cities, of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, recall the Birth of Christ in the City of David, and that of the Church in the Cenacle of The Last Supper. These mosaics were restored in 1931-1934. The Basilica is also called Saint Mary of The Crib, because portions of the Crib are preserved here.

Saint Mary's, called Major because it is the largest and most important of the Churches Dedicated to The Blessed Virgin, is a Patriarchal Basilica. The great Nave is formed by two rows of forty-four Columns of White Marble and the Ceiling is covered with the first Gold brought from America.

In this Church, whose Dedication is Solemnised on this day, takes place many Celebrations, including: The inauguration of The Liturgical Year on the first Sunday in Advent; the Stations at Christmas; the Feast of Saint John; at Easter; on Rogation Monday; and on all Wednesdays in Ember Weeks.

Mass: Salve Sancta Parens.

The Miracle of the Snow,

by Masolino da Panicale.

Christ and The Blessed Virgin Mary

observe Pope Liberius, who marks

in the legendary snowfall 

the outline of the Basilica.

Artist: Masolino da Panicale (1383–1440).

Date: 15th-Century.

Current location: Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.

Source: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002.

ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, previously known as Dedicatio Sanctæ Mariæ ad Nives (Dedication of The Church of Our Lady of The Snow), is a Liturgical Feast Celebrated on the 5 August in The Latin Form of The Catholic Church.

In the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, it has the Rank of Optional Memorial, and, in the General Roman Calendar of 1962, it is a Third-Class Feast. It commemorates the Dedication of the restored Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, by Pope Sixtus III, just after the First Council of Ephesus.

This Major Basilica, located on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, in Rome, is called the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Latin: Basilica Sancta Mariæ Majoris) because it is the largest Church in Rome Dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major,

Rome, Italy.

Photo Credit: Fr Kevin Estabrook

The Church was originally built during the Pontificate of Pope Liberius, and is thus sometimes known as the "Basilica Liberii" or"Basilica Liberiana".

Pope Pius V inserted this Feast into the General Roman Calendar in 1568, when, in response to the request of the Council of Trent, he reformed the Roman Breviary. Before that, it had been celebrated at first only in the Church itself and, beginning in the 14th-Century, in all the Churches of the City of Rome.

It thus appears in the Tridentine Calendar for Celebration as a Double. In Pope Clement VIII's Missal of 1604, it was given the newly-invented Rank of Greater Double. In Pope Saint John XXIII's Classification, it became a Third-Class Feast. This 1960 Calendar, included in the 1962 Edition of the Roman Missal, is the Calendar whose continued use privately and, under certain conditions, publicly, is authorised by the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. Nine years later, the Celebration became an Optional Memorial.

Interior of Saint Mary Major,

Rome, Italy.

Photo: 15 February 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Ben Skála, Benfoto.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Until 1969, the Feast was known as Dedicatio Sanctæ Mariæ ad Nives (Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of the Snow), a name that had become popular for the Basilica in the 14th-Century, in connection with a legend about its origin, that the Catholic Encyclopedia summarises: "During the Pontificate of Liberius, the Roman Patrician, John, and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary.

They Prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honour. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman Summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a Vision of the Virgin Mary, which they had the same night, the couple built a Basilica, in honour of Mary, on the very spot which was covered with snow.

English: Interior of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome.

Deutsch: Rom, Basilika Santa Maria Maggiore, Innenansicht.

Photo: 13 May 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Dnalor 01.

(Wikimedia Commons)

No Catholic Church can be honoured with the title of Basilica, unless by Apostolic Grant, or from Immemorial Custom. Saint Mary Major is one of only four Basilicas that today hold the title of Major Basilica. The other three are Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter and Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls. (The title of Major Basilica was once used more widely, being attached, for instance, to the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi.) All the other Catholic Churches that, either by Grant of the Pope, or by Immemorial Custom, hold the title of Basilica, are Minor Basilicas.

Interior of Saint Mary Major,

Rome, Italy.

Photo: 15 February 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Ben Skála, Benfoto.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Until 2006, the four Major Basilicas, together with the Basilica of Saint Lawrence-outside-the-Walls, were referred to as the five "Patriarchal Basilicas" of Rome, associated with the five ancient Patriarchal Sees of Christendom (see Pentarchy). Saint Mary Major was associated with the Patriarchate of Antioch. In the same year, the title of "Patriarchal" was also removed from the Basilica of Saint Francis, in Assisi.

The former five Patriarchal Basilicas, with the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and San Sebastiano fuori le mura, formed the traditional Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, which are visited by Pilgrims to Rome, following a 20 kilometres (12 miles) itinerary, established by St Philip Neri on 25 February 1552, especially when seeking the Plenary Indulgence in Holy Years. For the Great Jubilee of 2000, Pope Saint John Paul II replaced Saint Sebastian's Church with the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love.

Sub Umbra Alarum Suarum Highlights Availability Of Camouflaged Birettas (MOD Express Interest) And New Liturgical Boutique (Just Opened).

The latest Australian Biretta.

There are unsubstantiated rumours that the MOD are extremely interested in the Camouflaged Birettas that have been highlighted on the excellent Blog, edited by Matthaeus, entitled

SUB UMBRA ALARUM SUARUM

Matthaeus has discovered a wonderful Biretta resource Blog, entitled DOMUS BIRETTARUM

where a plethora of Birettas are available.

In addition, Matthaeus writes lucidly about the launch of a new Liturgical Boutique at another first-class Blog, entitled THE RAD TRAD

The Liturgical Boutique affords in-depth analysis and debate, between erudite aficionados of things Liturgical, and acts as a convenient meeting place for like-minds and curious on-lookers.

Besides the Camouflaged Birettas, mentioned above, there is also mention of Tartan Birettas, which may be of interest to Scottish Readers after the Independence Referendum in September 2014.

To read Matthaeus's riveting Article, why not pop over to SUB UMBRA ALARUM SUARUM and see what early Christmas Presents you can purchase for your local Parish Priest.

Whom Will You Remember On 4 August ?

Illustration: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Help build the 

Permanent Digital Memorial 

to all who contributed during 

the First World War.

Lord Kitchener

World War I Recruitment Poster.

Date: 1914.

Author: Alfred Leete (1882–1933).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Go to

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

and

SIGN UP.

4 August 1914. Great Britain Declared War On Germany. The First World War Had Begun.

Saint Benedict Ornate Wall Crucifix.

Image: NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE

A future Prime Minister, Winston Churchill,
described the scene in London
in the hours that led to the Declaration of War.

“It was eleven o’clock at night – twelve, by German time –

when the Ultimatum expired. The windows of the Admiralty were thrown wide open in the warm night air.

Under the roof, from which Nelson had received his orders, were gathered a small group of Admirals and Captains and a cluster of Clerks, pencils in hand, waiting.

Along the Mall, from the direction of the Palace, the sound of an immense concourse singing ‘God Save the King’ flouted in.

On this deep wave, there broke the chimes of Big Ben;

and, as the first stroke of the hour boomed out,

a rustle of movement swept across the room.

The War Telegram, which meant “Commence hostilities against Germany”, was flashed to the ships and establishments, under the White Ensign, all over the world.

I walked across Horse Guards Parade to the Cabinet Room,

and reported to the Prime Minister and the Ministers,

who were assembled there, that

the deed was done.”

Text above taken from HISTORY LEARNING SITE

1 July 1916, the first day of The Battle of the Somme,

was the worst day in the history of the British Army.

British Army casualties for the day were 60,000.

The Battle of the Somme lasted from

1 July 1916 until 18 November 1916.

In total, there were more than 1 million casualties.

Leyton Orient Football Club

Supporters visit The Somme Battlefields,

July 2011.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/KhmWgCaiF7w.

Soldiers of the Australian 4th Division, 10th Field Artillery Brigade, on a duck-board track,

passing through Chateau Wood, near Hooge, in the Ypres salient, 29 October 1917.

The leading soldier is Gunner James Fulton and the second soldier is Lieutenant Anthony Devine.

The men belong to a Battery of the 10th Field Artillery Brigade.

Source: This image is available from the Collection Database of the

Australian War Memorial under the ID Number: E01220.

Author: Frank Hurley.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Battle of Passchendaele

(or Third Battle of Ypres or "Passchendaele")

July 1917 - November 1917.

In total, there were, approximately, 1 million casualties.

Battle of The Menin Road.

"Australian wounded on The Menin Road, near Birr Cross Road,

on 20 September 1917".

(Caption source: National Library of Australia, n.d. (1 June 2014).

Date: 1917.

Source: State Library of New South Wales file:a479035.

Author: Frank Hurley.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Accrington Pals.

11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington),

East Lancashire Regiment.

Better known as

'The Accrington Pals' Battalion.

"Accrington Pals",

near Hyndburn Park School, Accrington, Lancashire, 1914.

[Accrington Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, B Company, No. 1 Platoon.]

Photo kindly provided by Robert and Tony Robinson.

Image: DAS ACCRINGTON PALS BATAILLON

A month after the outbreak of war, the "Accrington Observer & Times" reported, on 8 September 1914, that an offer by the Mayor of Accrington, Captain John Harwood, to set up a Battalion,

had been accepted by the War Office.

As the Recruitment began, on 14 September 1914, 104 men were drafted during the first three hours. Brothers, friends and work mates reported together. On 24 September 1914, the Accrington Battalion

had reached a full strength of 36 officers and 1,076 men.

About half of the Battalion were recruited from Accrington and the surrounding area;

the remainder were recruited from the neighboring towns of Burnley, Chorley, and Blackburn.

The 'Accrington Pals' Battalion is probably the most famous of the "Pals" Battalions, which were erected in the early months of World War I, in response to Kitchener's call to form a Volunteer Army. It was formed by men from all walks of life from Accrington, Lancashire, and the surrounding area.

Groups of friends - "Pals" - came forward together, in anticipation of a great adventure. In its first major battle, the Battalion suffered devastating losses in the attack on Serre, France, on 1 July 1916,

the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

The losses were hard to bear in a community where everyone had a close relative

or friend, who was killed or injured.

Although the Battalion fought again, the "Pals" concept was forever lost.

May They Rest In Peace.

Requiéscant In Pace.

Cassocks. Cottas. Surplices. Amaranth Red. Simar. Rochet. Zimarra. Greca. Douillette. Manto. Watered Silk. Mozzetta. Pellegrina. Soutane. Sarum Cassock. “Vestis Talaris”. “Cassock” Means “Long Coat”. “Cotta” Means “Cut Off”.

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

English: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

in White Cassock (sometimes, though unofficially, called a Simar)

with Pellegrina and Fringed-White Fascia.

Português: Papa Bento XVI visita a "Fazenda Esperança",

local de recuperação de dependentes químicos localizado

na zona rural de Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, Brasil.

Photo: 12 May 2007.

Source: Agência Brasil.

Author: Valter Campanato/ABr.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Cassock, or Soutane, is an item of Christian Clerical Clothing used by the Clergy of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Reformed Churches, among others. "Ankle-Length Garment" is the literal meaning of the corresponding Latin term “Vestis Talaris”. It is related to Habit, traditionally worn by Nuns, Monks, and Friars.

The Cassock derives historically from the Tunic, that in Ancient Rome was worn underneath the Toga, and the Chiton, that was worn beneath the Himation, in Ancient Greece. In Religious Services, it has traditionally been worn underneath Vestments, such as the Alb.

In The West, the Cassock is little used [Editor: Who says so ?] today, except for Religious Services; but, in many Countries, it was the normal every day wear of The Clergy until the second half of the 20th-Century, when it was replaced even in those Countries by a conventional Suit, distinguished from Lay Dress by being generally Black and by incorporating a Clerical Collar.

The word "Cassock" comes from Middle French “Casaque”, meaning a Long Coat. In turn, the Old French word may come ultimately from Turkish "Quzzak" (Nomad, Adventurer – the source of the word "Cossack"), an allusion to their typical Riding Coat, or from Persian کژاغند "kazhāgand" (Padded Garment) – کژ "kazh" (Raw Silk) + آغند "āgand" (Stuffed).

English: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, wearing a Tropical White Cassock,

trimmed in Cardinalatial Scarlet, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Italiano: Missione genovese del Guaricano - Santo Domingo

(Dominican Republic), l'arcivescovo di Genova cardinale

Tarcisio Bertone in visita alla missione - Foto di Donpaolo

Source: Own work.

Author: di Donpaolo

This File: 28 February 2006.

User: Twice25

(Wikimedia Commons)

The name was originally specially applied to the Service Dress worn by Soldiers and Horsemen, and later to the long garment worn in Civil Life by both men and women. As an Ecclesiastical term, the word "Cassock" came into use somewhat late (as a translation of the old names of “Subtanea”, “Vestis Talaris”, “Toga Talaris”, or “Tunica Talaris”), being mentioned in Canon 74 of 1604; and it is in this sense alone that it now survives.

The word "Soutane" is a French-derived word, coming from Italian “Sottana”, derived in turn from Latin “Subtana”, the adjectival form of “Subtus” (beneath).

The Cassock (or “Soutane”) comes in a number of Styles or Cuts, though no particular symbolism attaches to these. A Roman Cassock often has a series of buttons down the front – sometimes thirty-three (symbolic of the years of The Life of Jesus). In some English-speaking countries, these buttons may be merely ornamental, with a concealed fly-front buttoning, known as a Chesterfield Front, used to fasten the garment.

A French Cassock also has buttons sewn to the sleeves, after the manner of a Suit, and a slightly broader skirt. An Ambrosian Cassock has a series of only five buttons under the neck, with a Sash on the waist. A Jesuit Cassock, in lieu of buttons, has a fly fastened with hooks at the collar, and is bound at the waist with a Cincture, knotted on the Right Side.

English: Priest wearing Roman Cassock.

Note the thirty-three buttons, symbolising the thirty-three years of

the Earthly life of Jesus Christ. First Native Roman Catholic Parish Priest

from The Belgian Congo (Zaire).

Français: Premier prêtre indigène de l'église catholique romain au Congo belge.

Lingála: Sángó moíndo ya libosó ya Eklesya Katolike na Kongó ya Bɛ́lɛjika.

Date: Early-1900s.

Source: Gazet van Antwerpen, 2 September 1906. "First Native Parish Priest."

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The ordinary Roman Cassock worn by Catholic Clerics (as distinct from that worn as Choir Dress) is Black, except in Tropical Countries, where, because of the heat, it is White, and usually without Shoulder Cape (Pellegrina). Coloured Piping and buttons are added, in accordance with Rank: Purple for Chaplains of His Holiness; Amaranth Red for Bishops, Protonotaries Apostolic and Honorary Prelates; and Scarlet Red for Cardinals.

The 1969 Instruction, on the Dress of Prelates, stated that, for all of them, even Cardinals, the Dress for ordinary use may be a simple Black Cassock without coloured trim.

A Band Cincture, or, Sash, known also as a Fascia, may be worn with the Cassock. The Instruction on the Dress of Prelates specifies that the two ends, that hang down by the side, have Silk Fringes, abolishing the Sash with Tassels.

A Black Faille Fascia is worn by Priests, Deacons, and Major Seminarians, while a Purple Faille Fascia is used by Bishops, Protonotaries Apostolic, Honorary Prelates, and Chaplains of His Holiness, when wearing a Cassock with coloured trim.

An Anglican Priest

wearing the standard Double-Breasted Sarum Cassock.

This File: 8 January 2007.

User: Fishhead64

Wikipedia.

A Black Watered-Silk Fascia is permitted for Priests attached to The Papal Household, a Purple Watered-Silk Fascia for Bishops attached to The Papal Household (for example, Apostolic Nuncios), and a Scarlet Watered-Silk Fascia for Cardinals. The Pope wears a White Watered-Silk Fascia, with his Coat-of-Arms on the ends.

In Choir Dress, Chaplains of His Holiness wear their Purple-Trimmed Black Cassocks with a Cotta, but Bishops, Protonotaries Apostolic, and Honorary Prelates use (with a Cotta or, in the case of Bishops, a Rochet and Mozzetta) Cassocks that are fully Purple (this Purple corresponds more closely with a Roman Purple and is approximated as Fuchsia) with Scarlet trim, while those of Cardinals are fully Scarlet with Scarlet trim.

Cardinals have the additional distinction of having both Choir Cassock Sleeves, and the Fascia, made of Scarlet Watered-Silk. The cut of the Choir Cassock is still a Roman-cut or French-cut Roman Cassock.

In the past, a Cardinal's Cassock was made entirely of Watered Silk, with a Train that could be fastened at the back of the Cassock. This Train was abolished by the Motu Proprio “Valde Solliciti” of Pope Pius XII, with effect from 1 January 1953.

With the same “Motu Proprio”, the Pope ordered that the Violet Cassock (then used in Penitential periods and in mourning) be made of wool, not silk, and, in February 1965, under Pope Paul VI, a Circular of The Sacred Ceremonial Congregation abolished the use of Watered Silk also for the Red Cassock.

An elbow-length Shoulder Cape, open in front, is sometimes worn with the Cassock, either fixed to it or detachable. It is known as a “Pellegrina”. It is distinct from the “Mozzetta”, which is buttoned in front and is worn over a “Rochet”.

Alvaro del Portillo, Opus Dei Prelate, Bishop (1982-1994),

wearing a Black, Amaranth-Piped Cassock, with “Pellegrina”,

a Purple Fascia, and a Gold, or Gilt, Pectoral Cross.

Date: Unknown.

Source: Opus Dei official website.

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The General Rule of The Roman Catholic Church is that the “Pellegrina” may be worn with the Cassock by Cardinals and Bishops. In 1850, the year in which he restored The Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales, Blessed Pope Pius IX was understood to grant to all Priests, in England and Wales, the privilege of wearing a replica, in Black, of his own White Caped Cassock. Since then, the wearing of the “Pellegrina” with the Cassock has been a sign of a Catholic Priest in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

In his 1909 book, Costume of Prelates of The Catholic Church, John Abel Felix Prosper Nainfa proposed the use of the English word "Simar", instead of the word "Cassock", for the garment with Shoulder Cape, which he treated as distinct from the Cassock proper.

Others, too, have made the same distinction between the "Simar" (with “Pellegrina”) and the "Cassock" (without “Pellegrina”), but many scholars disagree with Nainfa's distinction.

More particularly, documents of The Holy See make no such distinction, using the term "Cassock" or "Vestis Talaris", whether a “Pellegrina” is attached or not. Thus, the 1969 Instruction states that, for Cardinals and Bishops, "the elbow-length Cape, trimmed in the same manner as this Cassock, may be worn over it". "Cassock", rather than "Simar" is the term that is usually applied to the Dress of Popes and other Catholic Ecclesiastics.

The Instruction also gives no support to Nainfa's claim that the Cassock, with Shoulder Cape, should not be worn in Church Services, which moreover would be of difficult application, since the Cassock, with “Pellegrina”, is generally made as a single garment, with a non-detachable “Pellegrina”.

A Greek Orthodox Clergyman,

wearing Outer Cassock (“exorason”) and (“kalimavkion”).

Date: 24 December 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: David Shankbone.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Nainfa wrote that, at that time, the garment with Shoulder Cape was, in Italian, called a “Zimarra”, a term, however, that, in that language, is today used rather of a historical loose-fitting “Over-Gown”, quite unlike the close-fitting “Cassock”, with “Pellegrina”, worn by Catholic Clergy, and similar to the fur-lined “Schaube” that was used in Northern Europe. Images of the historical “Zimarra”, as worn by women, can be seen at Dressing the Italian Way and The Italian Showcase.

In cold weather, the “Manto”, an ankle-length Cape, with or without Shoulder Cape, or the “Greca”, also known as the “Douillette”, an ankle-length Double-Breasted Overcoat, is traditionally worn over the Cassock. For Bishops and Priests, both the “Manto” and ”Greca” are Solid Black in colour, while, for the Pope, the “Manto” is Red and the “Greca” is White.

Cassocks are sometimes worn by Seminarians studying for the Priesthood, by Religious Brothers, by Lay People, when assisting with the Liturgy in Church, such as Altar Servers, and by members of Choirs (frequently with Cotta, or, more usually in Anglican Churches, Surplice).

Seminarian, vested in a pleated Roman-style Surplice with lace inserts, holding a Thurible, at the First Annual Eucharistic Congress, Charlotte, North Carolina.

This File: 1 October 2005.

User: Fennec

(Wikimedia Commons)

A Surplice (Late Latin “superpelliceum”, from “super” (over) and “pellis” (fur) is a Liturgical Vestment of the Western Christian Church. The Surplice is in the form of a Tunic of white linen or cotton fabric, reaching to the knees or to the ankles, with wide or moderately wide sleeves.

It was originally a long garment with open sleeves reaching nearly to the ground, as it remains in the Anglican tradition, but in the Catholic tradition, the Surplice often has shorter, closed sleeves and square shoulders. Anglicans typically refer to a Roman-style Surplice with the Mediæval Latin term “Cotta” [meaning “cut-off”, in Italian], as it is derived from the cut-off Alb.

It seems most probable that the Surplice first appeared in France or England, whence its use gradually spread to Italy. It is possible that there is a connection between the Surplice and the Gallican or Celtic Alb, an un-girdled Liturgical Tunic of the old Gallican Rite, which was superseded during the Carolingian era by the Roman Rite.

Anglican Priest, in Choir Habit —

Cassock, Surplice, Academic Hood

(University of Wales BD) and Tippet.

Photo: 21 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Gareth Hughes

(Wikimedia Commons)

The founding of The Augustinian Canons, in the second half of the 11th-Century, may have had a special influence upon the spread of the Surplice. Among The Augustinian Canons, the Surplice was not only the Choir Vestment, but also a part of the Habit of The Order.

The Surplice originally reached to the feet, but, as early as the 13th-Century, it began to shorten, though, as late as the 15th-Century, it still fell to the middle of the shin, and only in the 17th- and 18th-Centuries in Continental Europe did it become considerably shorter.

In several localities it underwent more drastic modifications in the course of time, which led to the appearance of various subsidiary forms alongside the original type.

For example: the sleeveless Surplice, which featured holes at the sides to put the arms through; the Surplice with slit arms or lappets (so-called "wings") instead of sleeves, often worn by Organists today, due to the ease of manœuvring the arms; the Surplice with, not only the sleeves, but the body of the garment itself slit up the sides, precisely like the modern Dalmatic; a sort of Surplice in the form of a bell-shaped Mantle, with a hole for the head, which necessitated the arms sticking out under the hem.

The Death of St. Bede, the Monastic Clergy are wearing Surplices over their Cowls (original painting at Saint Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, Durham, England). Death of Saint Bede - Project Gutenberg eText 16785. From The Project Gutenberg EBook of Our Catholic Heritage in English Literature of Pre-Conquest Days, by Emily Hickey.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the Roman tradition, the Surplice (or "Cotta") sometimes features lace decoration or embroidered bordures, but is most typically plainly hemmed. The lace or embroidery, if present, will often be in the form of inserts set a few inches above the edge of the hem or sleeves.

The Surplice is meant to be a miniature Alb, the Alb itself being the symbol of the white garment received at Baptism. As such, it is appropriately worn by any Cleric, by Lectors and Acolytes, or indeed by Altar Servers who are technically standing in for instituted Acolytes for any Liturgical Service. It is often worn, for instance, by Seminarians when attending Mass and by non-Clerical Choirs. It is usually worn over a Cassock and never alone, nor is it ever gathered by a belt or Cincture.

It may be worn under a Stole by Deacons and Priests for Liturgical ceremonies or the celebration of Sacraments outside of Mass. On occasion, a Cope is worn over the Cassock, Surplice and Stole.

As part of the Choir Dress of the Clergy, it is normally not worn by Prelates (the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Monsignori, and some Canons) - instead, these Clerics wear the Rochet, which is in fact a variant of the Surplice.

The Surplice belongs to the “Vestes Sacræ” (Sacred Vestments), though it requires no Benediction before it is worn.

Come To Mass. An Invitation To Blackfen, From Fr Finigan, For The Feast Of Saint Alphonsus. 1030 a.m., Saturday, 2 August 2014. Missa Cantata, Sung Vespers, Benediction.

Illustration: ST. JOHN CANTIUS PARISH

This Article can be found on Fr Finigan's Blog, THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY

Saint Alphonsus.

The following Text is Fr Finigan's Invitation to Readers, Twitter and Facebook friends.

Saturday, 2 August, is the Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in the Old Calendar, and, in God's loving providence, this year it's the first Saturday of August, so we will have Missa Cantata at Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent, at 10.30 a.m. I'll be preaching on Saint Alphonsus (one of my favourite Saints); I haven't composed the Sermon, yet, but, following the great Doctor's example, I expect it will include some reflection on the Four Last Things.

As this will be my last Saturday Missa Cantata at Blackfen (I am moving to Margate on 2 September), I would like to take this opportunity to invite any Hermeneutic of Continuity readers, Twitter followers, and Facebook friends to join us. After Mass, we will order pizza, according to need, and the bar will be open. At 2.30 p.m., there will be Sung Vespers and Benediction.

No need to reply, just turn up if you can.