Conference on Medieval Dominican Liturgy, Toronto Canada, March 5-7, 2023

It is a pleasure for me, as the President of The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies at the University of Toronto (founded by Etienne Gilson), to announce an International Conference on Medieval Dominican Liturgy, scheduled to coincide with the traditional feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, March 5 to 7, 2023.  As can be seen from the program below, this conference will include papers by scholars from all around the world who have made major contributions to the study of medieval Dominican liturgy. That program may also be downloaded here.

     This conference is open to the general public, and there is no registration fee, although those who wish to attend the sessions must register by sending an email to the PIMS Executive Assistant, Ms. Cynthia Watson. Reduced-rate rooms (limited number) are still available at the conference hotel. Should you want one, please mention this in your registration-request email.  Note also that the two public liturgies in the Dominican Rite, the First Vespers and the Solemn Mass of Thomas Aquinas, are both open to the general public without need for registration. They will be held at St. Basil’s Collegiate Church, St. Michael’s College, Toronto ON---for more information, see the program:

I look forward to meeting our readers at the Conference. If you attend, do take the time to introduce yourself to me.

Dominican Rite Calendar for A.D. 2023 Now Available

 

We are pleased to announce that the Dominican Rite Calendar for A.D. 2023 is now available for download on the Left Sidebar.

This calendar also lists all feasts proper to the United States as they were in 1962 was well as all added since then. Appendices are provided giving the local feasts in all dioceses of the United States where Dominican friars have houses, as well as for Toronto, Canada, and Mexicali, Mexico, where the Western Dominican Province has friars in residence. 

 We would be happy to add other foreign dioceses where the Western Province has friars if one of those friars sends us a list of the local feasts and their proper rank.

Finally, there is an appendix with all the minor blesseds, celebrated only within their original provinces. These may also be celebrated elsewhere for pastoral need, as votive Masses.

NEW Digital Images of the Humbert of Romans Codex (1256)

Title Page of the Humbert Codex

A number of years ago, I provided links to download digital images of the Humbert of Romans Codex.  Now I have the pleasure to announce that there are now new images, far better and more readable than the older set.  They are available for download in a zip file here.  This is a large file, so be patient as it downloads.  If you merely want to consult the images themselves they can be viewed online here. Those who download these new images have permission to use them or pass them on to others. This manuscript (Rome: Santa Sabina MS XIV L1) is the prototype for the medieval (and early-modern) Dominican Liturgy. 

The image to the left is the title page of this manuscript which lists its title and contents.  Here is a transcription:

On margin: Ecclesiasticum Officium secundum Ordinem Fratrum Praedicatorum; in hoc Volumine per Quatuordecim Libros Distinctum hoc Ordine Continetur.

In the center:
    Ordinarium: MS f. 0v - f. 12r
    Martyrologium: MS f. 13r - f. 40v
    Collectarium: MS f. 41r - f. 58r
    Processionarium: MS f. 58v - f. 65v
    Psalterium: MS f. 66r - f. 86v
    Breviarium: MS f. 87r - f. 141v
    Lectionarium: MS f. 142r - 230v
    Antiphonarium: MS f. 231r - 323r
    Graduale: MS f. 323v - f. 369v
    Pulpitarium: 370r- f. 392r
    Missale Conventuale: MS f. 393r - 421v
    Epistolarium: MS f. 422r - f. 435v
    Evangelistarium: MS f. 435v - 454v
    Missale Minorum Altarium: MS f. 455r - 500v

I include the folios on which each section is found so that this list can also serve as a table of contents to the images.  The new images show facing pages and the number of each image gives the standard folio number of the folio whose recto is on the right side of the image.

This manuscript was compiled by the Master of the Order Humbert of Romans in accord with the commission of the Dominican General Chapter of  Buda in 1254 and approved by the General Chapter of Paris in 1256.  Except for additional feasts and the Psalter Reform of St. Pius X, the texts of this document were authoritative as the prototype for our liturgical books until 1969.

 If you are looking for a particular musical chant, you may download this index of the chants found in the Humbert Codex. But please note that this scan is not of good quality.