"Life in A Monastery": St. Albert the Great Priory, Oakland CA, 1961

The video "Life a Monastery" was broadcast on Oakland Channel 6 in 1961. It shows life in the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, Saint Albert the Great Priory, in Oakland CA.

VIDEO ONE

The film begins with clips of our House of Studies, still the same today in Oakland CA. Then follows film of the Dominican Rite Solemn Mass, the center of the liturgical day at the House of Studies. The film than moves to the class room, and then highlights different aspects of the life. A list of those appearing is below the video. The times listed for each of the scenes in the identification list tell where you can find that segment on the video.



The Priory and Grounds (time 0:00)

Members of the Choir (time 1:35) are identified for Second Video

Solemn Mass Ministers (time 2:43)
Celebrant: Fr. Martin Giannini, O.P.
Deacon (l): Bro. Aquinas Wall, O.P.
Subdeacon (r): Bro. Nicholas Prince, O.P.
Senior Acolyte (r): Bro. Bernard Cranor, O.P.
Junior Acolyte (l): Bro. Brendan O’Rourke, O.P.
Thurifer: Bro. Bertrand Pidgeon, O.P.

Classroom (time 5:07)
Instructor: Fr. Fabian Parmisano, O.P.

Student in his Room (time 7:00)
Bro. Jordan DeMan, O.P.

Library Stacks (time 7:26)
Bro. Terence McCabe, O.P.
Bro. Sean Doherty, O.P.

Studying in Library (time 8:36)
Bro. Peter Cole, O.P.
____________________

Student Discussion by the Fire (time 9:11)
Bro. Philip Valera, O.P.
Bro. Benedict DeMan, O.P.
Bro. Bertrand Pidgeon, O.P.
Bro. Albert Linkogle, O.P.
Bro. Brendan O'Rourke, O.P.
Bro. Edmund Ryan, O.P.

Chess Players (time 9:58)
Bro. Stephen Coughlin, O.P.
Bro. Lawrence Ackerman, O.P.

Music Room (time 10:20)
Bro. Thomas More McGreevy, O.P.
Bro. Salvador Calderon, O.P. (Mexican Province)
Bro. Francisco Brenes Camocho, O.P. (Spanish Province)

Drama Practice (time 10:43)
Director: Bro. Lawrence Ackerman, O.P.
Bro. Sabastian Haterias, O.P.
Bro. Gerald Elher, O.P.
Fr. Fabian Parmisano, O.P.

Weather Service (time 11:30)
Bro. Stanislaus Sharlach, O.P.

Art Studio (time 11:56)
__________________
Bro. Aquinas Wall, O.P.


VIDEO TWO

The second part of the film highlights the fine arts and the domestic life of the house. It then returns to the Solemn Mass and ends with the chanting of the Exsultet according to the Dominican chant. The credits were actually added later, I am told by Fr. Finbar Hayes.




Music Session (time 0:00)
Trumpeter: Bro. James Aymong, O.P.
Guitar: Bro. Louis Fronk, O.P.

Print Shop (time 0:30)
Bro. Antoninus Everson, T.O.P.

Wood Shop (time 1:25)
_____________________
Bro. Daniel Thomas, O.P.
Bro. Raphael Goodfriend, O.P.

Visiting the Infirm (time 2:39)
Fr. Bertrand Clyne, O.P.
Bro. Gregory Lira, O.P.

Student and Teacher (time 2:60)
Fr. Leo Thomas, O.P.
Bro. Giles Wentworth, O.P.

Priest Leaving for Sunday Supply (time 3:30)
Student Driver: __________________
Fr. Mark McPhee, O.P.

Gardens (time 4:06)
__________________ (walking)
Bro. Matthias Lockett, O.P. (weeding)

Dominican Sisters at Grotto (time 4:35)
Sister Assumta Vorndran, O.P.
Sister Maria Goretti Eder, O.P.
Sister Nicolina Kohler, O.P.
Sister Melita Wolf, O.P.

Sisters in the Kitchen (time 5:02)
Sister Rosalia Steinbach, O.P.
Sister Maria Goretti Eder, O.P.

De Profundis Line and Refectory (time 5:19)
Fr. William Lewis, O.P. is the Prior

Reader in Refectory (time 6:35)
Bro. Stephen Coughlin, O.P.

Friars at Table (time 7:03)
server: _____________
Fr. Dominic Deniz Ortega, O.P. (Province of Spain)
Fr. Martin Giannini, O.P.
Fr. Mark McPhee, O.P.
Fr. John Flannerty, O.P.

In the Cloister (time 7:40)
In garden: __________
In archway: Bro. Thomas Thierman, T.O.P.

The Choir at Mass (time 8:35)

The Cantors (left to right)
Bro. Francisco Brenes Camacho, O.P. (Spanish Province)
Bro. Louis Fronk, O.P.
Bro. Bertrand Pidgeon, O.P.
Bro. James Aymong, O.P.

Front Row on Left (left to right)
Bro. Daniel Thomas, O.P.
Bro. Gregory Lira, O.P.
Bro. Antoninus Everson, T.O.P.
Bro. Albert Linkogle, O.P.
Bro. Lawrence Ackerman, O.P.
Bro. Augustine Hartman, O.P.
Bro. Anthony Chavez, O.P.
Bro. Patrick Labelle, O.P.
Bro. Bede Wilks, O.P.
Bro. Philip Valera, O.P.
Fr. Peter Miles, O.P.

Back Row on Left (left to right)
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

Front Row on Right (left to right)
_____________________
Bro. Sebastian Haterias, O.P.
Bro. Gerard Elher, O.P.
_____________________
Bro. Giles Wentworth, O.P.
Bro. Stephen Coughlin, O.P.
_____________________
Bro. Edmund Ryan, O.P.
Bro. Frederick Narberes, O.P.
_____________________
Bro. Adrian Rivera (lay brother postulant)

Back Row on Right
[Empty stalls]
Bro. Terence McCabe, O.P.

Solemn Mass (time 10:00) ministers are identified for first video

The Exsultet (time 11:34)
Bro. Kieran Healy, O.P.

Credits (time 14:00)
Fr. Mark McPhee, O.P.
Fr. Fabian Parmisano, O.P.
Fr. Finbar Hayes, O.P.
Fr. Leo Thomas, O.P.

I thank Bro. Lupe for his help with the production of this video and Fr. Edmund Ryan for his help in identifying the friars. I also thank the many friars who have written me with corrections and new identifications.

Dominican Rite Low Mass Tutorial Videos with Commentary

These very beautifully done videos were prepared by friars of the Eastern Dominican Province for training purposes in the traditional Dominican Rite. The celebrant in these videos was Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P. They are best viewed along with the rubrical aid originally compiled by Fr. Anthony Patalano, O.P., and put in a lovely PDF format by Eastern Province friars. Download it here. I think we can anticipate that these videos will soon bear fruit in public celebrations of the Dominican Rite in the Eastern Province.

Since in the Western Province, where we have regular public celebrations of the Rite and I am currently teaching the Practicum for the student brothers on it at our House of Studies for, I wanted to make these videos more easily accessible along with commentary mentioning differences in custom between the two provinces in the manner of celebration. In include such notes below each video. I emphasize that this is merely meant to help priests of the Western Province learn what is traditional in our province, not as a criticism of the Eastern friars who produced these videos or of their province's local uses.

Preparation in the Sacristy

Preparation of the Chalice.

Note that the corporal should be placed in the burse so that then pulled out it will be in proper position for unfolding. This has clearly been done, but it is not mentioned.

Vesting of the Priest.

Note that the cord of the amice goes under the back scapular, not over it. This is not visible in the video, although it seems that Fr. Hofer did so.

Arrival at the Altar

The Entrance.

It is not the Western Province practice for the server to go up the front steps to the altar -- only the ordained do that. He should go to the side of the altar and only go up the side as high as he needs to for performing his function. The method of folding the veil in the video does not follow Western Province practice: It should be folded by thirds vertically, not horizontally, so that the decoration is right-side up on the bottom end. It is then laid vertically paralleling the right side of the corporal (not the gradine, as here). The purificator should not be folded in half (as here) but unfolded completely along the right side of the corporal. The pall is then placed on the upper part of the folded veil when it is not on the chalice.

The Preparation of the Chalice.

Although it seems to have been suppressed among American Dominicans generally, the kissing of the priest's had when handing the cruets seems to have been done occasionally (probably among those trained in Europe) in the Western Provicance. Some of our servers do it now, but not all.
The Prayer Actiones Nostras.

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.

Although Bonniwell says that the priest stands on the "first step" (understood in the video to be the top one below the footpace), Western Province practice is to descend to the floor for the "Prayers at the Foot of the Altar."  The verse Adjutorium nostrum is said at the foot of the steps and the priest then ascends the steps. The rubrics say that the server is to lift the edge of the priest's alb so that he does not trip going up the steps. Some servers tried (and try) to do in our province but you have to be quick.

Priest Ascends to the Altar.

The Officium (Introit) to the Collect

The Officium and Kyrie.


The Gloria.

It is common in our province for the priest to continue recitation of the Gloria as he moves to the book, but, if he does not have it memorized, it is possible to pause while moving (as here). Priests should note that the 1965 Missal does not have the head bows in the Gloria marked (except for those at the Name of Jesus). Priests might wish to pencil these rubrics into that newer book.

The Collect.

Note also how Fr. Hofer nicely makes a head bow to the cross at the Name of Jesus in the conclusion of the Collect (not mentioned by the commentator).

Epistle, Responsory (Gradual), Alleluia, and Gospel

The Epistle.

A small head bow is also made at the name of the saint of the day, for example, when the name appears in the Collect.

The Responsory and Alleluia.

It is custom in the Western Province to signal the server that the recitation of the chants between the Epistle and Gospel are ending by placing the left hand extended flat on the altar toward the center so the server can see it. This is especially helpful when there is no Alleluia or where the Alleluia is followed by a sequence. Also note that the server should go up the side steps, not the front.

The Gospel.

Although you cannot see it, Fr. Hofer rests his folded hands in the missal in the V-shaped depression where the pages are bound. This is a priestly position. The deacon holds his hands folded before his breast, not resting in the book.

The Offertory

The Offertory Verse.

Note in the video and commentary that this is the only time that Oremus is said with the hands extended.

The Offertory Prayers.

Again, note that the veil should be folded vertically, not horizontally. Although Bonniwell says that the pall may be placed against the center altar card, as here, Western Province priests usually place it on the upper part of the vertically folded veil. Again, the purificator should be fully extended along the right side of the corporal.

The Lavabo.

It is certainly permitted to recite the Lavabo psalm while moving, if one has it memorized.

The Prayer In Spiritu Humilitatis.


The Orate Fratres.

Note that Fr. Hofer has made a full circle when saying Orate fratres, this is correct when the tabernacle is not present. When it is present, as here, the priest does not make a full circle, but turns to his right placing his back to the Gospel side the tabernacle, and then turns back by by the way he came. This can be seen in earlier videos, for example at the Dominus vobiscum before the Collect.

The Secret.

Of course, the priest also says the response Et clamor meum ad te veniat to the verse Domine exaudi orationem meam, although this is not mentioned or heard in the video.

The Preface

The Preface.


The Sanctus.

You will note the server lighting the Sanctus Candle (not mentioned in commentary). It was a very strict rule in our province that, not only the priest, but also the server should avoid turning in a circle so as to show his back to the tabernacle. Here the server would turn in the opposite direction
.

The Canon Part I (Te igitur to the Consecration)

The Te Igitur.

Note that the priest should not be using his thumb and forefinger to change the pages in the book. As the commentator said, they should be reserved for touching the Host.

The In Primis.


The Communicantes.


The Quam Oblationem.

The Canon Part II (The Consecration)

The Consecration of the Host.

Note, as the commentary says, that the priest now keeps the fingers that have touched the Host on the corporal rather than outside it. This position is used from now on, whenever the priest places his hands on the altar.

The Consecration of the Chalice.

Again, the normal practice in the Western Province is to place the pall on the upper part of the folded veil, not against the altar card. The usual process in our province is not just to steady the base of the chalice with just the three free fingers of the left hand, but to extend those three finders behind the stem of the chalice with the joined thumb and forefinger in front of the stem. The base of the chalice thus securely held down, lest blessings or other motions risk tipping it over. This will be the case for all blessings, etc., for the rest of the Mass until the reception of communion, so I will not comment on this in the future videos. Our practice is not just to "not raise the chalice higher than the head," but not to raise the base of the chalice above the eyes.

The Canon Part III (After the Consecration)

The Unde et Memores.

In the Western Province, the general rule was, after the consecration, to extend the arms only moderately (not straight out as in the video). This moderate extension is what is specified in the Latin Missal rubrics and the wood cut in the 1933 Missal. There are, however, a couple of photographs of Western Province priests doing the rigid straight arm cross position shown in this video. The current practice in the Western Province is to follow the more rubrical "moderate extension." Also note that when the server rose he turned in such a way as to present his back to the tabernacle. In the Western Province servers should turn in the opposite direction before descending the steps.

The Supplices Exoramus.


The Memento.


The Nobis Quoque Peccatoribus.


The Per Quem Haec Omnia.

Again, normally we put the pall on the upper part of the vertically folded veil.

The Per Ipsum.

The Pater Noster to the Communion

The Pater Noster.

Following the logic of the Latin rubrics, which say to extend the hands "as before" at the Embolism, it is the practice in the Western Province for the priest to join his hands when the people make their response Sed libera nos a malo. They are then extended again after the priest says quietly Amen and begins the Libera. Again, we put the pall on the upper half of the folded veil, not against the altar card. Our practice is to place the paten on the lower half of the folded veil (not to the side).

The Fraction.


The Agnus Dei.

Although it was not unknown in the Western Province to ring the "Communion Bell" at the first Agnus Dei, the more common practice, near universal today, has been to defer this bell until the priest turns to present the Host for adoration by the people saying (since 1958) Ecce Agnus Dei. When, according to local custom (as allowed by the Ecclesia Dei Commission), the Communion Confiteor is said, the bell is rung at that point (as it would be for the friars' communion at a Solemn Mass signaling for them to prostrate for the Confiteor). Thus the bell serves as a signal for the people to prepare for commuion. If it is a Low Mass without any communions, then the bell may be rung at this point, as in the video.

The Priest's Preparation and Communion.

Note that when removing the pall in order to take communion from the chalice, the priest should steady the chalice by placing his three fingers to one side of the node and the forefinger and thumb on the other to hold it down.

The Ablutions to the End of Mass

The Ablutions.


The Communion Verse.

Note again that the server should turn in the opposite direction to avoid turning his back to the tabernacle.

The Postcommunion Prayer.



The Ite Missa Est.


The Blessing of the People.


The Last Gospel.

In our province the server comes to the Gospel side of the altar to respond to the dialog of the Last Gospel, as he did the Gospel of the Mass. Normally he would return to stand in his place before the altar on the Epistle side. But is is also permitted for the server to hold the altar card up for the priest so that priests with poorer eyesight do not have to strain to make out the words. The Deo gratias at the end of the Last Gospel is said by the server.

The Leonine Prayers

The Leonine Prayers are not part of Mass; they were added in the late 1800s for particular intentions. As their recitation was a matter of Church law, they have not been required since abrogation of the decree to recite them in 1965 even in the traditional forms of Mass. Nevertheless they still are said (by local custom) in some places.

The Leonine Prayers.


The Return to the Sacristy.


Again, my most sincere thanks to the friars of the Eastern Province for these beautiful videos.

Dominican Art and Liturgy Announcements

In celebration of the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, two items of interest to our readers. First, the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, the Studium of the Western Dominican Province, has put up a wonderful Web-Exhibit of the VITA D. THOMAE AQUINATIS by Otto van Veen and published in 1610 in Antwerp. Itis a pictorial history of the life of St. Thomas Aquinas accompanied by a short Latin text of explanation accompanying each of the thirty-one illustrations. The inages are lovely and the explanations by Fr. Michael Morris, O.P., Professor of Religion and the Arts at DSPT are very informative. You can access the exhibit here. The first page of van Veen's Vita decorates this post.

Liturgically, in honor of the 15th anniversary of the dedication of the church, a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata of the Dedication of a Church will be celebrated at Holy Rosary Church, Portland OR, on Sunday, January 30, at 11:00 a.m. The pastor, Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., will be the celebrant. Music will be by Cantores in Ecclesia and a reception will follow in the parish hall. You can read more about this event and get driving informatino here.

A blessed feast day to you all!

Renovation of the Sanctuary at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Seattle WA

Renovations of the Sanctuary were recently completed at the Dominican Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Seattle WA. Our readers have already seen images of the prerenovation building because it was the site for the Dominican Rite Solemn Mass celebrating the parish's 100th anniversary, and for a Solemn Dominican Rite Requiem Mass on All Souls last.

Here is an image of the church before the renovation of the sanctuary:


You can see that, after Vatican II, the sanctuary had been extended into the crossing and a modern style portable altar with floor candlesticks was placed on it. Seating faced in from the transcepts and forward from the nave to create a make-shift "church in the round." The old high altar can be seen at the back. The tabernacle previously on it had been removed to a side chapel in the north transcept.

Here is an image after the renovation:


You can see that the tabernacle is now back on the old high altar. A new free-standing altar, suitable for ad orientem as well as ad populum celebration was commissioned and installed. The extension into the crossing was removed, the communion rail put back in its original place. Thus the original configuration of the pews was also restored. In addition, stalls for chanting the office were commissioned to replace the folding chairs previously used in one of the transcepts for this purpose. Note also the "Benedictine" candle arrangement.

Slovanic Sub Tuum Sung by the Students of St. Albert the Great Priory

Here at St. Albert the Great Priory in Oakland CA, the community sings the Sub Tuum in Dominican Gregorian chant after every Saturday morning Mass.

Inspired by a Ukrainian brother who was recently ordained a bi-ritual priest, the brothers learned this Slavonic version of the hymn based on a 17th-century Polish melody. As we await the Purification of Our Lady on February 2, I thought our readers might enjoy this chant.



The opening photo shows the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Priory Chapel at St. Albert the Great House of Studies in Oakland CA.

St. Cecilia: Dominican Rite Solemn Mass, Portland OR

I am pleased to present to our readers images of the Dominican Rite Solemn Mass, celebrated at Holy Rosary Church on the Feast of St. Cecilia, November 22, 2010, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the dedication of the church's Baroque Tracker Pipe Organ built by Richard Bond Organ Builders. The celebrant was the pastor, Rev. Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., and the preacher was V. Rev. Gerald Albert Buckley, O.P., prior of Holy Rosary.

The Mass was the Missa Brevis of Zoltan Kodaly, sung by Cantores in Ecclesia. James O'Donnell, Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, was at the organ. The deacon was Father Eric Michael Andersen, Parish Administrator of St. Francis' Parish in Roy, Oregon, the subdeacon (as you know) was Mr. Jesson Mata, installed acolyte and lector. The crucifer was Mr. Thomas Setz; thurifer, Mr. Christopher Schmidgall; senior acolyte, Mr. Erin Staub; and junior acolyte, Mr. Harvey Fletcher.

Holy Rosary Parish is in the care of the Dominican Friars of the Western Dominican Province and the traditional Dominican Rite is celebrated regularly there both in the Sung and Low Mass forms. The next celebration will be tomorrow, December 7, at 7:30 p.m. a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. For more information, visit the parish website.

In this first picture we see the three ministers and the acolytes have arrived in the sanctuary, the prior is visible in choro. The ministers wear apparalled amices over their capuces (hoods) that match the apparalled albs. These will be more visible later.


The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar: the candle-bearing acolytes have turned inward for the recitation of the Confiteor.


The priest and deacon have here ascended to the altar. The priest is reciting quietly the prayer Actiones nostras, while the deacon places the Missal on the stand.



The subdeacon here sings the Epistle, facing the altar.


The deacon sings the Gospel facing liturgical north. He is assisted by the subdeacon and the thurifer. According to Dominican practice on high feasts the Crucifer has preceded the candle-bears in the Gospel Procession and now stands behind the lectern. The painting in the Baptismal Font alcove shows the baptism of St. Dominic in Calaruega, Spain.


The Very Reverend Prior Fr. Gerald Albert Buckley, O.P. in the pulpit, about to begin his homily.

The ministers have returned from their positions on the Gospel side, where the priest has quietly read the Creed. They just about to genuflect for the Homo factus est, as you can see from the priest's posture. You can also see the veiled chalice on top of the humeral veil on the Epistle side.


The deacon and subdeacon have lined up behind the priest at the end of the Offertory.

Finally, a last photo from the side. Fr. Anthony has just blessed himself with the paten during the silent Embolism after the Pater Noster, and he is placing it aside.


My thanks to the parishioners who supplied these photos. I wish everyone a joyful feast of the Immaculate Conception.

2011 Calendar for Dominican Rite Available

I am happy to announce that the Dominica Rite Liturgical Calendar for 2011 is now available on the left side bar or at this link. This calendar reflects the norms and feasts assigned in 1962 and is thus compatible with the usage of the Extraordinary Form Rome Rite according to the provisions of Summorum Pontificum.

To this calendar, I have also added the feasts of all Dominican saints canonized since 1962, on their original days, if they were blessed in 1962, or, if they were beatified and canonized after 1962, on the day assigned in the new calendar. Rank is assigned on the principle that a new saint is normally celebrated with as a third class feast. Feasts particular to the United States in 1962 are included in brackets; an appendix lists local feasts as they were in 1962 for those dioceses where the Western Dominican Province currently has houses.

I ask readers who find any errors in this calendar to note them in the comment box or to send me an email.

Use of the Capuce at Office in Light of Dominican Tradition

I have recently been asked about what the Dominican tradition is for raising and lowering the capuce (hood) at the Divine Office. I previously posted on this but I think that it would be more convenient to represent my conclusions. Especially note-worthy is the traditional rule on not lowering the capuce when one makes the "bow to the knees" (incinatio ad genua).

Those interested in the rules for raising and lowering the capuce in the traditional Dominican Rite may find them in nn. 730-740 of the Caeremoniale iuxta Ritum S. Ordinis Praedicatorum of 1869 (the last ceremonial of the order); an English version of these rubrics was published by the Eastern Province as Rubric Pamplet I: Choir in 1907. Both books are available at Dominican Liturgy on the left sidebar in PDF format for download. To your right you can see friars with their capuces raised during a vestition with the habit in the Western Dominican Province

I have already done a post on the pre-Vatican-II reform rubrics. In 1963 those traditional rubrics were suppressed, and the capuce was raised only when friars were seated listening to readings. Even this practice fell out of use by the time the Order adopted the new Roman Liturgy of the Hours in 1972. Although occasionally, especially in cold weather, or when meditating, individual friars occasionally put up their hoods in choir even today.

Assuming there might be a desire to revive use of the capuce in choir, here are my suggestions as to how this would be done in continuity with the older practice.

1) The capuce would be raised and kept up at Office following the Gloria Patri and alleluia at the beginning of each hour. In the traditional rubrics, the bow at this Gloria Patri was profound, which meant the capuce was down until it was over. The following would be exceptions to this rule:

a) The capuce would be raised after the verse "Lord, open my lips" and its response before the Invitatory of the first Office of the day. This verse and response used to be followed by a Gloria Patri, and the capuce was not raised until it was over. As the Invitatory Antiphon now follows immediately, one would raise the capuce after the response to the verse.

b) At Compline, the capuce would be down until the hymn. The verse, response, and Gloria Patri at Compline are today followed by the Examination of Conscience, which the Dominican Proper of 1983 directs to be said kneeling (not bowed as in the old rite) or even prostrate on the forms. As the old rubrics required that those kneeling or prostrate lower the capuce, it would be left down for the Examination of Conscience. The older rubrics required that the capuce be lowered for the Nunc Dimittis antiphon, the Collect, and then remain down for the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions, so the capuce remain down for the rest of Compline after the short reading.

2. Once it is raised the capuce is not lowered for the Gloria to the Father after the psalms or during the Short Responsory. That bow was traditionally a bow to the knees, not a profound bow (to the toes) as at the beginning of the Office. There may have been a Roman practice of uncovering for the Gloria Patri, but this was not the Dominican use.

3. At Lauds and Vespers, the capuce would be lowered at the antiphon of the Gospel Canticle. This was the traditional rubric. The capuce would remain down for the rest of those Offices. This follows the old rubrics, which required that it be lowered for the Preces when these were said, as well as for collects; so the capuce would remain down during the modern Intercessions and Our Father, and for the Collect and dismissal.

4. At the Little or Day Hours, the capuce would be lowered for the Collect and Benedicamus Domino. The same practice would be followed at Office of Readings, should it be separated from Laudes.

5. Readers at Office would, as was traditional, lower the capuce while reading. Should, for some reason (e.g. a "Protracted Vigil") the Gospel is read at Office, all would uncover their heads along with the reader.

6. It was the practice in the old rubrics not to cover the head during devotions and traditional prayers after or before the Office. So if the Sacra Convivium is said before or the Angelus after, the capuce would be left down.

7. Finally, although it was the Dominican practice to make a profound bow in Office at the names of Jesus, Mary, and Dominic, the capuce was not lowered for those bows at Office. I mention this because of the secular practice of tipping the biretta at the Holy Names. I see no reason that we should adopt this Roman rubric, which gets messy with a capuce. Something might be said for restoring the profound bow at the Holy Names, especially during the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions--custom still preserved those bows when I was at the Western Dominican House of Studies in Oakland CA during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

These are, of course, merely suggestions. As no rubrics on the capuce exist in the modern (1982 and 1996) editions of the Dominican Propers, houses are, of course, free to establish their own customs.

All Souls Dominican Requiem at Holy Rosary Chruch, Portland OR

We have the pleasure of presenting a series of excellent images of the Missa Cantata Dominican Rite Requiem Mass celebrated at Holy Rosary Church, Portland, Oregon, on the occasion of this last All Souls day. The celebrant was the pastor, Fr. Anthony Patalano, O.P., a priest of the Western Dominican Province. The music was provided by Cantores in Ecclesia, who regularly sing at Masses in the parish.

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!

13th-Century Stabat: Text and Music

Through the kindness of one of our readers who converted the PDFs of this music into JPGs I can now post this newly discovered 13th-Century Sequence version of the Stabat Mater for viewing by readers. The PDFs may still be downloaded here.

I am aware that these images are a bit blurry; if you click on them or download them, you will get a clearer image. I had hoped to have an audio file of this ready today, but this was not humanly possible. In any case, may God grant you all a blessed feastday.

Dominican Stabat Mater (XIII century)

As the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is approaching on September 15, I thought it would be suitable to present to our readers a transcription of the text and music of the thirteenth-century version of the Stabat Mater, recently discovered by Cesarini Ruini in a manuscript that once belonged to a convent of Dominican Nuns in Bologna, Italy, and on which I have recently posted. A miniature of the Bologna nuns, from their manuscript, decorates this post.

I have transcribed the manuscript version of this music and made it available here. Unfortunately I cannot post it as an image on the blog because I have been unable to create a jpeg from the pdf file. Those interested can download a copy. I have taken the liberty of transposing the music to match the do-clef which would be more common today. The manuscript used a fa-clef in unusual positions to avoid the use of the b-flat, the usual Dominican medieval practice. It seemed better to avoid this oddity, which has not been used in Dominican music books since 1890.

In the current Liturgy of the Hours, the Stabat is prescribed for us, divided into three parts, as the Office hymns of that day. Use as a hymn was the most common medieval use. It is also preserved, in its more common modern liturgical use, as the sequence of the feast.

The discovery of this manuscript, as explained in the article available here (in Italian), shows, by the date that the traditional ascription of authorship to Jacopone of Todi can no longer be sustained. The date, however, leaves open the possibility, often mentioned, that it is the work of Pope Innocent III.

This new version is interesting for a number of reasons. First, this is the earliest use of the text as a sequence. Until the discovery of this version, it was only known as a hymn until the late middle ages. This manuscript shows that the earliest known use of the text as a sequence was among Italian Dominican nuns in the late 1200s.

Next, the text includes not only a number of verbal variants, but also includes two verses absent from the commonly received version. Those who wish to examine these can download my transcription and compare the text to the received version here.

Even more interesting is the music. As pointed out to me by the nuns of Summit NJ, this ancient sequence borrows, with the exception of one stanza melody (cf. verses 19 and 20), the melodies of the Sequence of St. Dominic in the Dominican Rite. There are a number of minor musical variants as well. Those interested might want to compare the music to that found in the Dominican Gradual for the Mass of St. Dominic.

Perhaps some Dominicans (and non-Dominicans) may want to make use of the ancient version on the up-coming celebration of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Mass at the Tomb of St. Dominic

This video has been brought to my attention. It is a nice view of Mass in the Traditional Roman Rite being celebrated at the Tomb of St. Dominic in Bologna. The celebrant is Fr. Vincenzo Nuara, O.P., of the Commission Ecclesia Dei.



The Mass was celebrated on 19 June 2010 and was a Votive Mass of Our Lady on Saturday, in memory of Fr. Thomas Tyn, O.P., of the Lombard Dominican Province, on the 20th anniversary of his death. I knew Fr. Thomas well, as I lived with him in Bologna for almost two years.

St. Albert's Conventual Low Mass, ca. 1954

This classic photograph was supplied by Fr. Hilary John Martin, O.P. It shows him celebrating the Conventual Low Mass during Lent, probably in 1956. Those familiar with the priory chapel of the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, St. Albert the Great Priory, will immediately recognize the high altar.


There are a couple of things worth noting in this photo. First, obviously, it is Passiontide since the crucifix and statues of the reredos are veiled. Next, this is not one of the "Private Masses" said by the priests of the house each day. If it were, the server would have been wearing his cappa. As the server (whose identity is lost) is wearing a surplice (the proper vesting on a lower rank feast or ferial) not a cappa, this is a community Mass. It was the custom, in the Order in those days that, in addition to the private Masses, that there be two conventual Masses a day. A Low Mass after Prime where the brothers would receive Holy Communion, and the sung Solemn Mass, in the later morning, where only the celebrant (and lay people present) received. The rest of the friars, priests and brothers, sang that Mass.

You will also note that no antependium and carpet are used, a common practice in Lent and Passiontide. The lighted candles are the middle ones of the large six. Only two are lighted as it is a ferial; on a 2d-class feast, two would have been lighted; on a 1st-class solemnity, all three. The candles picked for lighting would naturally be those which were longest, and you can notice that the ones lighted are, indeed, the tallest.

On the Epistle side you can see the lighted Sanctus Candle, which shows that the Sanctus is over. And you can see that Fr. Hilary's arms are extended beyond his shoulder (moderately, as the rubrics require) and so this is immediately after the Consecration. He will return to the posture with the hands just visible above his shoulders after bowing for the prayer Supplices te rogamus. You can also see the triple candlestick just visible to the left of the Sanctus Candle. The six candles on the two of these (one on each side of the altar) would all be lighted as Sanctus Candles on solemnities. Four total (two each side) is the rule for 2d class feasts. Finally, you can see one of the twelve dedication candles of the chapel on the wall. These are lighted only on the anniversary of the dedication.

My thanks to Fr. Hilary for passing on this photo.

Summer Sounds at Anchorage Cathedral

Readers may be interested in this marvelous video of the Summer Sounds music camp for kids at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage AK. The cathedral is staffed by friars of the Western Dominican Province (previously featured for their Dominican Rite Mass).



Congratulations to Gary Marks, the music director of the cathedral and to the friars of the Anchorage community!

Thirteenth-Century Dominican Stabat Mater Found

It has been called to my attention that an important article has been published, announcing the discovery of the famous Stabat Mater used as a sequence in the Gradual produced by a convent of Dominican nuns in Bologna in the later thirteenth century. This is by far the earliest known example of this hymn used as a sequence rather than as a devotional hymn. It has been commonly believed that the hymn only became used as a sequence in the late middle ages. It is also interesting that the melody provided matches neither the received Roman one nor that found in the printed Dominican books. This text is found in Bologna: Museo Civico Medievale MS 518, fo. 200v-04r.

The news was published in Cesarino Ruini, "Un antico versione dello Stabat Mater in un graduale delle Domenicane bolognesi," Deo è lo scrivano ch’el canto à ensegnato: Segni e simboli nella musica al tempo di Iacopone, Atti del Convegno internazionale, Collazzone, 7-8 luglio 2006, ed. Ernesto Sergio Mainoldi and Stefania Vitale, Philomusica On-line, 9, no. 3 (2010). Those who would like the full text of the chant may find it at the end of this article.

For those who do not wish to read the article in Italian, here is the English summary:

The discovery of a Stabat Mater version set to music as a sequence in a late 13th-century Gradual from a Bolognese Dominican nunnery, makes it possible to advance new hypotheses about the origins and history of this renowned text. Untilnow there was no evidence that it was used as a sequence before the mid 15th century. The analysis of the piece highlights previously unidentified peculiarities regarding the historical and the liturgico-musical context in which it was used, whilst the comparison with the wealth of textual variants offered by its complex tradition points to concordances with later sources, mainly originating in Veneto and Emilia. As one of the earliest witnesses of this popular composition (there is only one other contemporary version, also from Bologna, but it is unnotated) there can be no doubt about its importance for textual criticism, and, inter alia, it does not favour the disputable paternity of Iacopone da Todi.

Here is the image of the manuscript with the beginning of the chant.



Careful readers will not that there are textual variants in this version as well. The Dominican Rite used by the friars added the Stabat Mater as a sequence on the feast of our Lady of Sorrows only in the 15th Century, conforming the rite to the Roman, which had already added it. But the melody is not that of the thirteenth-century version. Here it is for comparison:



And here for additional comparison is the first verse with the melody as found in the 1961 Roman Gradual:


I would hope that some attempt will be made to use this chant.

I thank Bro. Innocent Smith, O.P., for calling this article to my attention.

100,000 Visits to Dominican Liturgy

Today, at about 6:30 this evening (PDT), the 100,000th visit to Dominican Liturgy was recorded by the site's visit counter. This means we have averaged over 130 visits a day since Dominican Liturgy was founded in 2008.

I am pleased that our selection of downloadable Dominican Rite texts and posts on the Rite have generated this kind of response. Although most of my "blog energy" recently has been dedicated to the compilation and editing of the new Antiphonal for the Liturgy of the Hours in Dominican Chant (see left side bar), I hope to do more historical and photo posts in the near future.

Again, thanks to our readers for your support!

Chant Chant at Thomistic Conference

I t may interest our readers to know that music extracted Vol. 3: Tempus per Annum I of the Antiphonarium pro Liturgia Horarum iuxta Usum Ordinis Praedicatorum available on the left side bar of Dominican Liturgy, is being used for the singing of the entire office during the Thomistic Institute Meeting Dominicans and the Challenge of Thomism in Warsaw Poland, July 1-5, 2010.

Six members of my Western Dominican Province are attending this conference; and Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., our blog editor, was asked to provide the music program. A copy of this music program may be downloaded here. Links to download recordings of the papers are available at the confrernce website.

Sacramental Forms in the Dominican Rite

I. The Sacrament of Penance (Confession)

I recently posted on the left sidebar links to the Post-Vatican-II publications of the Dominican Order allowing adoption of various Dominican elements for use with the Rites of the reformed sacraments. I have been asked by friars for some explanation of forms for the sacraments where the traditional Dominican Rite had its own particular forms. This might be of topical interest in the wake of Summorum Pontificum.

The Dominican Rite is a monastic rite and, as such, does not have forms for Baptism, Confirmation, Orders, or Matrimony. Dominican friars, like other religious, are assumed to be adults, and they are celibates, so there is no need for Baptism, Confirmation, or Matrimony. When they become bishops they canonically cease to be members of the Order, so Dominican bishops use the Roman rituals. If a friar is serving in a parish or other place where baptisms are performed, marriages witnessed, or an emergency Confirmation of an infant must be done, they would use the Roman rituals. We do have a form of the Missa Pro Sponsis in our missals, but its readings and collects are borrowed from the Roman Rite and it is a post-Tridentine addition. It is used with the customary forms for marriage.

Aside from the Mass, two sacraments were, and are, regularly performed in monasteries: Penance (Confession) and Extreme Unction (Anointing of the Sick). So the Dominican Rite has its own forms for those sacraments and these were also used in pastoral service to non-Dominicans. Both, like the Dominican Mass, represent ritual practice of the thirteenth century rather than the fifteenth- century usages codified in the Roman Rite after the Council of Trent.

Penance According to the Dominican Rite

The major external difference between the Roman and Dominican rites of Penance is in vesture. Roman priests traditionally heard confessions in cassock and surplice wearing a purple stole. Dominicans heard (and may still hear) confessions wearing the habit (which is white) and the cappa (the black cape), without a stole. The traditional explanation of the absence of the stole is that the scapular (a white apron-like part of the habit) is considered a stole. I think this story unlikely. The lack of church vestments in our rite is probably a vestige of the early medieval practice of using vestments only during administration of Public Penance on Holy Thursday. "Private" sacramental penance was not usually administered with external formalities at the time of the foundation of the Order. The black cappa was penitential enough.

The formula of Dominican Rite Penance is different in text and form from that of the traditional Roman Rite. As not all readers may be familiar with the older Roman form, I will describe it. In the modern period, both rites began with the penitent confessing his or her sins and then proceeded to the absolutions.

The Roman "Common Absolution" began with an invocation of God's mercy (Misereatur tui) similar to the priest's prayer in the modern Penitential Rite at Mass. He then raised his right hand and prayed a two-part absolution prayer. The first part invoked God's pardon, absolution, and remission of sins in the third person; the second part, the formal absolution, is in first person and first absolved the penitent from excommunication, suspension (if in orders), and interdict, and then from sins with a single Sign of the Cross. The priest then added the prayer Passio Domini Nostri, which remains an option in the new Rite of Reconciliation.

In the Dominican form, the priest began by absolving the penitent from excommunication, suspension (if a cleric), and interdict, explicitly stating that this restored the penitent to the communion of the faithful. Putting this first reflects the ancient practice that only those in full communion can pray with the faithful or receive ecclesiastical sacraments and rites. So it begins the rite as a whole. The Dominican priest then recited the Misereatur in a form identical to that used during the Dominican Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.

In thirteenth-century practice, this Misereatur prayer probably followed a ritual now absent from the rite. It was very common for priests to help penitents make confession by using a Formula Confessionis in question and answer form: "Did you take the Lord's name in vain?" "Did you commit adultery" etc. Priests can still do this today, if the penitent seems to have trouble identifying sins; and it is often used when a penitent makes a general confession. What today is relatively uncommon, seems, from my research, to have been nearly universal in the 1200s. After confessing their sins, penitents said a Confiteor (or some other formula of contrition) to which the priest added the Misereatur prayer, which normally followed it, as at Mass.

The priest then pronounced the Absolution. The Dominican form, in comparison to the Roman, because it lacks the absolution from censures, focuses more directly on sins and judgment. This is a remarkable prayer and incorporates not only the typical thirteenth-century focus on God's mercy, but also an explicitly eschatological dimension. Here is my translation of the Dominican formula:

May Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, through his most gracious mercy, absolve you; and by his authority, through which I act, I absolve you of all your sins, so that you be absolved both here and before the tribunal of Our Lord, the same Jesus Christ, and so that you might have eternal life and live forever. In the name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy + Spirit. Amen.

Here, for comparison, is the parallel prayer in the Roman Ritual:

May Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you, and by his authority I absolve you from every bond of excommunication, suspension, and interdict, to the extent of my power and your need. Finally I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Note also the triple blessing in the Dominican form, something used in the Roman rite of Penance only by bishops. The Dominican, like the Roman, then concluded with the prayer Passio, which in the Dominican form mentions St. Dominic along with the Virgin, intentions as well as actions, and concludes with a final blessing in the name of the Trinity. Both the Dominican and Roman rituals provided shortened versions for use when penitents were many and a brief absolution for emergencies.

By analogy, in my opinion, as the use by Roman priests of older sacraments is now permitted for pastoral need, this form of absolution might be used by Dominican priests.

Those interested in seeing the whole formula in the original Latin may find it on the sidebar of this blog, "Dominican Liturgy," to the left of this post under "Domincan Rite Resources."

II. Viaticum: Communion of the Dying

As explained earlier, the rituals for the Sacraments in the Dominican Rite, our Rite is a monastic rite and presupposes the context of a religious house (which is commonly referred to by Dominicans as a "convent" even when it is a house of men) for the celebration of the sacraments. In the case of Confession and Mass, there is nothing particularly "monastic" about the rituals that make them more difficult to perform in a parochial or extra-conventual context than their parallels in the Roman Rite. This is not the case for the Dominican rituals for Viaticum and for Extreme Unction, what is called in the new Roman rite the "Anointing of the Sick." These rituals in our Rite properly require the presence of a choir of the friars and a sizable group of ministers. As the rite includes processions and music, it is not surprising that it is found in the Processionarium, which collects music for processions and other rites that are not part of Mass or Office.

In their complexity these rituals reflect those of the Italian/Roman family of liturgical books that I examined in chapter 10 of my Cities of God: the Religion of the Italian Communes, 1125-1325 (University Park PA: Penn State Univ. Press, 2005)--See link on left sidebar. Italian/Roman books of that period envision the presence of a choir and sometimes as many as seven priests. In contrast, however, the Ambrosian books of the period envision no music and could be used by a single priest. This rite also had only two anointings, not seven, just like the modern Roman rite for anointing the sick.

The evidence from saints' lives, chronicles, synodalia, and other sources suggests that in the high middle ages, most lay people did not receive Extreme Unction. The rites of dying focused on Confession and Viaticum. Anointing seems to have been in great part a ritual for religious and for clerics living in community. The development of the Tridentine form of the Roman ritual in the later middle ages, which dropped the music and complex ceremonies so that a single priest could perform it, finally made it available to the laity on a wide basis. The rites I will now explain were pretty much exclusively used with in the monastery. Dominican priests engaged in pastoral work with the laity in the modern period used the Roman Ritual, with its simplified rite, when attending the dying at home or in the hospital.

The term "Last Rites" refers to a complex of three separate rituals, Confession, Communion as Viaticum, and Anointing (or in the modern order: Confession, Anointing, and Viaticum). The old and new Roman rituals include a form for administering all three ceremonies in a single ceremony. This continuous rite was, and is, commonly used. The Dominican "Last Rites," as they are preserved in our Processionale, appear as separate ceremonies. It is not assumed that they will take place in a single event. I have already discussed the Dominican form of Penance, the first rite of the "Last Rites." A sick friar or nun would have confessed, as did the laity, in a private ceremony using the forms I have previously described. When it appeared that the illness was terminal, but while the sick were still well enough to receive Communion, the next rite was final Communion (Viaticum).

When Viaticum was to be administered, the bell for Office was wrung in a special way to indicate that the brothers should assemble in the sacristy for the procession. The friars then went in procession to the tabernacle in this order: two acolytes in surplice carrying lighted processional candles, two friars without surplice holding a lantern and a bell, a friar with the holy water, a friar with cruets and lavabo bowel, friars of the community, friars with candles to escort the sacrament, umbrella or canopy bearer(s), the prior (or, if absent, a senior priest) wearing surplice with stole and humeral veil. All knelt. The prior removed the ciborium or pyx and covered it with his humeral veil. The umbrella or canopy was arranged over him and the candle-bearers around him. The procession then went to the sick room, singing the Gradual Psalms in tono directo.

On arrival at the sick room, the prior said Pax huic domui, and, after the response, intoned the Asperges, which was sung by the friars as he sprinkled the room. This ended, the verses and collect of this rite were sung. The prior then urged the sick friar to be reconciled to any present whom he had offended and to forgive any who had offended him. This done, the sick friar then recited the Confiteor in the Dominican form, with the prior pronouncing the Misereator and Absolutionem. The formula Ecce Angus Dei and Domine non sum dignus was not used as it was not a Dominican practice, although it was added to our Communion Rite at Mass in 1958, one of a number of Romanizations during the 1950s. It was not added to the Viaticum rite.

The prior then presented the Host to the sick friar and asked him: Credis quod hic sit Christus Salvátor Mundi? He responded: Credo. The prior then gave him Communion using the Dominican Viaticum formula: Corpus Dómini nostri Iesu Christi custódiat te, et perdúcat ad vitam ætérnam. The friar with the cruets washed the prior's fingers and the ablution was given to the sick friar to consume. The prior sang the collect Exaudi nos. The community then returned in procession to the sacristy, with umbrella or canopy folded, escort candles extinguished and no bell-ringing (unless there were additional Hosts to return to the tabernacle first).

The same ceremony was used in houses of nuns, with the priest chaplain as the celebrant. In contrast, ordinary Communion of the Sick, even in the monastery, used a much simpler form of the rite. A single priest came with the host preceded by a one acolyte, reciting (not singing) alternately the psalm Miserere. The question Credis was omitted and the normal Communion formula of our Rite (which omits the phrase et perducat from the Viaticum formula) was used.

Later, when the sickness became critical, it was time for Extreme Unction.

III. Extreme Unction: Anointing of the Dying

Like the Rite of Viaticum, the ritual of Extreme Unction in the Dominican Rite begins with the assembly of the community in the sacristy for the procession to the room where the sick friar is dying. The procession consists of the Holy Water bearer, two candle-bearing acolytes in surplice, a lantern bearer and a friar with a hand-cross, then comes the sacristan with the Oleum Infirmorum and a case containing six wool or cotton balls or six strips of linen. Last comes the celebrant followed by the community in order of seniority.

At the sick room the celebrant gives the greeting and sprinkles Holy Water during the singing of the Asperges, as for Viaticum. This complete, he intones the collect Domine Deus, qui per Apostolum tuum Iacobum. This prayer is also found in the old Roman ritual of Extreme Unction (with minor differences of phrasing), but in that rite it follows the Pater Noster after the anointings. As the prayer summarizes the institution of the rite in the Epistle of James, it serves as a scriptural warrant for the rite about to be preformed. In an interesting parallel the Epistle passage itself is now used at this point in the modern Roman ritual.

As in Viaticum, the dying friar asks and gives pardon for offenses given or received from community members. He then recites the Confiteor to which the celebrant gives the usual absolutions. The celebrant then offers the dying friar the Cross to kiss. This is a ceremony absent from the Tridentine Roman form, although nearly universal in the high middle ages––it was probably also in the Roman ceremony before its simplification. After the veneration of the Cross, the celebrant intones the antiphon: Intret orátio mea in conspéctu tuo: inclína aurem tuam ad preces nostras, Dómine. The friars of the convent chant the Seven Penitential Psalms. The anointing itself is performed during the chanting of these psalms.

The Dominican, like the old Roman, practice, consists of seven anointings: first the five senses, then the hands and feet (which, although requiring a anointing on both extremities, were considered single anointings for formula purposes). As in the Roman ritual, priests are anoninted on the back of the hands, others on the palms. This is so as not to "repeat" the anointing on the palms that priests receive at ordination. As the celebrant finishes each anointing, an appointed friar uses a different one of the cotton balls or linen strips to clean away the Holy Oil. They will be burned after the rite and the ashes put down the sacrarium in the sacristy, practice also part of the old Roman rite.

When the celebrant has finished, the sacristan washes his hands. The formulas used during for the Dominican anointings parallel the Roman ones, differing only in minor vocabulary choices or word order. In only one case is there a significant difference of meaning: the Dominican anointing of the mouth mentions the sin of taste (gustum) but not of that of speech (locutionem). This shorter form is probably the older one and focused, in parallel to the other formulas, on the corporal sense anointed alone. But the both sets of formula are so close that they certainly derive from a common ancestor.

When the community finished chanting the Penitential Psalms, the antiphon was sung again, and the Pater Noster was recited silently. After a series of verses and responses slightly shorter than the Roman use, the celebrant sings seven collects: Quaesumus Omnipotens Deus; Respice Domine; Deus qui facturae; Deus infirmitatis; Deus qui humano; Virtutum caelestium; and Domine sancte Pater. The Roman ritual has here only the three collects: Domine Deus (which opens the Dominican Rite ceremony); Respice Domine, and Domine Sancte Pater; all of which have minor verbal differences from the Dominican forms but clearly go back to a common source. The seventh collect finished, the priest imparts an absolution using a long prayer, absent from the Roman version, beginning Dominus Iesus Christus qui dixit discipulis suis. The community then leaves in procession to return to the sacristy. As with Viaticum, the same forms were used in convents of nuns when the priest chaplain administered Last Rites to a sister.

Those who know the old Roman ritual of Extreme Unction will notice that the Dominican form is shorter because it lacks a number of Roman elements: two of the three long Roman collects after the Asperges; the reading of Matthew 8: 5-10, 13; the Litany before the anointing; and the final blessing. In spite of these differences, both rites are clearly members of the same liturgical family and resemble and share prayers with the high medieval Italian / Roman forms of the rite I have studied. In practice, they differ most conspicuously in the absence of the Dominican chanted psalms and external formalities from the Roman. This difference, however, is late medieval. In the thirteenth century, Italian/Roman versions of the ceremony would still have assumed music and external formalities.

As I wrote earlier, a number of elements from the old Dominican rite of Extreme Unction, including the kissing of the Cross, were approved in the 1970s for use in the context of the new Roman Rite of Anointing of the Sick. We now have official Latin texts for the approved Dominican forms of the Roman Ritual for Anoiting and for Funerals. They can be downloaded on the left side bar of Dominican Liturgy. Only the Australian Province has produced English translations of the ceremonies. and they may be consulted at the Australian Province Website. They are not yet approved for use, but have been made available "for the sake of study."