Dominican Altar Boys' Manual

I am delighted to announce that, thanks to the work of my Dominican Brother Corwin Low, O.P., of our Western Dominican Province House of Studies, Dominican Liturgy Publications can now make available paperback copies of The Dominican Altar Boys’ Manual. This booklet was first published in 1945, and has been in the public domain since 1964. Those interested in a copy may order here.

This booklet contains all that is necessary for training young men to serve the simple (Low Mass) and sung (Missa Cantata and Solemn) forms of the traditional Dominican Rite Mass. There are also many other pointers and aids for servers generally.

I am sure that many of our readers who are not training servers for Dominican Rite Masses will also be interested in the wealth of information on the Rite available in this booklet.

I also ask our readers to offer a prayer for Brother Raymond Bertheaux, O.P., professed as lay (cooperator) brother for 56 years, with decades of service in the missions and nine years at the Dominican Curia in Rome, who will be buried tomorrow in our Province Cemetery in Benicia CA. He was one of the most exacting teachers for me when learning to celebrate the traditional Dominican Rite Mass and was my server many, many times. R.I.P.

Dominican Rite Server Camp, Holy Family Cathedral Anchorage

In response to the interest of a handful of young men and boys interested in serving the Dominican Rite here in Anchorage, we are offering a Dominican Rite Server Camp. To our astonishment twenty-five current and potential acolytes have signed up! Br. Peter Hannah, O.P. will be the main instructor in the rubrics. Each day a Mass in the Dominican Rite will be offered by me (Fr. Vincent Kelber, O.P) While the classes are private, the Masses will be public and in the Cathedral. All are very welcome to attend. Please see the schedule below.

Fr. Augustine also invited me to share on the development and growth of the Dominican Rite here in Anchorage. I will be sharing a few photos and some commentary within the next couple of days.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Dominican Rite

Holy Family Cathedral, Anchorage, Alaska

The Week of June 26, 2011

Monday June 27, 2011, 10:30am

Votive Mass of the Holy Angels

Low Mass (Spoken)

Tuesday June 28, 2011, 10:30am

Vigil of Sts. Peter and Paul

Low Mass (Spoken)

Wednesday June 29, 2011, 10:30am

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

High Mass (Missa Cantata)

Thursday June 30, 2011, 10:30am

Commemoration of St. Paul

(High Mass (Missa Cantata)

Friday July 1, 2011, 10:30am

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

High Mass (Missa Cantata)

Sunday, July 3, 2011, 4:00pm

The 3rd Sunday After Pentecost (Sunday following the Sacred Heart of Jesus)

High Mass (Missa Cantata)

Dominican Altarboys' Manual (1945)

I am pleased to announce that, through the kindness of Fr. Paul Keller, O.P., we now have available on our sidebar under "Dominican Rite--Texts" a scan of the

Dominican Altarboys' Manual according to the Rite of the Order of Preachers: Compiled from the Dominican Ceremonial (New York: Province of St. Joseph, 1945).

This booklet presents very complete instructions and photos on how to serve the Dominican Rite Mass in the Low Mass, Missa Cantata, and Solemn Mass forms. Although there have been some accomodations to Roman practice (e.g., the manual gives the Roman, not the Dominican, order for lighting the altar candles), these do seem to represent the customs in force in the Eastern Dominican Province before the Council.

This text may be downloaded in PDF format, for printing or consultation on your computer, either on the sidebar to your left or here. This text will be especially helpful for communities where the Extraordinary Use of the Roman Rite is celebrated and a Dominican comes to fill in and prefers to celebrate in his own Rite--as, with his provincial's permission, he has the right to do. This resource now allows all servers to be properly prepared for such a necessity.