Holy Rosary Church Solemn Mass of St. Dominic (8/10/08)

As I had promised, we now have stills of the Dominican Rite Solemn High Mass celebrated at Holy Rosary Church in Portland OR on Sunday, August 10, to whichday the Solemnity was transferred, as is the practice in your province. You may observe that the vestments for this Mass are the same set used for the Solemn Mass in Seattle two days before. This set was commissioned for the Centennial of Holy Rosary Parish in 1996. In this series I have tried to include parts of the Mass not shown in the posting on the Seattle celebration.

The music for this Mass included the Missa de Angelis and the Propers from the Dominican Gradual, sung by the small schola of Cantores in Ecclesia under the direction of Mr. Dean Applegate. The short version of the Sequence In Caelesti Hierarchia was used as this was strictly speaking a votive Mass. This choir sings for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass each week at Holy Rosary. As this Ordinary is rather short, the ministers remained at the altar for the Kyrie, Gloria, and Credo, instead of going to the sedilla as is usual with longer polyphonic Masses as earlier in Seattle.

In this first image you can see the ministers have arrived at the altar and are bowed for the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. You can see the results of the renovations done in 1995-95: the new tabernacle, the new altar (originally from the old St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco, destroyed in the Earthquake), and the new stained glass windows showing St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. The celebrant for this was was Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., pastor of Holy Rosary; the deacon, Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., professor at the University of Virginia; and the subdeacon, Bro. John Marie Bingham, O.P., a student of the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, St. Albert the Great in Oakland. The four servers were all young men of the parish--and spent many hours in preparation for this event.

In this image you see that the subdeacon, Bro. John Marie, is singing the Epistle. In this case, the option of dispensing with the lectern has been taken and the acolyte is holding the lectionary. At the altar the deacon is having his hands washed in preparation for unfolding the corporal. You can also see the communion cloth hanging behind the rail--it is in regular use at Holy Rosary.

This next image shows that the acolytes and crucifer have arrived for the Gospel Procession. The thurifer is at the sedilla having the incense blessed. You can see the "mappa" covering the subdeacon's lap. This, our form of the gremial, is used by all three ministers to protect their vestments while they are seated.

Here you can see the deacon chanting the Gospel, facing the north side of the church. The book is held by the subdeacon flanked by the acolytes with the crucifer facing the deacon. The thurifer is behind him forming a cross formation. The priest is, of course, at the altar. In the congregation you will also see members of the Dominican Laity (formally called the Third Order of Penance) wearing their scapulars, as is the common practice on Dominican feasts.

I include this photo so that you can see the mappa being used. It is here being placed over the laps of the deacon and subdeacon in preparation for the sermon. The preacher was the celebrant, Fr. Patalano.

The sermon over, the Credo was sung. Here is the genuflection at the Incarnatus Est. You will see that the ministers are in the triangle formation, with the crucifer holding the cross so that the people can see Our Lord's image as we proclaim our faith in his Incarnation. In this photo, to the left you, can see the new baptismal font with the frescoes of the baptism of St. Dominic, another embellishment done at the time of the parish centennial.

In this photo you can see one of the most characteristic rituals in the Dominican Mass: the incensing of the ministers during the singing of the Preface. The priest was incensed, with three puffs, at the Offertory. The thurifer is about to give the deacon his two puffs of incense, then he will give two to the subdeacon, and finally one to each of the acolytes. On this feast, he also incensed the image of St. Dominic. Finally he incensed the congregation--a practice not in the rubrics but traditionally observed in parishes of our province.

The Elevation of the Host. Acolytes hold their processional candles as elevation torches, the deacon incenses and holds up the priest's chasuble. The subdeacon holds the paten covered with the veil. The thurifer kneels in the middle to form the triangle, waiting to receive back the censer.

This photo shows the preparation for Communion. The priest has just turned to expose the ciborium and the ministers have all bowed to say the Confiteor. This might be a point to mention that on major feasts it is the custom at Holy Rosary for the servers to wear a modified version the old prelatial garb of a Dominican bishop. I have previously put up a post on this which also shows such garb in use by an altar boy of 1890 at St. Dominic's in San Francisco.

This photograph shows the position of the minsters for the priest's singing of the Postcommunion. They have swept to the side and are now in order to the right of the priest in the "wing" position. They take the same position, among other times, for the Kyrie, Gloria, and Collect, as well as for the Credo and Offertory verse (but on the Gospel side).

Finally, see see the ministers leaving in procession after the Last Gospel. They have put up their capuces, which are covered by amices.


I thank Mr. William Straud, a parishioner of Holy Rosary, who not only helped train the servers but also provided these photos of the Mass.