Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Friday 27 March 2015

Solemn High Requiem Mass Celebrated At Saint Catherine Labouré, Farington, Lancashire, For King Richard III.


This Article can be read in full at OFFERIMUS TIBI DOMINE



Fr Simon Henry gives Communion during The Solemn High Requiem Mass
for King Richard III. The Mass was Celebrated, yesterday, at
The Church of Saint Catherine Labouré, Farington, Lancashire, England.
Illustration: OFFERIMUS TIBI DOMINE

Feria VI Post Dominicam Passionis.


Illustrations of Gospel Stories,
from Jerome Nadal, S.J.,



The Council deliberates the death of Jesus


The Author and His Books:

Jerome Nadal (1507-1580), a Spaniard from Majorca, was one of the first ten members of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). For many years, he served as the personal representative or "delegate" of the Founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), in visiting Jesuit Houses throughout Europe, especially to explain and implement the Constitutions of The Society of Jesus.

Ignatius urged Nadal to compile and distribute an illustrated guide for Prayerful meditation on The Gospels, in the tradition of The Spiritual Exercises, although the work was not completed until after both men had died. Nadal selected the Biblical scenes to be included, commissioned and directed the layout of the illustrations, and composed Notes to accompany each scene. With the co-operation and support of Antwerp publishers Christophe Plantin and Martinus Nutius, 153 engravings were eventually produced by Bernardino Passeri, Marten de Vos, and Jerome and Anton Wierix.

In 1593, these illustrations were published in a volume entitled Evangelicae Historiae Imagines ("Illustrations of the Gospel Stories"), arranged in chronological order of The Life and Ministry of Jesus. In 1594 and 1595, they were again published in larger volumes, entitled Adnotationes et Meditationes in Evangelia ("Notes and Meditations on The Gospels"), with more extensive accompanying Text, and rearranged according to the order of Readings used in The Liturgical Year, as prescribed in The Roman Missal. (See the Bibliography for details about Nadal's books. See also the Web-Page on The Roman Missal.)

These books became very influential in Counter-Reformation Europe, since the illustrations were among the first to use the new techniques of "perspective drawing," which more realistically depicted three-dimensional shapes in two-dimensional drawings, such as used in the scientific drawings of the day. These techniques made The Gospel Stories much more vibrant and realistic, and thus more effective as aides for Evangelisation and Meditation. The influence of these engravings can clearly be seen in the work of later Bible illustrators, such as Gustave Dore.

The Seven Sorrows Of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Friday In Passion Week.


Roman Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal for Friday in Passion Week.

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

The Seven Sorrows of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Friday in Passion Week.

Greater-Double.

White Vestments.



Nederlands: Linkerluik van een diptiek Onze-Lieve-Vrouw
der Zeven Weeën door Adriaen Isenbrant (circa 1490-1551); KMSKB, Brussel.
English: The Blessed Virgin Mary surrounded by The Seven Sorrows.
Photo: June 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Georges Jansoone (JoJan) - 
artwork by Adriaen Isenbrant.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Christmas Cycle celebrated the part taken by The Blessed Virgin in The Mystery of The Incarnation, glorifying both The Divinity of Jesus and The Divine Maternity of Mary.

The Easter Cycle tells us how The Mother of The Saviour co-operated in The Mystery of The Redemption. It shows her in this Season of The Passion at The Foot of The Cross, where Christ is dying (Introit, Sequence, Gospel). “An ineffable union is established between The Oblation of The Incarnate Word and that of Mary; The Divine Blood and The Tears of The Mother flow together and are mixed for the redemption of the human race.” [The quoted text is taken from “The Liturgical Year” by Dom Guéranger: Friday in Passion Week.]

“The Prophecy of Simeon is fulfilled: A Sword of Grief pierces The Most Gentle Soul of The Glorious Virgin Mary (Collect), who, by her unequalled love, becomes The Queen of Martyrs” (Communion). [The quoted text is taken from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux: Sixth Lesson at Matins.]

As Judith had delivered Israel by killing Holofernes (Epistle), The Virgin is our Deliverer, with Jesus. Wherefore, the Gospel shows us, at The Foot of The Tree of Passion, in a scene which recalls The Tree of Prevarication, The Maternity of Mary with regard to The Church personified by Saint John.

“Let us Venerate The Transfixion of The Glorious Virgin Mary at The Foot of The Cross, in order to gather the happy fruit of The Passion of her Son” (Collect).

Our Lady Of The Seven Sorrows.


Friday in Passion Week.


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


Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), 

and

The Sorrowful Motheror Mother of Sorrows(Latin: Mater Dolorosa, at times just Dolorosa),

and

Our Lady of The Seven Sorrowsor Our Lady of The Seven Dolours,

are names by which The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to, in relation to sorrows in her life. 

As Mater Dolorosait is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.


File:Dolorosa Estévez.jpg

Español: Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, 1816.
Fernando Estévez de Salas. 
Parroquia de San Juan Bautista,
Villa de La Orotava.
English: Our Lady of Sorrows.
Photo: April 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: JosuHdez.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Francaise: La descente de Croix,
les larmes de Marie (Detail).
Current location: Unterlinden Museum,
Colmar, France.
Archetypal Gothic Lady of Sorrows
from a Triptych by the Master of the Stauffenberg Altarpiece,
Alsace, France, circa 1455.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular Roman Catholic Devotion. There are Devotional Prayers, which consist of Meditations on her Seven Sorrows. Examples include the Servite Rosary, or the Chaplet of The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. Also, there is a corresponding Devotion to The Seven Joys of Mary. The term "Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary" refers to the combined Devotion of both The Immaculate Heart and The Seven Sorrows of Mary as first used by the Franciscan TertiaryBerthe Petit.

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of The Blessed Virgin Mary, which are a popular Devotion and are frequently depicted in art. It is a common Devotion for Catholics to say, daily, one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each of The Seven Sorrows, which are:

The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34-35) or the Circumcision of Christ;


The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13);


The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43-45);


Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary.;


Jesus Dies on the Cross. (John 19:25);


Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in Her Arms. (Matthew 27:57-59);


The Body of Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb. (John 19:40-42).


These Seven Sorrows should not be confused with The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of The Rosary.



File:Mater Dolorosa with open hands.jpg

English: Mater Dolorosa with open hands, 1555,
Prado museum (Madrid, Spain).
Español: Tiziano, Dolorosa con las manos abiertas, 1555,
óleo sobre mármol,
museo del Prado (Madrid, España).
Author: Titian (1490–1576).
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a Provincial Synod of Cologne in 1413 as a response to the iconoclast, Hussites. It was designated for the Friday after The Third Sunday after Easter. It had the Title: Commemoratio angustiae et doloris Beatae Mariae Virginis. Before the 16th-Century, the Feast was celebrated only in parts of Northern Europe.

Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany founded The Servite Order (also known as "The Servite Friars", or "The Order of The Servants of Mary"). Five years later, they took up "The Sorrows of Mary, standing under The Cross", as the principal Devotion of their Order.

Over the Centuries, several Devotions, and even Orders, arose around Meditation on Mary's Sorrows. The Servites developed the two most common Devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely The Rosary of The Seven Sorrows and The Black Scapular of The Seven Dolours of Mary. The Black Scapular is a symbol of The Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is associated with The Servite Order. Most Devotional Scapulars have requirements regarding ornamentation or design. The Devotion of The Black Scapular requires only that it be made of black woollen cloth.



File:Ymyagchenie zlix serdec.jpg

English: Our Lady Umyagchenie zlih serdets
(Softening The Evil Hearts).
Russia.
Русский: Икона "Умягчение злых сердец".
Date: Mid-19th-Century.
Author: Anonymous.
(Wikimedia Commons)


On 2 February, the same day as The Great Feast of The Meeting of The Lord, Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics commemorate a wonder-working icon of The Theotokos (Mother of God) known as "The Softening of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy."

It depicts The Virgin Mary at the moment that Simeon The Righteous says: "Yea, a Sword shall pierce through thy own Soul also . . ." (Luke 2:35) She stands with her hands upraised in Prayer, and Seven Swords pierce her heart, indicative of The Seven Sorrows. This is one of the few Orthodox icons of The Theotokos which do not depict The Infant Jesus. The refrain, "Rejoice, much-sorrowing Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften the hearts of evil men!" is also used.




File:Dolorosa.jpg

"Dolorosa".
Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Description: Dolorosa,
Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla.
Date: circa 1665.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The first Altar to The Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Monastery of Schönau. Especially in Mediterranean Countries, Parishioners Traditionally carry statues of Our Lady of Sorrows in Processions on the days leading to Good Friday.

No Feast in her honour was included in Pope Saint Pius V's 1570 Tridentine Calendar. Vatican approval for the Celebration of a Feast, in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows, was first granted to The Servite Order in 1667.



File:Dolores.jpg

English: Our Lady of Sorrows,
El Viso del Alcor,
Seville, Spain.
Español: Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.
Capilla del Sagrario de la Iglesia Parroquial
de Santa María del Alcor. El Viso del Alcor (Sevilla).
Procesiona bajo palio en la tarde noche del Viernes Santo.
Photo: December 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: Ajjb
(Wikimedia Commons)


By inserting The Feast into The Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1814, Pope Pius VII extended the Celebration to the whole of The Latin Church. It was assigned to The Third Sunday in September. In 1913, Pope Pius X moved The Feast to 15 September, the day after The Feast of The Cross. It is still observed on that date.

Another Feast, originating in the 17th-Century, was extended to the whole of The Latin Church in 1727. It was originally celebrated on Friday in Passion Week, one week before Good Friday. In 1954, it still held the Rank of Major-Double (slightly lower than the Rank of the 15 September Feast) in The General Roman Calendar.

The 15 September Feast is known as "The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows" (Beatae Mariae Virginis Perdolentis). The Sequence, known as Stabat Mater, may be sung at Mass on that day.



File:The Madonna in Sorrow.jpg

The Madonna in Sorrow.
Author: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609–1685).
(Wikimedia Commons)


Our Lady of Sorrows, depicted as "Mater Dolorosa" (Mother of Sorrows) has been the subject of some key works of Roman Catholic Marian art. Mater Dolorosa is one of the three common artistic representations of a Sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two being Stabat Mater ("The Mother Stood") and Pietà.

In this iconography, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is, at times, simply represented in a sad and anguished mode by herself, her expression being that of tears and sadness. In other representations, The Virgin Mary is depicted with Seven Swords in her heart, a reference to the Prophecy of Simeon, at The Presentation of The Child Jesus in The Temple.

Our Lady of Sorrows is the Patron Saint of:


Slovakia;


The Congregation of Holy Cross;


The village of Mola di Bari and the Molise region of Italy;


The State of Mississippi, USA;


Dolores, in the Philippines;


LanzaroteCanary Islands.


Mater Dolorosa (Berlin-Lankwitz).


Our Mother Of Sorrows.


+ 22 March +

Friday in Passion Week
is the 
Feast Day of The Seven Sorrows
of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Illustration: TRANSALPINE REDEMPTORISTS

Stabat Mater. Prepare For Good Friday.


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


File:SVouet.jpg

English: The Crucifixion.
Church of Jesus,
Genoa, Italy.
Svenska: "Korsfästelsen".
Chiesa del Gesù. Genua.
Artist: Simon Vouet (1590–1649).
Date: 1622.
Source: Originally from sv.wikipedia;
description page is/was here.
Author: Simon Vouet.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Stabat Mater Dolorosa, often referred to as Stabat Mater, is a 13th-Century Catholic Hymn to Mary, variously attributed to the Franciscan, Jacopone da Todi, and to Pope Innocent III. It is about the Sorrows of Mary.

The Title of the sorrowful Hymn is an Incipit of the first line, Stabat mater dolorosa ("The sorrowful Mother stood"). The Dolorosa Hymn, one of the most powerful and immediate of extant Mediaeval poems, meditates on The Suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ's Mother, during His Crucifixion.

It is sung at The Liturgy on The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Dolorosa has been set to music by many composers, with the most famous settings being those by Palestrina, Pergolesi, Alessandro Scarlatti and Domenico Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Haydn, Rossini, Poulenc, and Dvořák.

The Dolorosa was well-known by the end of the 14th-Century and Georgius Stella wrote of its use in 1388, while other historians note its use later in the same Century. In Provence, about 1399, it was used during The Nine Days Processions.

As a Liturgical Sequence, the Dolorosa was Suppressed, along with hundreds of other Sequences, by The Council of Trent, but restored to The Missal by Pope Benedict XIII, in 1727, for The Feast of The Seven Dolours of The Blessed Virgin Mary.



"Stabat Mater"
(The Mother Stood)
by
Pergolesi.
Performed by Talens Lyriques.
Available on YouTube at

Lenten Station At Saint Stephen-In-The-Round On Mount Coelius. The Ferial Mass Of Friday In Passion Week.


Roman Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

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


Ferial Mass of The Friday in Passion Week.
Station at Saint Stephen's on Mount Coelius.

Indulgence of 10 years and 10 Quarantines.

Violet Vestments.



English: The Basilica of Saint Stephen-in-the-Round
on Mount Coelius,
Rome, Italy.
ItalianoSanto Stefano Rotondo in Rome (rione Celio).
Date: Circa 1880.
Source: Scanning of reproduction.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Station was at the Church of Saint Stephen on Mount Coelius, called Saint Stephen the Round, on account of its circular form. It was Dedicated in the 5th-Century A.D. to The First of The Martyrs, whose Relics had been brought to Rome.

This Saint was The First Martyr, or Witness, of Christ. Whilst dying, he beheld The Saviour at The Right-Hand of The Father in Heaven. Thus, it was fitting to assemble in this Basilica at this holy time, Consecrated to the Memory of The Saviour’s Passion, which prepares us to Celebrate His Triumph at Easter.


File:Celio - santo Stefano rotondo 1792st.JPG

English: Basilica of Saint Stephen-in-the-Round
on Mount Coelius,
Rome, Italy.
Santo Stefano Rotondo is the most ancient example
of a Centrally-Planned Church in Rome.
Photo: January 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Gospel of today mentions the sitting of the Sanhedrin, at which The Death of Jesus was irrevocably decreed by the Jewish priests. [Jesus having raised Lazarus from the dead, at the time that the Pilgrims were preparing to come in multitudes to Jerusalem for The Feast of The Passover, the Jewish authorities of the Sanhedrin assembled on The Mount of Evil Counsel, and, under pretext that the Romans, who had conquered Judea, would take umbrage at the influence of Christ and use repressive measures against the Jewish people, the High Priest declares that Jesus must die.]


File:Celio - s Stefano Rotondo 1040178-80.JPG

English: Interior of the Basilica of Saint Stephen-in-the-Round
on Mount Coelius, Rome, Italy.
Italiano: Roma, Santo Stefano Rotondo al Celio:
interno dopo il restauro.
Photo: June 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus  they say, will excite such popular enthusiasm during the Paschal festivities, when crowds fill Jerusalem, that the Romans, uneasy for their authority, will destroy our City and Nation. It is therefore better, concludes Caiphas, that one man should disappear and that the Nation should be saved.

Jeremias, in the Epistle, and the Psalmist, in the Introit, the Gradual, the Offertory and the Communion, express the sorrows and anguish of Jesus, Who feels Himself surrounded by such treacherous and relentless enemies.

Let us participate in The Feelings of Christ, Who will soon atone for our sins by The Sufferings of His Passion. And may the fear of Eternal Punishment make us accept the troubles of this life and the holy austerities of Lent (Collect).


File:Coat of Arms of Hungary.svg

Coat-of-Arms of Hungary.

English:
Blazon: “Per pale, the first barry of eight Gules and Argent, the second Gules, on a mount Vert a crown Or, issuant therefrom a double cross Argent. In crest the Holy Crown of Hungary.”
Magyar:
Címerleírás A Magyar Köztársaság címere hegyes talpú, hasított pajzs. Első mezeje vörössel és ezüsttel hétszer vágott. Második, vörös mezejében zöld hármas halomnak arany koronás kiemelkedő középső részén ezüst kettős kereszt. A pajzson a magyar Szent Korona nyugszik.
Date: January 2009.
Source: Own work, based on Flags of the World - Hungary -
Author: Thommy.
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: Cardinal Mindszenty was a Cardinal Priest
of the Titulus S. Stephani in Coelio Monte.
Magyar: Mindszenty József szobor (szobrász: Domonkos Béla, 2009).
Állíttatta a „Hittel a nemzetért” alapítvány 2009-ben, október 26-án 220 centiméter
magas bronzszobor, amely egy 80 centiméteres süttői mészkő alapon áll.
A szobor áldást emelő kézzel ábrázolja Mindszenty Józsefet.
Mindszenty József szobor (szobrász: Domonkos Béla, 2009).
Photo: 8 November 2009 (original upload date).
Source: Transferred from hu.wikipedia; transferred to Commons
Author: Original uploader was Misibacsi at hu.wikipedia
(Wikimedia Commons.)

The Venerable József Mindszenty (29 March 1892 – 6 May 1975) was a Cardinal and the Head of The Roman Catholic Church in Hungary, as the Archbishop of Esztergom. He became known as a steadfast supporter of Church freedom and opponent of Communism and the brutal Stalinist persecution in his Country. As a result, he was tortured and given a life sentence in a 1949 Show Trial that generated worldwide condemnation, including a United Nations resolution

Freed in The Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he was granted political asylum and lived in the U.S. Embassy in Budapest for fifteen years. He was finally allowed to leave the Country in 1971.
He died in exile in 1975 in Vienna, Austria.


File:Celio - santo Stefano Rotondo - interno1.jpg

Basilica of San Stefano Rotondo,
Rome, Italy.
Photo: March 2003.
The Basilica of Saint Stephen-in-the-Round on Mount Coelius (Italian: Basilica di Santo Stefano al Monte Celio), (Latin: Basilica San Stephani in Coelio Monte) is an ancient Basilica and Titular Church in Rome. Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo, the Church is The National Church in Rome of Hungary, dedicated to Saint Stephen and, also, Saint Stephen of Hungary. The Minor Basilica is also The Rectory Church of The Pontifical Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum.

The Cardinal Priest or Titular of Saint Stephen's is Friedrich Wetter.

The earliest Church was Consecrated by Pope Simplicius between 468 A.D. and 483 A.D. It was Dedicated to The Proto-Martyr, Saint Stephen, whose body had been discovered a few decades before in The Holy Land, and brought to Rome. The Church was the first in Rome to have a Circular Plan, inspired by The Church of The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.




Illustration of Pope John I.
Pope Saint John I (523 A.D. - 526 A.D.)
embellished the Basilica di Santo Stefano al Monte Celio.
He is the first Pope known to have visited Constantinople, while in Office.
Author: Artaud de Montor, Alexis François.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Santo Stefano was probably financed by the wealthy Valerius family, whose estates covered large parts of The Caelian Hill. Their villa stood nearby, on the site of the present-day Hospital of San Giovanni - Addolorata. Saint Melania the Elder, a member of the family, was a frequent Pilgrim to Jerusalem and died there, so the family had connections to The Holy Land.

Originally, the Church had three concentric Ambulatories, flanked by twenty-two Ionic Columns, surrounding the central circular space, surmounted by a tambour (22 m high and 22 m wide). There were twenty-two windows in the tambour, but most of them were walled up in the 15th-Century restoration. The outermost corridor was later demolished.

The Church was embellished by Pope John I and Pope Felix IV in the 6th-Century. In 1130, Pope Innocent II had three Transversal Arches added to support the Dome.




Nederlands: Paus Nicolas V.
EnglishPope Nicholas V, who Reigned from 6 March 1447 until his death in 1455. Born Tommaso Parentucelli, Nicholas was made a Cardinal for his diplomatic efforts by Pope Eugene IV.
In 1454, Pope Nicholas V entrusted the ruined Church to The Pauline Fathers, the only Catholic Order founded by Hungarians.This is the reason why Santo Stefano Rotondo later became the unofficial Church of Hungarians in Rome.
Date of painting: 1612 - 1616.
Author: Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640).
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the Middle Ages, Santo Stefano Rotondo was in the charge of The Canons of San Giovanni in Laterano, but, as time went on, it fell into disrepair. In the middle of the 15th-Century, Flavio Biondo praised the marble columns, marble-covered-walls and cosmatesque works-of-art of the Church, but he added that: "Unfortunately, nowadays, Santo Stefano Rotondo has no roof". Blondus claimed that the Church was built on the remains of an ancient Temple of Faunus. Excavations in 1969 to 1975 revealed that the building was never converted from a pagan temple, but was always a Church, erected under Emperor Constantine I in the first half of the 4th-Century A.D.


File:Celio - santo Stefano Rotondo - interno2.jpg

A model of a Renaissance Church
inside San Stefano Rotondo, Rome.
Photo: March 2003.
Author: seier+seier
(Wikimedia Commons)


In 1454, Pope Nicholas V entrusted the ruined Church to The Pauline Fathers, the only Catholic Order founded by Hungarians. This is the reason why Santo Stefano Rotondo later became the unofficial Church of the Hungarians in Rome. The Church was restored by Bernardo Rossellino, it is presumed under the guidance of Leon Battista Alberti.

In 1579, the Hungarian Jesuits followed The Pauline Fathers. The Collegium Hungaricum, established here by István Arator that year, was soon merged with The Collegium Germanicum in 1580, which became The Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum, because very few Hungarian students were able to travel to Rome from the Turkish-occupied Kingdom of Hungary.


File:C o a Niccolo V.svg

English: Coat-of-Arms of Pope Nicholas V.
Français: Armoiries du pape Nicolas V :
de gueules à la clef d'argent posée en bande
et à la clef d'or posée en barre toutes
deux liées d'un cordon d'azur.
Date: August 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Odejea.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Stephani in Coelio Monte has been Friedrich Wetter since 1985. His predecessor, József Mindszenty, was famous as the persecuted Catholic leader of Hungary under the Communist dictatorship. Although the inside of the Church is circular, the exterior is cruciform.

The walls of the Church are decorated with numerous frescoes, including those of Niccolò Circignani (Niccolò Pomarancio) and Antonio Tempesta, portraying thirty-four scenes of Martyrdom, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in the 16th-Century. Each painting has a Titulus, or inscription, explaining the scene and giving the name of the Emperor who ordered the execution, as well as a quotation from The Bible. The paintings' naturalistic depictions of torture and execution are somewhat morbid.





Deutsch: Kardinal Friedrich Wetter
bei der Verleihung des Martinsmantels
(Sankt Michaelsbund) in der Karmelitenkirche München.
English: Cardinal Friedrich Wetter,
Cardinal-Priest of the Titulus
S. Stephani in Coelio Monte.
Photo: November 2008.
Source: Transferred from de.wikipedia;
transferred to Commons by User:Kurpfalzbilder.de
using CommonsHelper. (Original text : selbst fotographiert).
Author: Papiermond. Original uploader was Papiermond at de.wikipedia.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Altar was made by the Florentine artist, Bernardo Rossellino, in the 15th-Century. The painting in the Apse shows Christ between two Martyrs. The mosaic/marble decoration is from 523 A.D. - 530 A.D. One mosaic shows the Martyrs, Saint Primus and Saint Felicianus, flanking a Crux Gemmata (Jewelled Cross).

There is a tablet recording the burial, here, of the Irish king, Donough O'Brien, of Cashel and Thomond, who died in Rome in 1064. An ancient Chair of Pope Gregory The Great, from around 580 A.D., is also preserved here.

The Chapel of Saints Primo e Feliciano has very interesting and rare mosaics from the 7th-Century A.D. The Chapel was built by Pope Theodore I, who brought the Relics of the Martyrs here and buried them (together with the Remains of his father).





St Andrew Daily Missal (Traditional Mass)

Available (in U.K.) from

Available (in U.S.A.) from


The Te Deum Is Sung At Matins On The Feast Day Of The Seven Sorrows Of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Friday In Passion Week.


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

When was the last time you heard the Te Deum sung in your Church ?

Why not ask your Parish Priest or Pastor to arrange to have it sung in your Church ?


File:Te Deum window by Whall .jpg

The Te Deum Window,
by Christopher Whall,
Church of Saint Mary The Virgin,
Ware, Hertfordshire,
England.
Author: Barking Tigs.
(Wikimedia Commons)


File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg


English: Saint Ambrose.
One of the traditionally-ascribed authors of the 
Te Deum, together with Saint Augustine.
Deutsch: hl. Ambrosius.
Artist: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664).
Date: 1626-1627.
Current location: Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes, Seville, Spain.
Note: Deutsch: Urspr. für den Konvent San Pablo in Sevilla, Auftraggeber:
Prior Diego de Bordas. Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002.
ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: [1].
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Te Deum (also known as "The Ambrosian Hymn" or "A Song of The Church") is an Early-Christian Hymn of Praise. The Title is taken from its opening Latin words, "Te Deum laudamus", rendered as "Thee, O God, we praise".

The Hymn remains in regular use in The Catholic Church, in The Office of Readings (The Divine Office), found in The Liturgy of The Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special Blessing, such as the Election of a Pope, the Consecration of a Bishop, the Canonisation of a Saint, a Religious Profession, the publication of a Treaty of Peace, a Royal Coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or The Divine Office, or as a separate Religious Ceremony. The Hymn also remains in use in The Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches in similar settings.

In The Traditional Office, the Te Deum is sung at the end of Matins, on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass; those days are all Sundays, outside AdventSeptuagesimaLent, and Passiontide; on all Feasts (except the Triduum) and on all Ferias during Eastertide.

A Plenary Indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, to those who recite it in public on New Year's Eve.


Te Deum.
Sung by The Benedictine Monks of the 
Abbey of Saint Maurice and Saint Maur, 
Clervaux. Luxembourg.
The Te Deum is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of The Church, 
Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, and is one the most majestic 
Chants in The Liturgy of The Church. 
It is sung in Traditional Seminaries and Monastic Houses at The Divine Office and
for Double Feasts of The First Class, The Nativity, Easter, Corpus Christi, Epiphany,
Pentecost and those which have an Octave.
The Solemn Te Deum is sung on all occasions of public Church rejoicing.
Available on YouTube at


Authorship is traditionally ascribed to Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, on the occasion of the latter's Baptism by the former in 387 A.D. It has also been ascribed to Saint Hilary, but Catholic-Forum.com says "it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th-Century A.D.)".

The Petitions at the end of the Hymn (beginning "Salvum fac populum tuum") are a selection of Verses from The Book of Psalms, appended subsequently to the original Hymn.

The Hymn follows the outline of The Apostles' Creed, mixing a poetic vision of The Heavenly Liturgy with its declaration of Faith. Calling on The Name of God, immediately, the Hymn proceeds to name all those who praise and Venerate God; from the hierarchy of Heavenly Creatures, to those Christian Faithful already in Heaven, to The Church spread throughout the World.

The Hymn then returns to its Credal formula, naming Christ and recalling His Birth, Suffering and Death, His Resurrection and Glorification. At this point, the Hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the praise, both The Universal Church and the singer, in particular, asking for Mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for reunification with The Elect.

Te Deum Laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli;
tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili voce proclamant:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra
maiestatis gloriae tuae.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum 
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

[added later, 
mainly from Psalm Verses:]

Salvum fac populum tuum,
Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
Per singulos dies benedicimus te;
Et laudamus Nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri Domine, miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua, 
Domine, super nos, 

quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Domine, speravi:
non confundar in aeternum.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Translation from The Book of Common Prayer.

We praise thee, O God :
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee :
the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim :
continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy :
Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
of thy glory.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world :
doth acknowledge thee;

The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man :
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death :
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

File:Francisco de Zurbarán 032.jpg

Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants :
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.

[added later, mainly from Psalm verses:]

O Lord, save thy people :
and bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us :
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted :
let me never be confounded.

Thursday 26 March 2015

Feria V Post Dominicam Passionis.


Illustrations of Gospel Stories,
from Jerome Nadal, S.J.,



Mary Magdalene anoints Jesus' feet.


The Author and His Books:

Jerome Nadal (1507-1580), a Spaniard from Majorca, was one of the first ten members of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). For many years, he served as the personal representative or "delegate" of the Founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), in visiting Jesuit Houses throughout Europe, especially to explain and implement the Constitutions of The Society of Jesus.

Ignatius urged Nadal to compile and distribute an illustrated guide for Prayerful meditation on The Gospels, in the tradition of The Spiritual Exercises, although the work was not completed until after both men had died. Nadal selected the Biblical scenes to be included, commissioned and directed the layout of the illustrations, and composed Notes to accompany each scene. With the co-operation and support of Antwerp publishers Christophe Plantin and Martinus Nutius, 153 engravings were eventually produced by Bernardino Passeri, Marten de Vos, and Jerome and Anton Wierix.

In 1593, these illustrations were published in a volume entitled Evangelicae Historiae Imagines ("Illustrations of the Gospel Stories"), arranged in chronological order of The Life and Ministry of Jesus. In 1594 and 1595, they were again published in larger volumes, entitled Adnotationes et Meditationes in Evangelia ("Notes and Meditations on The Gospels"), with more extensive accompanying Text, and rearranged according to the order of Readings used in The Liturgical Year, as prescribed in The Roman Missal. (See the Bibliography for details about Nadal's books. See also the Web-Page on The Roman Missal.)

These books became very influential in Counter-Reformation Europe, since the illustrations were among the first to use the new techniques of "perspective drawing," which more realistically depicted three-dimensional shapes in two-dimensional drawings, such as used in the scientific drawings of the day. These techniques made The Gospel Stories much more vibrant and realistic, and thus more effective as aides for Evangelisation and Meditation. The influence of these engravings can clearly be seen in the work of later Bible illustrators, such as Gustave Dore.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...