And the Schütz-Beatons were on hand to welcome it as it was received at St Patrick’s at a special mass this evening presided over by our great Archbishop +Denis (a man who really knows how to preside!).
But more surprising by far (and bringing even greater joy to the liturgically sensitive among the crowd) was the appearance of AN ALTAR CROSS! There it was, bold as brass (solid brass in fact), centre altar facing the presiding celebrant. So the liturgy was celebrated “versus Dominum” as well as “versus populum”.
If you are interested in how the liturgy is usually celebrated in St Patrick’s, take a look at Joshua’s excellent account of the episcopal Sunday mass here.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Deo gratias!
(To the altar crucifix, not to the free advert for my very minor blog.)
BTW, I don’t like the terminology for this sort of altar arrangement that the otherwise excellent NLM has come up with – to call having the right number of candles and a standing altar crucifix “Benedictine” is confusing, because “Benedictine”, in the common acceptation of the word, is the adjective denoting something to do with monks of the Order of St Benedict, rather than something to do with His Holiness Benedict XVI.
Just because the Cardinal who became Pope suggested it as a good stopgap on the way back to ad orientem liturgy doesn’t mean it should be named after him as Pope – perhaps “Ratzingeresque” would be a better term?
Sagittario Gratias, is what you mean, I think, with regard to the free plug for your blog!
No, David, your sign is Pisces – not that you should dabble in accursed Black Arts, of course…
So, what DO you mean by “Thanks to Sagittarius”?
I don’t get it.
My name, old boy. Schütz in Latin. Work it out.
Herr Schutz,
…Archbishop +Denis…
Should the above not be either Archbishop Denis or ++Denis. I have seen the plus (+) used either after the name to indicate a priest, or before to indicate a bishop, with two being used for an Archbishop.
I could be mistaken (and normally am).
WOW linked from Fr Z. Watch the stats spike! (Envy is still a sin, right?)
Oh – does Schütz mean “archer/bowman”? I see… So in the days of the Reformation and of High Lutheran Scholasticism, you would have been referred to as Sagittarius. Well, there you go.
Yep, that’s right. The great 17th Century composer (unfortunately, no proven relation) Heinrich Schütz signed himself “Henricus Sagittarius”.
That’s cute; but we always have a Crucifix on our altars, yet the Priests never go to the other side and then make up excuses like “we were facing both!”. :p :D