Record of the Week: Missale Romanum

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the best part of this job is coming across cool things that we didn't know we had. Like a lot of archives, not everything in our collection is in our database, so when we're looking for blog ideas some items don't pop up for discovery as easily. For this post, I was looking through the paper finding aid of our collection of missals, and noticed that we have one that was printed in Paris in 1683 with the note "used for the first mass at Old St. Paul's in 1824." We were all blown away. We didn't know we had something this awesome in a box in the basement! 

We don't have absolute proof that this was the missal used at that first mass, but it is certainly a well-used volume, and we had a lot of fun flipping through the pages.

The missal is covered with brown leather, and it looks like it had some kind of clasp at one time:

Front cover of the 1683 Missal

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The title page is beautifully illuminated with cherubs, and it looks like it got too close to a candle at some point:

Published in Paris in 1683

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The next page confirms the St. Paul's origin:

This belongs to the Catholic church of York, U.C. When you're the only church in town, you don't have to mention your name!

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The beginning of the book has charts to help readers figure out the liturgical year:

This is what they had to use before Google

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Instructions for the priest seem to be printed in red, and the words he says aloud are printed in black:

The Order of Mass

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Do you recognize this part of the mass? 

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli & terra gloria tua, Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Honsanna in excelsis.

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The missal uses the square notation of Gregorian Chant:

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The missal contains several historiated initials, which are first letters of paragraphs containing scenes: 

Historiated initial showing the Last Supper

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There are also several lovely engravings decorating the pages:

Behold the Lamb of God

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Now it's time for me to learn Latin so I can read this without having to use a translator!

Celebrating Christmas Mass

Christmas is, next to the Easter Triddum, the most important Mass celebration in the Catholic Church. Parishes traditionally prepare for several different Masses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and each celebration will have a unique character defined by the time of day when it is to take place.

I recently found a small program for Christmas Mass Times at St. Michael's Cathedral from 1934. I was instantly drawn to the illustration on the cover and thought it would be appropriate to share ahead of the Christmas holidays.


"Jesus, sweetest Child born in Bethlehem of Mary ever Virgin, swathed in rags, laid in the manger, announced by angels, visited by shepherds, have mercy upon us.

Jesus, sweetest child, made known to the three Magi by a star, adored in the arms of thy Mother, presented with the mystic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; have mercy upon us. -- From 'the Raccolta'"

Christmas Mass times, 1934. St. Michael's Parish Files. Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto.
 



Christmas Mass times, 1934. St. Michael's Parish Files. Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto

 

If you are interested in celebrating this Christmas at the Cathedral, here are this year's Christmas and New Year's Mass times.

 

You can also read more about the history and traditions of celebrating Christmas Mass on the website of the CCCB here.

God's Christmas Gift to Man

As the cold weather sets in and Christmas appears less than two weeks away, the streets and malls are gradually filling up with a frenzy of holiday shoppers. For some, you may still be brainstorming ideas of what gifts to get for the loved ones on your list.

This week, with the gift-giving nature of this holiday in mind, I went searching in our archives. If you're facing the cold and the crowds this weekend: good luck. In the meantime, enjoy this lighthearted Christmas hymn titled, "God's Christmas Gift to Man" by A. Farmer:

"God's Christmas Gift to Man" by A. Farmer
[before 1934]
Archbishop McNeil Fonds
MN PB03.08
 

A Singular Grace and Privilege Granted by Almighty God

December 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, when we celebrate the beginning of Mary's original-sin-free life. Though Church Fathers and theologians spoke of and debated Immaculate Conception for centuries, Pope Pius IX formally enshrined the idea in Catholic dogma on December 8th, 1854 in his bull Ineffabilis Deus:

"Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete. Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honor of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith, and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own: "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.""

Mary holds a special place in the hearts of Catholics, and our love for her comes through in art, music, literature, and prayer. We were especially impressed by the altar that was decorated at St. Michael's Cathedral for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1908:

Immaculate Conception Altar at St. Michael's Cathedral

December 8, 1908

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Immaculate Conception Altar at St. Michael's Cathedral, detail.

December 8, 1908

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Perhaps parishioners said the words of this 11th century prayer in front of this beautiful altar:

O Mary, you are inviolate, pure and without stain, you who became the glistening gate of heaven. O most dear and gracious Mother of Jesus, receive our modest songs of praise.
We beg you with heart and lips: make our bodies and our souls pure. By your sweet prayers, obtain eternal pardon for us. O Mother most kind! O Queen! O Mary! Who alone remained inviolate!

For more on the history of the Immaculate Conception dogma, check out articles from the International Marian Research Institute here and here.