Dominican Missa Cantata of St. Albert the Great, 2008

On November 15, 2008, at Saint Albert the Great Priory, the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, a Missa Cantata according to the Dominican Rite was celebrated on the occasion of the installation of the new Master of Sacred Theology, who was the celebrant. Photos of this Mass have been posted on the photographer's website, the Western Province Website, and at the New Liturgical Movement.

For the convenience of our readers, and others interested, I have collected these here in one place and provided a short commentary. The first image shows the high altar of the beautiful chapel of the House of Studies.

The next image shows the celebrant and Bro. Ambrose Sigman, O.P., the senior acolyte, and Bro. Gabriel Mosher, O.P., the junior acolyte, waiting for the schola to being singing the Officium, "In Medio." They are standing in the passage way past the side altars leading from the sacristy into the Chapel.

Here are the community and visitors gathered in the choir stalls as the chant of the Officium begins. With the black cappa in the front row, opposite side, can be seen Fr. Gerald Buckley, O.P., the prior of St. Albert the Great Priory. In the blue Yale gown is Fr. Gerald Fogarty, S.J., Prof. of History at the University of Virginia, a colleague of the new S.T.M. Next to him is Donald Prudlo, Asst. Prof. of History at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, a former graduate student of the new S.T.M.

The celebrant and servers have here reached the high altar and are genuflecting before the Reserved Sacrament. You will notice that the celebrant still has his amice-covered capuce up, as a secular priest would still have on his biretta at this point. As the two servers are not ordained they wear the surplice under the shoulder cape of the capuce.


The celebrate as here returned from spreading the corporal and placing the chalice on the altar. With capuce down, he has begun the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. During these prayers the servers turn in, as they would at Solemn Mass, and make the responses.


The priest has ascended to the altar, kissed it, and moved to the book. He is reciting the Officium quietly as the schola finishes it. The servers have swung to the side of the altar where the book is for the Officium and Kyrie, as they would with the major ministers at Solemn Mass.

After returning to the center to intone the Gloria, and again swinging to the side as for the Officium and Kyrie, the celebrant here returns to the center, turns to face the community and sings the greeting, "Dominus vobiscum."


He celebrant then returns to the book and sings the Collect. The Collect finished, he reads quietly the first reading (from Wisdom in this case) and the Responsorium (Gradual) and Alleluia. This next photo shows him completing that reading.


As he does these readings, the "cleric," who is in this case a priest, Fr. Bryan Kromholtz, O.P., who teaches theology at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley CA. You will notice that as a priest he wears the surplice over the capuce cape. In the red Harvard robe, you can see Prof. James Gordley, of the Tulane University School of Law, who has collaborated on publications with the new S.T.M.

Here the two acolytes have arrived with the water and wine to help the celebrant prepare the chalice. This preparation is done during the singing of the Responsorium.

Here is the schola about to begin the Responsorium at the lectern "in medio chori." On a major feast such as the patronal feast of the House of Studies, the chantors should normally be at least four--here you can see there were six. They are from left to right, Bro. John Marie Bingham, Bro. Mark Francis Manzano, Fr. Paul K. Raftery (chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula CA), Bro. Boniface Willard (who directed the schola), Stephen Maria Lopez, and Bro. Dominic David Maichrowicz. The visiting academics can all be seen in the front row.

Here we see the preparation of the chalice during the intervening chants. The senior acolyte ministers the wine and stands closest to the altar.

Sadly there are no pictures available of the singing of the Gospel by the celebrant. But here is a photograph of the V. Rev. Fr. Richard Aquinas Schenk, O.P., S.T.M., the regent of studies of the Western Dominican Province. As a Master of Sacred Theology, he wears the biretta and ring (not visible here). He is at the ambo and just about to begin his sermon on St. Albert the Great.

Here is the schola again, waiting for the celebrant to intone the Credo.

Genuflection at Incarnatus est in the Creed:


In the Dominican Rite, the Offertory is every simple, the chalice with paten and host on top is raised in a single oblation as the priest recites one prayer, Suscipe Sancta Trinitas.

Here was see the incensing of the altar at the Offertory. The priest has already incensed the gifts with a single crossing and then the top of the Epistle side of the altar with three lifts (Dominicans do not swing the censer, nor do we clank the chains). Here is has returned to the middle and is incensing the cross with three lifts.

The schola is about to intone the Sanctus.

He celebrant is here quietly reciting the Roman Canon.

The Elevation of the Host. The thurifer, Bro. Raymond Bertheaux, O.P., over fifty years a brother, incenses the elevation continuously, as is the Dominican custom. Earlier, during the singing of the Preface, he incensed the servers and community. In our rite the thurifer is present only from the Gospel to the Elevations, even in the Solemn Mass. You can see a lighted "Sanctus Candle" on the Epistle side (there is another on the Gospel side), which the server lighted during the Sanctus.

Closer view of the Elevation of the Host.

Elevation of the Chalice:


Here, during the singing of the Agnus Dei, we see Fr. Anselm Ramelow, O.P., Asst. Professor of Philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, who is vested in surplice and stole as he will help distribute Communion. Bro. Matthew Augustine Miller stands in front of him.

Communion and the final collects finished, the celebrant recites the Last Gospel, folds the corporal, raises his capuce, and leaves the altar, as we see in this last photo of the Mass:



More on the program of studies and formation at St. Albert's can be found here. I can also post photos of the S.T.M. installation if readers would like them.