Friday, December 19, 2014

1967 Dominican Rite English Breviary (vol. 2) Available for Download

It has been called to attention the the second volume of the English translation of the Breviary according to the Rite of the Order of Preachers, published by order of fr. Aniceto Fernandez, O.P., translated by the Irish Dominican Sisters (Dublin: St. Saviour's, 1967) has been made available online by Corpus Christi Watershead, in four PDF files.

I have also made these files available on the left side bar, here at Dominican Liturgy.  Please note, however, that the download for these files may be slow on some computers.  They are large.  Let us hope that this wonderful resource will soon be followed by files for volume 1. 

I also remind readers that since this edition was translated after Sacrosanctum Concilium, 89 (1963), it lacks the Office of Prime.  That office is available in English as part of the Dominican Rite Ordo for 2015, published by Dominican Liturgy Publications.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary


A Solemn High Mass according to the Dominican Rite was celebrated by the friars of Holy Rosary Church in Portland, Oregon--a ministry of the Western Dominican Province (Most Holy Name of Jesus).

The celebrant was Fr. Stephen Maria Lopez, O.P., Prior of the Dominican community.  Fr. Vincent M. Kelber, O.P., Pastor, and Br. Andrew Dominic Yang, O.P., served as deacon and subdeacon, respectively.  The homily was preached by Fr. Dismas Sayre, O.P., parochial vicar of the parish.

Music was sung by Cantores in Ecclesia under the direction of Blake Applegate: Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd, Ave Maria by Josquin de Prez, and the Gregorian Chant Propers.
   
Credo

Kissing the Pax tablet

Elevation of the Host

For more photos from the Mass, visit our parish Facebook page.  The next Dominican Rite Mass at Holy Rosary Church will be on Christmas Day at 11:00 AM.    

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Dominican Rite Solemn Mass,. Oakland CA

The High Altar of St. Albert' Priory
I pleased to let our readers know that the Dominican student brothers of the Western Dominican Province will be singing and serving a Dominican Rite Solemn Mass for the First Saturday devotion of December.  The celebrant and preacher will be Fr. Anselm Ramelow, O.P., assistant professor of philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley CA. The deacon will be Fr. Ambrose Sigman, O.P., parochial vicar of St. Raymond of PeƱafort Church in Palo Alto CA, and the subdeacon will be Bro. Christopher Wetzel, O.P.

The Mass will be celebrated at Saint Albert the Great Priory Chapel, 6172 Chabot Road, Oakland CA, 94618, on December 6, at 10:00 a.m..  Confessions for the First Saturday Devotion will be heard from 9:30 until 9:50; recitation of the Marian Rosary will immediately follow it. Visitors and guests are welcome; pew booklets with the text of Mass in Latin and English will be provided.

Those driving to the Mass may park in the Tennis Court Parking Lot next to the chapel.  St. Albert the Great Priory is three blocks from the Rockridge BART station, just go north three blocks to Chabot Road, turn right and walk half a block and you will see the chapel on your right.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Dominican Chants in Honor of Our Lady

I am pleased to announce that the brothers of the Province of St. Joseph have released a new recording of Dominican Chant.  It is the complete Mass of the Immaculate Conception, and other Marian chants including those of Compline (very rich in our Rite).

If you are a lover of chant, or your choir intends to sing the Dominican music for the up-coming feast, this is for you.  It also makes an excellent Christmas gift.

You can hear samples and order here.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Dominican Rite Calendar for 2015

I am pleased to announce tht the Dominican Rite Liturgical Calendar for 2015 is now available for free download on the left side-bar here at Dominican Liturgy  This calendar gives the feasts to be celebrated according to the 1962 calendar, which, as the Master reminded the Order of Preachers at the General Chapter of Trogir (2013), is to be followed when using the traditional Dominican Rite. It also includes on their proper days all Dominican saints and blesseds added to the calendar since 1965, the last printing of the Dominican Rite Missal.

As this calendar was created for the Western Dominican Province, it also includes (with a note that to that effect) saints on the United States calendar, and, in a supplement, the particular feasts of the dioceses where Western Dominican Province friars serve.  Finally there is a list of feasts of Dominican blesseds who were left to their particular provinces to celebrate.  They may be celebrated on their days by a votive Mass  or Office.

If any of our readers notice any problem or error in this calendar, I ask them to contact me about it.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Weekly Dominican Rite Mass in Rome

This news for readers living in Rome or visiting there while traveling.

Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P., informs me that the traditional Dominican Rite Mass is now celebrated weekly at the Roman basilica of San Clemente, on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.  Note, however, that there will be no Mass on Saturday, December 27.

San Clemente has spectacular mosaics (see image to right) and the excavations under it include what is believed to be the House Church of St. Clemente (1st century). San Clemente, home of the Irish Dominicans in Rome, is located at Via Labicana, 95, just up from the Colosseum toward the Lateran.

The Mass schedule for San Clemente can always be checked here.  I also remind readers that the next Dominican Rite Mass in the Bay Area will be at St. Albert the Great Priory, December 6, at 10 a.m.  This will be the Mass for the monthy First Saturday devotion, and the plans are for a Solemn Mass.

Monday, October 6, 2014

A New Francis Book for Children

The well-know Catholic author and blogger, Amy Welborn, was kind enough to arrange for me to receive a copy of her new book Adventures in Assisi, from Franciscan Media Publications. The book is lavishly illustrated with water-color images by Ann Kissane Engelhart.

The narrative tells the story of two children, who visit their great uncle, Padre Antonio, a Franciscan friar. As he takes them around Assisi, they come to know the Little Poor Man and his city.

This is a marvelous way to introduce your children to St. Francis and spend some time reading to them. I think they will love both the story and the pictures. This book can be ordered on Amazon or at your local bookstore.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Dominican Rite Missa Cantata at Dominican Nuns Monastery, Marbury AL

On the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P., celebrated a Missa Cantata for the Dominican cloistered nuns of the Monastery of St. Jude in Marbury AL.   The sisters have kindly shared these photographs of the event.

Fr. Pius arrives at the altar of the Chapel


The Elevation of the Chalice from behind the grill

The extension of the priest's arms after the Consecration

Father leaves the altar after Mass

The nuns of Marbury celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin using the traditional antiphons, hymns, and responsories from the Dominican Antiphonale.  They also sing Mass using the chants of the Dominican Gradual.

You can read more about these nuns here.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Corrected Antiphonarium Files Available

Thanks to the Dominican nuns of St. Jude Monastery in Marbury AL, who use the Antiphonarium pro Liturgia Horarum iuxta Usum Ordinis Praedicatorum, which is available for down load in five files on our left sidebar, I can now make available new files with corrections and improvements.

This resource allows an individual or group to sing the entire Latin Liturgy of the Hours in traditional Dominican Chant.  I thank my sisters at Marbury for their careful correction of these texts!


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Dominican Rite First Mass of Newly Ordained Priest

This last weekend saw the ordinations of four friars of our Western Dominican Province.

With the permission of Fr. Peter Junipero Hannah, O.P., the celebrant, here are some pictures of his First Mass of Thanksgiving at the Carmel of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Canyon CA.  Fr. Peter was ordained to the Priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ on May 31.  His first Public Mass of Thanksgiving was the conventual Mass of his priory, St. Albert the Great, in Oakland CA, Our Western Dominican Province House of Studies.  As he has on a good number of occasions served as deacon in Dominican Solemn Masses at the Carmel, he wanted his first public celebration of the Dominican Rite Missa Cantata to be with the sisters there.

As you will see in the photos, the current living situation of the nuns is very primitive: the chapel is in the common room of the lodge-residence of a small ranch.  The simply professed live in the bunk house. The solemnly professed in the lodge. Happily, next fall the nuns, thanks to very generous benefactors, will move to the now vacant Carmelite monastery in Kensington, north of Berkeley CA.  Thus the primitive conditions of this current chapel where Mass was celebrated.

At this Mass the servers were: senior acolyte, Rev. Bro. Gabriel Mosher, O.P. (ordained a deacon on May 31); junior acolyte, Bro. Matthew Peddemors; thurifer, Bro. Clement Lapak, O.P.  The Mass was the Votive of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, sung by the nuns.  Father's sermon focused on the importance of Our Lady of Carmel in the evangelization of California (the first Solemn Mass in what is now the state was on that feast, Bl. Junipero Serra's favorite mission was at Carmel, etc.) and the mutual love of the Carmelites and Dominicans of our mutual patroness, the Blessed Virgin.


At the altar for the reading of the Officium (Introit) and Kyrie


The singing of the Collect.

The incensing before the Gospel.


Father Peter Junipero preaching.


The incensing of the altar at the Offertory.





The thurifer incenses the sisters behind the screen.


The elevation of the Host.


The elevation of the Chalice.

The priest's Communion.

The Priest turns for the Communion Confiteor (customary in Sung Masses in the Western Province)


The presentation of the Host for the Ecce Agnus Dei.

After the Mass Father Peter Junipero gave first blessings to the Carmelite community. I might add that the Altar Cards for the Dominican Rite seen on the altar were a gift to the Carmelite community in honor of Mother Silvia Gemma's 24th anniversary of profession last month.  I thank the Dominican brothers present for these photographs.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

First Saturday Dominican Rite Mass, May 3, at Carmel of the Holy Family, Canyon CA

Chapel of the Carmel, Bishop Barbar Celebrant (New Rite Roman)

This is just the briefest of reminders to readers in the San Francisco Bay Area that the Dominican Rite Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sung by the student friars of the Western Dominican Province as part of First Saturday Devotions, will not be at St. Albert's Priory in Oakland, this week.

The Mass will be at the Carmel of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph* in Canyon CA, this Saturday, May 3, at 10:00 a.m.  This Mass will be a Solemn High Dominican Rite Mass to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Profession of Mother Sylvia Gemma, O.C.D., the superior of the Carmel of the Holy Family.  This event is open to the public and will be the last First Saturday Mass until the Fall.

*How to find Canyon Carmel, which has no street number: Canyon is just east of Oakand CA. Start from the Canyon U.S. Post Office (99 Pinehurst Road), and go north about one half mile to “John McCosker Ranch Road” on right (easy to miss); take this mostly gravel private road up to the right turn onto “Old Home Ranch Road,” which is signed for “Carmel.” This gravel road ends in the parking lot of the monastery.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

April First Saturday Dominican Rite Missa Cantata, Oakland CA

Through the kindness of the students of the Western Dominican Province, I have the pleasure of publishing some photographs of the Missa Cantata of the Immaculate Heart of Mary celebrated as part of the First Saturday Devotions at St. Albert the Great Priory in Oakland.  The celebrant was Fr. Bryan Kromholtz, O.P., Regent of Studies, and it was his first public celebration of the sung Mass in the traditional Rite.  The servers were Rev. Brother Peter Hannah, O.P., and Brother Christopher Brannan, O.P.  The thurifer was Brother Andrew Dominic Yang, O.P.  Music was provided by a schola of the brothers.
The Father Bryan Intones the Gloria

Blessing the Incense at the Offertory

The Servers bow to each other on returning from the Lavabo.

Communion of the lay faithful (about 30 were in attendence)

For more on this Mass and other new about our students, click here.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Recent Dominican Rite Masses at Holy Rosary Church, Portland OR

I am pleased to present these photos of recent celebrations of the Dominican Mass at the house of the Western Dominican Province in Portland OR, Most Holy Rosary Priory and Parish.

ASH WEDNESDAY

The celebrant of this Missa Cantata was Fr. Vincent Kelber, O.P., Pastor of the Parish.  In accord with the Dominican practice, the distribution of ashes was done, with Fr. Kelber's assistance by the Prior of the Dominican Community, Fr. Stephen Maria Lopez, O.P.  As the question is often raised as to the nature of the altar servers attire, it is a modification of the old lay brother's postulant habit: a white tunic and black shoulder cape.  As they are ministering at the altar, the servers wear the surplice, in this case under the shoulder cape, as is the Dominican tradition for the non-ordained.


Blessing of Ashes

Distribution of Ashes to the Servers by the Prior

Distribution of Ashes to the People

The In spiritu humiliatis at the Offertory

Elevation of the Chalice

Dominican Orans position at the Unde et Memores

The Ecce Agnus Dei before Communion

The Et Verbum caro factum est of the Last Gospel


SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION

The celebrant of this Missa Cantata was the prior of the Dominican Community of the Holy Rosary in Portland, Fr. Stephen Maria Lopez, O.P.

Arrival at the Altar

Preparation of the Chalice During the Chants between the Readings

The beginning of the Creed

The Incarnatus est of the Creed

Elevation of the Host

Preparation for Communion

The Ecce Agnus Dei before Communion

For a list of regular celebrations of the Dominican Rite in the Western Dominican Province, click here.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Dominican Chants for the Passion in Latin Now Available

Dominican Liturgy Publications, a subsidiary of Albertus Magnus Press of the Western Dominican Province is pleased to announce the reprinting of the 1953 Cantus Passionis D. N. J. C. with the Gospels of Matthew and John for use in singing those texts in the liturgies of Palm Sunday and Good Friday.  This volume has undergone minor changes to make the text compatible with the rubrics of the 1962 form of the Dominican Rite and (coincidently) the forms of the Passion used in the modern Roman Rite.

The text and music of the original edition was hand written by an anonymous friar for the 1953 printing, and his work is what is reproduced in the two-color printing.  A sample page may be seen to the right.  The price of the hardback volume is $26.95, specially discounted for this coming Holy Week from the usual price of $29.40.  Those intending to use this resource liturgically should purchase three copies, one for each of those singing the role of Christ, the Narrator, and the Crowd.

The Cantus Passionis may be purchased here.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Dominican Rite Missae Cantatae at Carmel of the Holy Family in March

Chapel of the Carmel, Bishop Barbar Celebrant (New Rite Roman)
This is to let our readers, especially those in the Bay Area, know about the four Sung Dominican Rite Masses that will be offered at the Carmel of the Holy Family in Canyon CA in March. The Carmel near Oakland CA.* These Masses will take place:

Friday, March 7, 7:45 a.m., St. Thomas Aquinas

Sunday, March 15, 9:30 a.m., Second Sunday of Lent

Sunday, March 23, 10:00 a.m., Third Sunday in Lent

Friday, March 25, 7:45 a.m., Annunciation

The chant for these Masses will be sung be sung by the nuns, and the celebrants and servers will be friars of the Western Dominican ProvinceFr. Reginald Martin, O.P., prior of St. Albert the Great Priory, the Western Dominican House of Studies in Oakland CA, will be the guest preacher for the Solemnity of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Dominican Rite Low Mass is also celebrated at the Carmel, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 7:45 a.m. See also all Dominican Rite Masses in the Bay Area, Spring 2014 and Regularly Scheduled Dominican Rite Masss worldwide.

*How to find Canyon Carmel, which has no street number: from Canyon U.S. Post Office (99 Pinehurst Road), go north about one half mile to “John McCosker Ranch Road” on right (easy to miss); take this mostly gravel private road up to the right turn onto “Old Home Ranch Road,” which is signed for “Carmel.” It ends in the parking lot of the monastery.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Recitation of Mass Texts by the Priest at the Dominican Solemn Mass

The Priest and Deacon read the Chants and Lessons at Solemn Mass
Recently, my co-contributor at New Liturgical Movement, Mr. Peter Kwasniewski, posted there a very thoughtful piece on the traditional practice of having the priest read the Epistle, Gospel, Propers, and Ordinary, even when these are sung by a choir, (and by the deacon, and subdeacon when present) at Sung Mass.  The Roman way of doing this differs from the Dominican in a number of ways, and I am not intending to address that in this post.  What I am interested in is the logic of the Dominican practices in the medieval, early modern, and post-1960 reform Mass.

There are a number of things that occur during the Dominican Solemn Mass which originated because of convenience when one or more of the ministers had to perform some function at altar during the Foremass, and it was better for the others to retire to the sedilla (a bench with no separating arms) on the Epistle side of the sanctuary to get out of the way.  This included: the procession of the subdeacon during the Gloria to the altar with the chalice and paten and their arrangement on the altar; and the arrival of the deacon to unfold the corporal during the singing of the Epistle by the subdeacon.  For this reason the priest is at the sedilla from the Amen after the opening collect until he returns to the altar for the deacon's proclamation of the Gospel.

In the medieval rite the ministers recited the Ordinary and the Propers quitely.  The theological logic for this was simple.  The ministers are all members of the community, and the community in a religious house IS the choir.  Thus the performance of those chants fell to all, including the ministers.  Since their "business" often made it impossible for them to sing along with the choir, they recited the texts.  There is no complex theological reason for this; and as this responsibility fell to all the ministers, not just the priest, it is not because of some special about the priestly office.

After the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, by which time the choir (community) has finished the Officium ("Introit" in the Roman Rite) and probably gotten into the Kyrie, the priest moved to the book and the ministers arrayed themselves to his right: deacon, subdeacon, acolyte 1, acolyte 2.  This is so that they can all recite the chants quietly together.  The priest alone takes the cantor's parts (e.g. the verse in the Officium) and all take the choir parts.  In the middle ages when the Solemn Mass was sung every day, it was expected that the ministers knew all the Propers by heart.  So the subdeacon and acolytes recited along with the priest and deacon (who had the benefit of the book).  Today, they just stand mute (unless they have memorized the texts).

By the time the ministers finished, it was time for the priest to go to the center to intone the Gloria.  All then swung back to the Epistle side to recite it with the priest and then go sit down.  The reason for this is practical.  The subdeacon needed to go to the sacristy to get the chalice and paten and bring them to the altar in procession as the choir sang the Gloria.  To clear space for arranging veil and vessels on the altar the priest and other minsters needed to get out of the way.  At the sedilla, in the middle ages, the priest and deacon read the Responsorium (Gradual), Alleluia or Tract, and Sequence (if any) from the book held by Acolyte 1.  If the subdeacon got back, he joined them in reciting.  See this happening in the photo at the beginning of this post (where yours truly is deacon).  They did not read the Epistle or Gospel.  Why? Because it is not their office: they pertain to the offices of the subdeacon and the deacon.  The ministers read these choir chants because they belong to the whole the community and they could not sing them because they will be busy preparing the chalice at the sedilla while they are sung.

After the singing of the Gospel, the priest intoned the Creed, and the procession returned from the ambo in the screen, lead by the crucifer and acolytes. They then arrived to the altar for the priest to kiss the book.  As they had been in motion and the priest was waiting to kiss the book, all were busy and did not sing along with the choir.  Rather, after getting to the altar, the priest, deacon, subdeacon, and acolytes swung to the Gospel side so that they could recite the Creed (already underway by the choir) together.  The recitation would be finished by the time they were to swing back to the middle for the Incarnatus.  After the Incarnatus, the acolytes had to escort the Cross to the sacristy, so the major ministers went to sit.  Again, the recitation is (in theory) not just the priest, and the reason for not singing the Creed is practical: the ministers are busy.

The recitation of choir parts happened again at four points in the Mass.  Again, it is not the priest, but all the ministers (in theory), who recite, because they will be busy during at least part of the chants.  At the Sanctus and Agnus, deacon and his acolyte face the subdeacon and his acolyte (so they can keep in sync) and recite with the priest.  They then get about their business as the choir sings on.  For the Offertory and Communion Verse, again at these points when the ministers will be busy during the chant, so they swing to form a line to the right of the altar (Offertory) or to the left (Communion) to recite with the priest.  Again, in the middle ages, all ministers recited these chants together from memory. Today, only the deacon and priest do, because only they can see the book.

So, the logic of the medieval practice is that what pertains to all (the Ordinary and Propers) is to be sung (or at least recited) by all.  The Post-Tridentine period muddied these waters.  About the time the Last Gospel was forced on us (ca. 1600), we also adopted a number of other Romanisms.  One was that the priest recite the deacon's and subdeacon's parts (i.e. the Epistle and Gospel).  The medieval logic of recitation could not explain this: it was adopted because everyone (i.e., the Roman Rite) did it.  As in the Roman Rite, we also developed various ad hoc theologies to explain why we did this (well rehearsed in Mr. Kwasniewski's fine essay).  This change also created a practical problem, as any Dominican who has served as priest at a Dominican Solemn Mass knows.  The reading of the Epistle and Gospel, along with the intervening choir chants, takes time.  The result is a rush to get them read, the chalice prepared (subdeacon) and incense and deacon blessed for the Gospel.  Sometimes the choir is even finished the Alleluia before the Gospel procession leaves the sedilla!

Since 1960, however, the Post-Tridentine usage is no longer required.  In the rubrical reform of 1960, it was provided that the priest (and so logically also the other ministers) need not recite the Epistle, Gospel, or other chants, "but instead may sing along with the choir."  I have discussed these rubrical changes in an article in Antiphon, also available online.  This is fine for the restoration of the Epistle and Gospel to their proper ministers as in the medieval rite.  And the liberty to not recite but sing along would make perfect sense, if the ministers are not busy during the singing, which they mostly are in our rite.  Of course, when they are busy, it is no longer required that they sing:  it says "may sing" not "must sing."  So, the result would logically be, mostly, for the ministers to neither sing nor recite.  In practice, until the more extensive reforms of the mid-1960s, the Post-Tridentine practices just continued and the ministers recited.  And the priest kept on reading the lessons.  When we continued to celebrate the old liturgy after 1970 under the 1969 Rescript, this was again the practice.  In fact, at every Dominican Rite Solemn Mass I have attended (in choir or as a minister) since my novitiate (1977), the priest and ministers have followed the Pre-1960 rubrics as to recitation.

What do I thnk of this?  This is my opinion, and nothing more, but I think that since the major ministers and servers (usually) are part of the community, and since the Propers and Ordinary belong to the community, their recitation of these texts is very suitable.  And it is permitted: the 1960 rubrical change said "need not recite" not "may not recite."  On the other hand, I think the dropping of the recitation of the Epistle and Gospel by the priest makes good theological and liturgical sense (it is not his part) as well as good practical sense (it allows time for an unrushed preparation of the chalice, etc.).

But I expect that force of habit will mean that Dominican priests keep on reciting the lessons as well as the chants at Solemn  Mass.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Up Coming Dominican Rite Missae Cantatae on Both Coasts

DHS Chapel Washington DC

It is my pleasure to announce that there will be a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata on February 13, at 7:30 p.m., at the House of Studies of the Eastern Dominican Province.  It will be the Mass for the Feast of St. Catherine de' Ricci, O.P., V.  The music will be provided by the student friars.  The House of Studies is located at 487 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017. For more information click here.

St. Albert's Chapel, Oakland CA



I also remind readers that, on March 1, at 10 a.m., the student friars of the Western Province will sing the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as part of First Saturday Devotions at our house of studies, St. Albert the Great Priory, 6172 Chabot Road (chapel entrance), Oakland CA 94618. Confessions will be heard from 9:30 to 9:50  and the Marian Rosary will follow.   More information on that Mass, and on other up-coming Dominican Rite Masses on the West Coast, may be found here.