Recitation of Mass Texts by the Priest at the Dominican Solemn Mass

The Priest and Deacon read the Chants and Lessons at Solemn Mass

Recently, my co-contributor at New Liturgical Movement, Mr. Peter Kwasniewski, posted there a very thoughtful piece on the traditional practice of having the priest read the Epistle, Gospel, Propers, and Ordinary, even when these are sung by a choir, (and by the deacon, and subdeacon when present) at Sung Mass.  The Roman way of doing this differs from the Dominican in a number of ways, and I am not intending to address that in this post.  What I am interested in is the logic of the Dominican practices in the medieval, early modern, and post-1960 reform Mass.

There are a number of things that occur during the Dominican Solemn Mass which originated because of convenience when one or more of the ministers had to perform some function at altar during the Foremass, and it was better for the others to retire to the sedilla (a bench with no separating arms) on the Epistle side of the sanctuary to get out of the way.  This included: the procession of the subdeacon during the Gloria to the altar with the chalice and paten and their arrangement on the altar; and the arrival of the deacon to unfold the corporal during the singing of the Epistle by the subdeacon.  For this reason the priest is at the sedilla from the Amen after the opening collect until he returns to the altar for the deacon's proclamation of the Gospel.

In the medieval rite the ministers recited the Ordinary and the Propers quitely.  The theological logic for this was simple.  The ministers are all members of the community, and the community in a religious house IS the choir.  Thus the performance of those chants fell to all, including the ministers.  Since their "business" often made it impossible for them to sing along with the choir, they recited the texts.  There is no complex theological reason for this; and as this responsibility fell to all the ministers, not just the priest, it is not because of some special about the priestly office.

After the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, by which time the choir (community) has finished the Officium ("Introit" in the Roman Rite) and probably gotten into the Kyrie, the priest moved to the book and the ministers arrayed themselves to his right: deacon, subdeacon, acolyte 1, acolyte 2.  This is so that they can all recite the chants quietly together.  The priest alone takes the cantor's parts (e.g. the verse in the Officium) and all take the choir parts.  In the middle ages when the Solemn Mass was sung every day, it was expected that the ministers knew all the Propers by heart.  So the subdeacon and acolytes recited along with the priest and deacon (who had the benefit of the book).  Today, they just stand mute (unless they have memorized the texts).

By the time the ministers finished, it was time for the priest to go to the center to intone the Gloria.  All then swung back to the Epistle side to recite it with the priest and then go sit down.  The reason for this is practical.  The subdeacon needed to go to the sacristy to get the chalice and paten and bring them to the altar in procession as the choir sang the Gloria.  To clear space for arranging veil and vessels on the altar the priest and other minsters needed to get out of the way.  At the sedilla, in the middle ages, the priest and deacon read the Responsorium (Gradual), Alleluia or Tract, and Sequence (if any) from the book held by Acolyte 1.  If the subdeacon got back, he joined them in reciting.  See this happening in the photo at the beginning of this post (where yours truly is deacon).  They did not read the Epistle or Gospel.  Why? Because it is not their office: they pertain to the offices of the subdeacon and the deacon.  The ministers read these choir chants because they belong to the whole the community and they could not sing them because they will be busy preparing the chalice at the sedilla while they are sung.

After the singing of the Gospel, the priest intoned the Creed, and the procession returned from the ambo in the screen, lead by the crucifer and acolytes. They then arrived to the altar for the priest to kiss the book.  As they had been in motion and the priest was waiting to kiss the book, all were busy and did not sing along with the choir.  Rather, after getting to the altar, the priest, deacon, subdeacon, and acolytes swung to the Gospel side so that they could recite the Creed (already underway by the choir) together.  The recitation would be finished by the time they were to swing back to the middle for the Incarnatus.  After the Incarnatus, the acolytes had to escort the Cross to the sacristy, so the major ministers went to sit.  Again, the recitation is (in theory) not just the priest, and the reason for not singing the Creed is practical: the ministers are busy.

The recitation of choir parts happened again at four points in the Mass.  Again, it is not the priest, but all the ministers (in theory), who recite, because they will be busy during at least part of the chants.  At the Sanctus and Agnus, deacon and his acolyte face the subdeacon and his acolyte (so they can keep in sync) and recite with the priest.  They then get about their business as the choir sings on.  For the Offertory and Communion Verse, again at these points when the ministers will be busy during the chant, so they swing to form a line to the right of the altar (Offertory) or to the left (Communion) to recite with the priest.  Again, in the middle ages, all ministers recited these chants together from memory. Today, only the deacon and priest do, because only they can see the book.

So, the logic of the medieval practice is that what pertains to all (the Ordinary and Propers) is to be sung (or at least recited) by all.  The Post-Tridentine period muddied these waters.  About the time the Last Gospel was forced on us (ca. 1600), we also adopted a number of other Romanisms.  One was that the priest recite the deacon's and subdeacon's parts (i.e. the Epistle and Gospel).  The medieval logic of recitation could not explain this: it was adopted because everyone (i.e., the Roman Rite) did it.  As in the Roman Rite, we also developed various ad hoc theologies to explain why we did this (well rehearsed in Mr. Kwasniewski's fine essay).  This change also created a practical problem, as any Dominican who has served as priest at a Dominican Solemn Mass knows.  The reading of the Epistle and Gospel, along with the intervening choir chants, takes time.  The result is a rush to get them read, the chalice prepared (subdeacon) and incense and deacon blessed for the Gospel.  Sometimes the choir is even finished the Alleluia before the Gospel procession leaves the sedilla!

Since 1960, however, the Post-Tridentine usage is no longer required.  In the rubrical reform of 1960, it was provided that the priest (and so logically also the other ministers) need not recite the Epistle, Gospel, or other chants, "but instead may sing along with the choir."  I have discussed these rubrical changes in an article in Antiphon, also available online.  This is fine for the restoration of the Epistle and Gospel to their proper ministers as in the medieval rite.  And the liberty to not recite but sing along would make perfect sense, if the ministers are not busy during the singing, which they mostly are in our rite.  Of course, when they are busy, it is no longer required that they sing:  it says "may sing" not "must sing."  So, the result would logically be, mostly, for the ministers to neither sing nor recite.  In practice, until the more extensive reforms of the mid-1960s, the Post-Tridentine practices just continued and the ministers recited.  And the priest kept on reading the lessons.  When we continued to celebrate the old liturgy after 1970 under the 1969 Rescript, this was again the practice.  In fact, at every Dominican Rite Solemn Mass I have attended (in choir or as a minister) since my novitiate (1977), the priest and ministers have followed the Pre-1960 rubrics as to recitation.

What do I thnk of this?  This is my opinion, and nothing more, but I think that since the major ministers and servers (usually) are part of the community, and since the Propers and Ordinary belong to the community, their recitation of these texts is very suitable.  And it is permitted: the 1960 rubrical change said "need not recite" not "may not recite."  On the other hand, I think the dropping of the recitation of the Epistle and Gospel by the priest makes good theological and liturgical sense (it is not his part) as well as good practical sense (it allows time for an unrushed preparation of the chalice, etc.).

But I expect that force of habit will mean that Dominican priests keep on reciting the lessons as well as the chants at Solemn  Mass.

The Subdeacon at Dominican Solemn Mass

This slide show with music was prepared for the New Liturgical Movement by Mr. Jason Mata. It shows images of the Solemn High Dominican Rite Mass of St. Dominic celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Church, Seattle WA, on August 8, 2011. It is reproduced here because I think it will interest many of our readers.

Credit and thanks to Mr. Mata and the Dominican Community at Blessed Sacrament Priory.

Dominican Rite Solemn Mass: Feast of St. Dominic, Portland OR 2011

Here are two videos from the recent celebration of the Feast of St. Dominic at Holy Rosary Church in Portland OR according to the Dominican Rite Solemn Mass. The celebrant is Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., pastor; deacon, Fr. Vincent Kelber, O.P., the new parochial vicar; subdeacon, Mr. Jesson Mata ("The Urban Monk"). Fr. Anthony will soon be moving to Holy Family Cathedral, Ancorage AK to become the new pastor. Fr. Vincent has just completed his service there.

In this first video, we see the celebration from the Collect to the the singing of the Epistle. Notice the Dominican swing of the ministers to the side for the Collect, the seating of the priest with the spreading of the Mappula over his lap, and the deacon's opening of the corporal during the Epistle.



In this second video, we see Mr. Jesson Mata, who will be subdeacon, introducing the video (with Bro. Simon Kim, O.P.) and talking about the rite on the way to Portland from Seattle. He then interviews the servers for the Mass, and explains the vesting of the ministers. Excepts from the Mass are as follows:

At 5:45: The Aspeges

At 5:50: Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

At 6:08: Officium and Kyrie

at 6:17: Gloria (with procession of Chalice to altar) and Collect

at 7:36: Epistle (with unfolding of Chalice)

at 7:40: Chants between the Readings (with preparation of Chalice)

at 7:50: Gospel

at 7: 58: Creed

at 8:06: The Great Swing to the left for the Offertory

at 8:26: The Preface (with incensing) and Sanctus

at 8:39: The Consecration

at 8:45: The Pater Noster and the Pax

at 8:57: Communion

at 9:15: Postcommunion Collect to the Blessing

at 10:04 Last Gospel and Recessional

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.

Holy Rosary Church Solemn Mass of St. Dominic (8/10/08)

As I had promised, we now have stills of the Dominican Rite Solemn High Mass celebrated at Holy Rosary Church in Portland OR on Sunday, August 10, to whichday the Solemnity was transferred, as is the practice in your province. You may observe that the vestments for this Mass are the same set used for the Solemn Mass in Seattle two days before. This set was commissioned for the Centennial of Holy Rosary Parish in 1996. In this series I have tried to include parts of the Mass not shown in the posting on the Seattle celebration.

The music for this Mass included the Missa de Angelis and the Propers from the Dominican Gradual, sung by the small schola of Cantores in Ecclesia under the direction of Mr. Dean Applegate. The short version of the Sequence In Caelesti Hierarchia was used as this was strictly speaking a votive Mass. This choir sings for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass each week at Holy Rosary. As this Ordinary is rather short, the ministers remained at the altar for the Kyrie, Gloria, and Credo, instead of going to the sedilla as is usual with longer polyphonic Masses as earlier in Seattle.

In this first image you can see the ministers have arrived at the altar and are bowed for the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. You can see the results of the renovations done in 1995-95: the new tabernacle, the new altar (originally from the old St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco, destroyed in the Earthquake), and the new stained glass windows showing St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. The celebrant for this was was Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., pastor of Holy Rosary; the deacon, Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., professor at the University of Virginia; and the subdeacon, Bro. John Marie Bingham, O.P., a student of the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, St. Albert the Great in Oakland. The four servers were all young men of the parish--and spent many hours in preparation for this event.

In this image you see that the subdeacon, Bro. John Marie, is singing the Epistle. In this case, the option of dispensing with the lectern has been taken and the acolyte is holding the lectionary. At the altar the deacon is having his hands washed in preparation for unfolding the corporal. You can also see the communion cloth hanging behind the rail--it is in regular use at Holy Rosary.

This next image shows that the acolytes and crucifer have arrived for the Gospel Procession. The thurifer is at the sedilla having the incense blessed. You can see the "mappa" covering the subdeacon's lap. This, our form of the gremial, is used by all three ministers to protect their vestments while they are seated.

Here you can see the deacon chanting the Gospel, facing the north side of the church. The book is held by the subdeacon flanked by the acolytes with the crucifer facing the deacon. The thurifer is behind him forming a cross formation. The priest is, of course, at the altar. In the congregation you will also see members of the Dominican Laity (formally called the Third Order of Penance) wearing their scapulars, as is the common practice on Dominican feasts.

I include this photo so that you can see the mappa being used. It is here being placed over the laps of the deacon and subdeacon in preparation for the sermon. The preacher was the celebrant, Fr. Patalano.

The sermon over, the Credo was sung. Here is the genuflection at the Incarnatus Est. You will see that the ministers are in the triangle formation, with the crucifer holding the cross so that the people can see Our Lord's image as we proclaim our faith in his Incarnation. In this photo, to the left you, can see the new baptismal font with the frescoes of the baptism of St. Dominic, another embellishment done at the time of the parish centennial.

In this photo you can see one of the most characteristic rituals in the Dominican Mass: the incensing of the ministers during the singing of the Preface. The priest was incensed, with three puffs, at the Offertory. The thurifer is about to give the deacon his two puffs of incense, then he will give two to the subdeacon, and finally one to each of the acolytes. On this feast, he also incensed the image of St. Dominic. Finally he incensed the congregation--a practice not in the rubrics but traditionally observed in parishes of our province.

The Elevation of the Host. Acolytes hold their processional candles as elevation torches, the deacon incenses and holds up the priest's chasuble. The subdeacon holds the paten covered with the veil. The thurifer kneels in the middle to form the triangle, waiting to receive back the censer.

This photo shows the preparation for Communion. The priest has just turned to expose the ciborium and the ministers have all bowed to say the Confiteor. This might be a point to mention that on major feasts it is the custom at Holy Rosary for the servers to wear a modified version the old prelatial garb of a Dominican bishop. I have previously put up a post on this which also shows such garb in use by an altar boy of 1890 at St. Dominic's in San Francisco.

This photograph shows the position of the minsters for the priest's singing of the Postcommunion. They have swept to the side and are now in order to the right of the priest in the "wing" position. They take the same position, among other times, for the Kyrie, Gloria, and Collect, as well as for the Credo and Offertory verse (but on the Gospel side).

Finally, see see the ministers leaving in procession after the Last Gospel. They have put up their capuces, which are covered by amices.


I thank Mr. William Straud, a parishioner of Holy Rosary, who not only helped train the servers but also provided these photos of the Mass.

Seattle Dominican Solemn Mass

As readers know, on August 8, 2008, the Dominican Parish of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Seattle, Washington, celebrated its Centennial Anniversary with a Solemn Mass in the traditional Dominican Rite. Through the kindness of readers we now have some images of this Mass as well as a video. The celebrant was Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P., Pastor of Blessed Sacrament, functioning as deacon was Fr. Anthony Patalano, O.P., Pastor of Most Holy Rosary, Portland OR, and as subdeacon Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., S.T.M., Professor of Religious Studies and History at the University of Virginia. The Tudor Choir under the direction of Mr. Doug Fullington sang the Missa Gloriose Confessor Domini by Juan Esquivel, based on a motet by Francisco Guerrero between 1605 and 1609. The music was newly edited for this occasion. The Propers were sung from the
Dominican Gradual.

Plans for this Mass had been going on for several months, and the response and attendance was far beyond anything that had been expected. Here follow some pictures.

Before I begin the Mass photos, here is one of the statue of Our Holy Father St. Dominic, decorated for his Feast.


The Church of the Blessed Sacrament, a neo-Gothic edifice begun in 1910 can be seen against the evening sky if the University District, which the parish serves. The spire on the tower is easily visible from Interstate Five.


Here is a view of the interior, showing the congregation. The church, which holds 700, began to fill over an hour before the Mass and there were at least another 200 standing in the aisles, transcepts, and vestibule.


Here we seen the major ministers in procession to the altar, just as they are about to pass through the communion rail into the sanctuary. They have their amice-covered capuces up, as is our practice. You can also see that the amices are decorated with an apparal to match the albs.


Here the ministers have arrived at the altar and just risen from genuflecting to the reserved Sacrament. In moment they will bow for the Confiteor and the acolytes will turn in, holding their candles.


The Confiteor finished, the ministers form a line with the acolytes flanking each other below. This is the "cross" formation, which is taken by the mnisters when they are about to swing to the side, which they will all soon do for the reading of the Officium (as we call the Introit) and Kyrie at the Epistle Side.


Below is a good view of the High Altar. The interior of the church, which was never completed, is in bare brick, but the sanctuary and side altars, and main altar are decorated with walnut wainscoting, the work of Fr. Christopher Moschini, O.P., pastor of the parish in the late 1960s. He was a skilled craftsman, and the carving and decoration are all his own work. He would have been in seventh heaven had he lived to attend this Mass. Fr. Moschini was deacon at the first Dominican Rite Solemn Mass I ever witnessed, at St. Albert the Great Priory, Oakland CA, in 1978. The six great candles, neo-Gothic to match . the church, were a donation by a parishioner in honor of the Centenary. In this view, the subdeacon can be seen completing a part of the preparation of the altar after his Procession with the Chalice during the Gloria.


The ten assisting Dominican friars were seated as in choir on the extension of the sanctuary added in the early 1970s. Here you can see the five on the Gospel Side. In the back, in a special stall in the sanctuary is Fr. Michael Sweeney, O.P., President of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley CA, which serves the Western Dominican Province House of Studies in Oakland. He was the guest preacher. In front from the left are Bro. John Marie Bingham, Bro. Augustine Marie Reisenauer, Fr. Albert Paretsky, and Fr. Thomas Kraft. They have their hoods raised as is traditional when listening to the chanting of the Epistle.


Here we see the two acolytes, the crucifer, and the turifer in formation to begin the Gospel Procession (photo previously posted). In a moment the major minsters will join them.


Here we see the deacon, Fr. Anthony Patalano, chanting the Gospel, facing liturgical north--the direction of darkness--and thus spreading the light of the Gospel. behind him is the subdeacon,while the acolytes hold candles and the crucifer the processional cross. The carrying of the cross at the Gospel is part of the Dominican Rite and reminds those present of the mystery of the Crucified Savior that the Scriptures proclaim.


Here we see Fr. Sweeney preaching. His sermon paralleled the Church of the baptized as the agency for accomplishing the unfinished Salvation of the World with the task of the Dominican Order to preach the Gospel to people who have yet to hear it, and both with the challenge to parishioners presented by the still unfinished church of the Blessed Sacrament. He charged us as baptized Catholics, Friars Preachers, and parishioners, to take responsibility for Christ's mission, each according to our state of life.


Here is another one of Fr. Michael preaching, which gives a good view fo the altar. Notice the covered chalice resting on the humeral veil. It was brought in procession to the altar by the subdeacon during the singing of the Gloria.

Here the celebrant, Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P., has turned to greet the congregation with the Dominus Vobiscum that introduces the Offertory. The ministers are in the "cross formation" and you can just see the deacon, Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., lifting the front of Fr. Daniel's chasuble, something done whenever the priest raises his hands at a greeting facing the people.


Here we see the ministers in the "triangle" formation, just before the Elevation. The deacon is holding in his right hand the censer, with which he will incense during the elevation, while he holds up the back of the chasuble with his left hand. The acolytles hold their processional candles (our form of elevation torches) and the thurifer kneels between them to complete the "triangle." The subdeacon, of course, kneels quietly, holding the paten under his humeral veil.


Here we see the celebrant kissing the Pax Instrument. He has just dropped the particle in the chalice and kissed it. The deacon will then take the Pax to the subdeacon.


Here is a closer view of one of the two new Pax Instruments presented to Blessed Sacrament Parish in honor of the Anniversary. They were a gift from Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., and Holy Rosary Parish in Portland. The instruments duplicate of those made in honor of Holy Rosary's Centennial in 1995. It shows, as you can see, the Man of Sorrows. This instrument was that used, after the Fraction to communicate the Christ's Peace from the altar to the friars. You can see this rite beginning at about 40 seconds into the next item. There the deacon presents the Pax to the subdeacon to kiss, who then presents it to the ministers. Finally, the crucifer can be seen taking it to the friars in choir.


Here the ministers have taken the flanking position for the Communion Preparation. They are just bowing over for the Confiteor. In front you can see several of the 10 friars who assisted in choir. They are postrating in the venia for the Confiteor and Ecce Agnus Dei (an addition from the Roman Rite added to our liturgy in 1959).

During the Agnus Dei we were fortunate to have a parishioner taking a video . In it you can hear the Tudor Choir chanting the Agnus Dei by Esquivel while the ministers perform their functions from the Fraction to the Communion Preparation Rite.



To give again some idea of the crowed church, here is Fr. Thomas Kraft, O.P., parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament distributing Communion at the rail.


Here we see the deacon and subdeacon holding the water and wine cruets for the Ablutions. When the priest has consumed the these, the deacon will fold the corporal and put it in the burse, and the subdeacon will dry and remake the chalice. Then he will take it all to the sacristy.


We close with a shot of the procession leaving the sanctuary.


Thanks to Major Autem His Est Caritas, Mr. Jesson Mata, music director of Blessed Sacrament, and Mr. Pat Bucy, as parishioner there, for these photos and the video; and thanks to our reader, Mr. Lawrence Lam, who was the thurifer for the Mass, for the photo of the Pax.

Dominican Rite Solemn Mass, Holy Rosary Church, Portland OR (1996)

Thanks to the New Liturgical Movement, we can now present these stills from the DVD of the Mass for the Centennial of Holy Rosary Church and Priory in Portland, Oregon. If you like these images, you can order the DVD from the Rosary Center in Portland, Oregon. Just follow the link, click the tab for Audio/Video, and find "Dominican Rite Solemn Mass." You may select DVD or VHS format.

This Dominican Rite Solemn Mass was celebrated on January 28, 1995 in the presence of the then archbishop of Portland and now Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Faith, William J. Levada. He presided in choro in accordance with practices of the Dominican Rite. These are far less complex than those for the traditional Roman Rite. He gave the absolution during the Prayers of at the Foot of the Altar, kissed the Gospel Book after the priest and deacon, was incensed after the ministers and servers but before the friars present, likewise kissed the pax instrument, and, finally received a head bow before the celebrant gave the final blessing.

For this Mass, the priest was the V. Rev. Fr. Anthony Patalano, O.P., then prior and pastor of Holy Rosary, who is currently again pastor there; the deacon was Fr. Paul Raftery, O.P., now chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula CA; the subdeacon was Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., now professor at the University of Virginia and editor of this blog. Cantores in Ecclesia, under the direction of Mr. Dean Applegate, who continues to direct the choir for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary. provided the music. Although they are not a professional music group, this choir is nationally known and they have CDs available. Holy Rosary Church had undergone, under the direction of Fr. Patalano, a major restoration in preparation for the centennial. One can see the repristinated side altars, the niche for the baptismal font at the left, and the new monumental tabernacle behind the free-standing altar. This marble altar was that of the original St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco, which collapsed in the earthquake of 1906. It can be used for both celebration ad orientem as well as ad populum. The altar rail and side altars were also refinished for the event, and new stained glass windows, showing the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary were installed, replacing the original plain white glass.

After the three major ministers you can see Archbishop Leveda, accompanied by his chaplain of honor, Fr. Edmond Ryan, O.P., former prior and pastor of Holy Rosary. Before the major ministers, you can see the friars present for the event, wearing their black cappas. As the sanctuary of Holy Rosary (a converted nineteenth-century gymnasium) is very small, they were seated in the front pew. Yes, the church was full, and parishioners were even standing in the vestibule and on the steps outside.

The major ministers have their amice-covered capuces up. This parallels the Roman practice of wearing the biretta to the altar (as can be seen on the archbishop). The amices, in a medieval style, have an embroidered decoration called an "apparal." A similar apparal decorates their albs, at the bottom and on each of the sleeves.



This next image shows the ministers bowing to recite the Confiteor during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The new stained glass windows showing St. Dominic and St. Catherine (just then named a Doctor of the Church) are visible above. The two acolytes, still holding their candles, have turned toward each other for the prayers. The Dominican Prayers at the Foot of the Altar are very brief, as was typical of the thirteenth century practice. A verse and response, the Confiteor, and another verse and response. The ministers then ascend to the altar, the deacon and subdeacon placing the lectionary and missal, which they have carried, in their proper places.


After the Prayers and the Foot of the Altar, as the choir sings the Officium (as we call the Introit) and the Kyrie, it is usual for the ministers to sit. They return to the altar for the priest to intone the Gloria. In the Dominican Solemn Mass, as in the Sarum Rite and other northern uses, there is a procession with the gifts during the Gloria. The subdeacon carries the chalice with paten and host, and his acolyte carries the water and wine cruets. In this next image we see the subdeacon placing the chalice on the altar. He has carried them covered with the ends of the humeral veil, which he still wears.



The Gloria finished, the ministers return to the altar and, after the Dominus vobiscum, swing to the side for the singing of the Collect. This swing, and others like it later in the Mass, is one of the most famous aspects of the Dominican Mass. Here the priest, deacon, subdeacon, senior acolyte, and junior acolyte form the "wing position" as the priest sings the Collect:


The Collect finished, the subdeacon sings the Epistle. During the Epistle, the deacon ascends to the altar to lay out the corporal. This type of simultaneous action by the ministers is typical of our rite. As the Mass is celebrated above all to worship God, and he is not comfused by several actions happening simultaneously. There is no need to have each minister wait for the anothers to finish their functions before he can perform his own, as if they were each "performing," not for God, but for some human "audience." In this image we see the unfolding of the corporal by the deacon, Fr. Paul Raftery:


As the deacon is laying out the corporal, and the subdeacon is singing the Epistle, the server has taken the missal over to the sedilla for the priest to read Epistle, Responsorium (as we call the Gradual), the Alleluia, and the Gospel. At the time of Humbert of Romans' standardization of our Rite (1256), only the Responsorium and Alleluia were read by the priest: after all he was unable to join in the chants because (as at the Kyrie and Gloria) he had other things to do. He did not at that time read the Epistle or Gospel, as these were proper to the other ministers. In the early modern period, when the predominance of Low Mass in the Roman Rite caused people to think that the priest had to do everything to "make it valid," we adopted this Romanization and had the priest read the Epistle and Gospel as well. This practice was abolished only in 1964, so in this Mass, using the rubrics of the Rite was they were in 1962, the priest still reads the readings as well as the chant. In the next image, where he is reading the Responsorium, you can see that the Mass of St. Thomas Aquinas is being celebrated. The missal used is that of 1933, with its famous neo-gothic engravings.


In the next image you can see the ministers and acolytes gathered at the sedilla as the priest reads the Gospel quietly. So all are standing. At this point he choir is still singing the Responsorium.


The subdeacon then receives the humeral veil and takes the chalice from the altar. He goes to the sedilla for his Preparation of the Chalice under the direction of the priest. This next image shows him doing his as the deacon holds the paten and host, and the priest indicates how much wine and water to add.


Here the subdeacon returns the chalice to the altar. You can see the archbishop's chaplain of honor, Fr. Ryan, sitting in the apse behind the altar.


This image shows Fr. Patalano about the incense the altar at the Offertory. He has just received the censer. After incensing the altar, the deacon will incense him. The other ministers are incensed during the chanting of the Preface.


In this picture taken during the Canon we see the ministers in the triangle formation, just about to kneel for the Consecration of the Host and Chalice. The archbishop and his chaplain have already knelt. The two acolytes hold their processional candles -- our version of elevation torches -- and the censer-bearer stands between them, ready to pass the censer to the deacon.


In this photo the ministers have knelt for the Consecration. You can see the lighted Sanctus candles on each side of the altar, next to the outer most of the six large ones. The apparalled amices worn by the priest and deacon are quite visible here, but the subdeacon's is covered by his humeral veil because he is holding the paten.


The deacon raises the chasuble and incenses the Precious Blood during the Elevation of the Chalice.

After the fraction, the priest drops a particle of the Host into the chalice and kisses it. The deacon then presents him with the Pax Instrument, which he kisses. The deacon then takes it to the subdeacon to kiss, who then presents it to the minor ministers. The cross-bearer than took to the archbishop and then to the friars. In this photo we can see him giving the peace to Fr. Bartholowew de la Torre, now a missionary in Baja California. Fr. Dominic Hoffman (R.I.P.), a prolific writer of spiritual books, kneels to the left. The "Pax Brede" being used was the subject of a recent post on this site.

In this photograph se we see the praparation for the Communion of the People. The mnisters have knelt in preparation for the priest to turn and display the host for the recitation of the Domine non sum dignus. The Dominican Rite adopted this Roman practice in 1959. Previously we simply recited our version of the Confiteor at this point.


In this final image you can see the the ministers as they about to genuflect and leave in procession. You can see that their capuces are up and that the archbishop and his chaplain have already begun singing the recessional hymn.

If you liked these images, do remember that you can order your own copy of the DVD from the Rosary Center.