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!