Portable Altar Cards for the Dominican Rite

I am pleased to announce that The Society for the Preservation of Roman Catholic Heritage has sent me a sample set of their new portable altar cards for the Dominican Rite.  They have also upgraded their previously published set of portable cards for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.  Here is a photo of the new cover for the Roman Rite cards:

The Dominican Rite set has a white leatherette cover printed with a decorative gold cross. Here are images of the text of the middle card for the Dominican Rite:

And here are the two side cards:

The Roman Cards can be ordered here. The Dominican cards are not yet up on the SPORCH site. They may be ordered by sending an email inquiry to sporch3@aol.com or by writing to their address:

Society for the Preservation of Roman Catholic Heritage
Box 147
Englewood, Ohio 45322

The current list price is $69.00. A discount is available for bulk orders.

Fr. Joseph P. Kenny, O.P., RIP

I received news today that Fr. Joseph P. Kenny, 77, a missionary to Africa for nearly 50 years and a well-known online promoter of Dominican Chant, died of cancer on January 28, 2013 in Washington DC. A native of Chicago, Fr. Kenney left for Nigeria at the request of the Holy See for a resource person knowledgeable in Arabic and Islam, since there was a need for greater understanding and peace between  Christian and Muslim communities of that country.

After working in northern Nigeria, he taught subjects on Islamic philosophy and theology for 22 years at the University of Ibadan, where he served as Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies. He also helped develop the Dominican Institute in Ibadan, where he taught courses on philosophy, theology, and communications for hundreds of lay students and seminarians.

Sadly, Fr. Kenney's music site, linked on the left sidebar, seems to have gone off line.  His contribution to the promotion of our music will be greatly missed.  Please keep this fine priest musician and missionary in your prayers.

Domnican Studies of the Western Dominican Province Reflect on the Liturgy of the Hours

The students of the Western Dominican Province has done a very nice video in which they reflect on the spirituality of the choral office and what it means for them.  The stained glass is that of the chapel of our house of studies, Saint Albert the Great Priory in Oakland CA.  Enjoy!

Solemn Requiem Vestments, Blessed Sacrament Priory, Seattle WA

Blessed Sacrament Priory, the Western Dominican Province community in Seattle WA has recently received their newly commissioned vestments for Dominican Rite Solemn High Requiem Mass. The set includes, along with the usual chasuble, dalmatics, soles, maniples, bruse, veil, and cope (For the Absolution at the Catafalque), as well as the humeral veil and the mappa (placed over the knees of the priest, deacon, and subdeacon when seated at the sedilla).

Here follow images of some of the principal parts of the set.  There is a extensive photo collection of the vestments on Facebook here.

The Chasuble

One of the two Dalmatics

The Cope

Detail of the Chasuble

Burse, Veil, Maniple.

Here is the humeral veil over the subdeacon's dalmatic on the right,

and the deacon's dalmatic and stole on the left

And finally, the Mappa

A nice collection of photos showing the vestments in use at the Solemn High Dominican Requiem of All Souls at Blessed Sacrament this November can be viewed here, courtesy of Pat Bucy.

The priory and parish is to be congratulated on the care that was used in designing these vestments.  It is my understanding that much of the work was done by Fr. Boniface Willard, O.P., who was ordained two years ago.

Recent Dominican Rite Mass at St. John's Cathedral in Boise

This past October I had the privilege of witnessing the marriage of a member of the Dominican Chapter of Bl. Margaret of Castello in Boise to his lovely bride. The marriage was observed according to the Roman Ritual with a Nuptial Mass according to the Dominican Rite following. As Fr. Augustine has written upon, there is no Marriage ceremony in the Dominican Rite as it is a monastic rite. Locals tell me that this was the first ancient rite Mass celebrated in St. John's Cathedral since the Second Vatican Council.

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Gross Exchange the Vows of Matrimony.

The Arrival at the Altar

The Chanting of the Gospel (Br. Peter Junipero Hannah, O.P. and Mr. Les Fitzpatrick assisting)

Dominican Rite Mass in DC: Photo Link

As readers know, a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata was celebrated in the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC on September 27, 2012.  The celebrant was Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P., and the event was very well attended.

The brothers have now put up a photo-streams at this link.

Come and See: Monastery of St. Jude, Dominican Nuns

This posting is especially directed toward Catholic women readers, ages 17-28.

The Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of St. Jude, 143 County Road 20 East,
Marbury, Alabama 36051, will be having a "Come and See Day" for potential vocations on November 3, 2012, the Feast of St. Martin de Porres.

These sisters were pioneers in breaking the color line at the time of their founding in 1944 and are today among the American leaders in the preservation of Dominican Chant.  Like all the other houses of nuns officially affiliated with the Dominican Order, they use the modern Liturgia Horarum, but they chant Lauds, Vespers, and Compline in Latin according to the traditional Dominican hymn tones, antiphons, responsories, and Psalm modes.

They plan to convert their other hours to Dominican chant progressively. They also have Dominican Rite Mass when a Dominican priest is available to say it. And, like all the other Dominican nuns in the United States, they practice Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

This is a small monastery, but has a great spirit. I have had the honor to helping them with their chant.  If you are a young Catholic woman thinking about a contemplative vocation, do consider the up-coming "Come and See" at Marbury or, at least, visiting their Vocations page.

On August 18, the feast of Bl. Mannes, brother of St. Dominic, the monastery had the joyful occasion of Sister Mary Jordan of the Holy Family, O.P., making her Solemn Profession.  A photo is to the right.  God bless Sister Mary Jordan and her community.