The first image shows the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. Father has bowed to make his Confiteor and the two servers (holding their candles) have turned inward to face him. Notice the unbleached candles on the altar, in the processional candlesticks, and around the catafalque.
In this next image we see the priest and servers, who have swung out to the Epistle side of the altar for the reading of the Officium (called the Introit in the Roman Rite) and the Kyrie. This swing would include the deacon and subdeacon if this were a Solemn Mass. This movement of the ministers is among the most famous elements of our Dominican Rite. After this, the priest will return to the center, turn and greet the people with Dominus vobiscum and then return to the book to sing the Collect. He will then read the Epistle, which may be sung by a cleric if one is available.
Here Fr. Patalano has come to the Gospel side to sing the Gospel, the servers having brought their candles in the brief procession. There is no censer-bearer as incense is not used at the Requiem Mass.
The servers wash father's hands during the Offertory. The verse "Qui retribuam Domino pro omnibus quod tribuat mihi." is omitted during Requiem Masses, otherwise the Dominican Offertory with a single oblation of the elements is unchanged.
Father has just finished the Preface and is reading the Sanctus quietly. As you can see the servers are lighting (or on the left have lighted) the Sanctus Candles. These will burn until the Communion.
The Mass completed, father has come down to perform the "Absolution of the Dead" at the catafalque, while the choir sings the chant of the Libera. You will notice that father has exchanged his chasuble for the cope.
Here incense is being prepared for use during the singing of the Libera, when it is traditional to incense the catafalque and then sprinkle it with holy water.
Incensing the catafalque:
The Libera and its prayers completed, the ministers depart to the sacristy.
May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace!
4 comments:
Lovely photographs, Father. What is the name of the item of clothing the servers are wearing over their cottas? I have seen this a number of times in photographs from the US and Spain (not just in the Dominican Rite), but never in here in England. Does it have a special significance?
Tecchnically that little shoulder cape would be a "ferriola" if these servers were dressed as Roman clerics." If it had bottons down the front it would be is a Mozzeta. (I think.)
The reason these servers are wearing that black shoulder cape and a white cassock or tunic is that there used to be a tradition of dressing altar boys at Dominican parishes as Dominican lay brother postulants. Lay brothers, when professed wore a white tunic, a black capuce (shoulder cap with hood), and a black scapular (like an apron). Clerical bothers and priests (and lay brothers today) wear the same but all white.
A postulate, doing preparation for the novitiate did not wear the scapular (you got that when you entered the novitiate). So they had just the black capuce and white tunic. On the altar as a server, the altar boys wear the surplice. In the case of non-ordained it is worn under the capuce.
So what you see in the photos is the old-fashioned attire for a lay brother postulant serving at the altar: white tunic, surplice, black capuce.
As you may know there never were really strick rules about what altar boys were to wear: the black cassock and white surplice was just the most common.
I hope that answers the question.
--Fr. Augustine O.P.
Wow, this is so amazing to see a parish in my hometown doing a Dominican rite, ad orientem mass. Deo gratias! Are there plans to do a Dominican rite mass every Sunday? Currently, they are apparently only done on Feast Days and other special occasions at Holy Rosary. Thanks
Dear Geremia,
As far as I know the current schedule of regular Dominican Rite Masses at Holy Rosary Parish remains as it was. Why don't you and other parishioners who would like it done every Sunday mention that to Fr. Patalano?
Politely and without a demanding tone, of course. I mention that not for you but for readers that might not realize that some forms of "request" do not get the best results.
God bless you!
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