I’m visiting Rome this week, to find fabric and passementerie suppliers for the Guild of St Clare. The highlight, of course, is today’s visit to Gammarelli.
Among the magnificent exhibits at the Burrell Collection is a 15th century Dalmatic. There is so much I’d like to know about this remarkable vestment. Unfortunately, the curators of the museum aren’t much interested in it. /1
A rare treat for me: Mass at Westminster Cathedral. I’m only an occasional visitor to London, and going to the Cathedral is like finding home unexpectedly in a strange place.
The Guild of St Clare Autumn Retreat has begun! Our chaplain is Fr Stephen Morrison OPraem of the Norbertine community at Peckham, and he opened the retreat with a beautiful celebration of the Premonstratensian rite.
The opening Mass of the February Guild of St Clare Sewing Retreat. Our chaplain this weekend is Fr Thomas Crean OP, celebrating Low Mass in the Dominican rite.
There is a wilful ignorance about some of the labels which borders on deceit. Look at this one. Is it really “food and drink” that Our Lady is bringing to the Saint? /4
Happy Feast of the Annunciation to all! Here at St Gregory’s in Oxford, Fr Saward is celebrating Mass with vestments and matching altar furnishings made by the Guild of St Clare.
Anti-Catholic bigotry among children: a thread.
It’s half term this week, and my home-educated children are also having a break, and doing some fun holiday activities. Yesterday, they attended a cookery lesson. It was a small group of children, aged between 9 and 13.
Sewing is for everyone: a thread
Among the infuriating lies and half-truths in Mr Ivereigh's article on the Old Mass at Ledbury was the tiresome dismissal of sewing as suited only to women. This dated stereotype insults everyone involved, men and women: there are plenty of both.
The saddest headline in the world. Yesterday’s news revealed that the government can’t close our schools because children have no one else to look after them: today we find that mothers of families rely on work to get away from their children. Thanks feminism.
The Easter Vigil at St Mary Moorfields, London, organised by
@latinmassuk
, is the liturgical highlight of my family’s year. This is a little story about the vestments. 🧵🪡
Having 9 children, it’s not surprising that I should have come in for my fair share of slings and arrows on the subject. However, it’s only necessary to exceed two children to invite the most egregious comments. Here are some of the worst I’ve heard.🧵
The highlight of the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School is the outing to Oxford, with Sung Mass at the Oxford Oratory thanks to the kind hospitality of the Oratorians there.
Vestments as old as this are quite rare, and there must be a story to tell about how it survived in its current, almost perfect, condition. As it is, what little information we’re given is vague and erroneous. /3
As things are, schools are evidently not places where our Catholic children can easily flourish. Home education remains the best guarantee of their physical and spiritual well-being.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of the response to this appeal. It has come out of the blue to cheer and strengthen our efforts to give glory to God through our care of the vestments used for His worship.
So if you want to support a largely female apostolate supporting traditional priests by making and mending traditionally-made vestments, you can donate to the wonderful
@guildofstclare
end/
Every morning at the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School, before lessons begin, we say the rosary together. Each decade is led by one of the children; and today, they said it in Latin 🤩
So, the information is available to those determined to find it. But to young visitors, or disengaged visitors - in fact, those most in need of an interesting, factual and pithy summary - only the most meagre rations of it is provided. /7
Gothic chasubles are characteristic of the antiquarianism beloved of Modernists: they are closer in style to the paenula of the early Church. Most new rite parish sacristies are stuffed with them, and a great many Roman chasubles were destroyed in the 60s. /1
love the ad orientem but I’ll never understand the trad obsession with the fiddleback chasuble, as it is a product of the very same liturgical utilitarianism/functionalism that animated some of the lackluster liturgical reforms we ended up getting
And a special guide dedicated to the embroideries in the collection goes into even more detail. The Dalmatic is from a High Mass set made in England for Whalley Abbey, named in an inventory at the time of the Dissolution, and rescued by a recusant family. /6
Day 3 of the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School, and we have had the honour of a visit from
@LawrenceOP
, who spoke powerfully to the children about the Rosary as a spiritual weapon against Dualism. It was very moving to see their enthusiastic response.
Two rose coloured altar frontals of Guild of St Clare manufacture were used today in different churches. Here is the one made for
@BedeChurch
by the London (St Bede’s) Chapter, led by the highly skilled Verena Windsor.
One enormous stockpot: part of preparations for the cooking for the
@latinmassuk
Walsingham Pilgrimage! We’re expecting record numbers this year, as you can see.
Pope Francis wasn’t the only visitor to Venice this weekend! On the advice of
@LawrenceOP
, I was also there, to pay a visit to the workshop of celebrated textile manufacturers, Luigi Bevilacqua. It is one of the most ancient working weaving mills in Europe.
In the shadow of the growing threat to the traditional Mass from Rome, our Lenten Vestment Mending Challenge has launched with terrific brio. As an alms to the Church, with the intention of the liberty of the traditional Mass, we are prayerfully undertaking many repairs. 🧵
It’s the 1st day of the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School, where I’ll be teaching hand sewing (the children also receive tuition in Latin, Greek, catechesis and singing among other things). Here at the opening Mass our chaplain wears vestments recently repaired by the Guild.
I fear for our Catholic children, trying to make their way in our secular and deeply hostile society. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I never had to deal with this level of institutionalized, officially sanctioned hatred.
The canonisation of Carlo Acutis has unfortunately given rise to a wave of bad art. This stained glass window is ugly but, more worryingly, is noticeably lacking in devotional character.
Very excited to announce that our exclusive Guild of St Clare Sewing Kits are now available to buy online for the first time, through the
@latinmassuk
shop.
The
@latinmassuk
AGM took place today at the Birmingham Oratory, and what a lovely occasion it was. I always enjoy seeing old friends at this annual event, but it was particularly special meeting them at the home of St John Henry Newman.
What a great-hearted nation America is. Since I started fundraising for the Guild (only a few months ago) I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of Americans- it’s all the more impressive as my apostolate hasn’t yet reached the US. These donations are completely disinterested.
I have no idea who this woman is, but she is doing more for "classical Christian education" by running this guild than all the current classical Christian schools put together. This Prot mom is gonna give you one of the few real gifts I can, a recurring donation.
Our Lenten Vestment Mending Challenge is nearing its close, and the Oxford Chapter is holding a special sewing workshop today to consolidate and complete our various tasks.
Happy Feast of St Clare!
In honour of our heavenly Patron, all Guild of St Clare sewing kits are available at a 20% discount from the
@latinmassuk
shop.
In the shock of the announcement of the cancellation of the Easter Triduum by Cardinal Nichols, many will have missed the very small fanfare made by another, almost simultaneously: the launch of a new Guild of St Clare Chapter in East Kent. 🧵
We're very pleased to have our very own Chapter of the Guild of St Clare
@guildofstclare
- to make and mend vestments and textiles for the traditional Mass - here at Ramsgate. Do get in touch if you want to get involved.
It’s a great privilege to join the Guild of St Clare Northern Chapter for a special one day retreat at the magnificent church of St Walburge’s, home to the ICKSP.
Opening Mass at the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School, celebrated by our chaplain Fr Andrew Southwell. The green Low Mass set is one which has been extensively repaired by the Guild of St Clare.
Trads are fighting so many fires at the moment that we really haven’t the manpower to start digging trenches for a chasuble war; but in fact there’s no need, at least on this narrow question. Roman, Gothic, Borromean; there’s room in the Church sacristy for them all. /End
A visit to the Burrell Collection gives as much pain as pleasure. I definitely advise sensitive visitors against reading the information cards. However, a trip to the museum restaurant is guaranteed to soothe frayed nerves, and I recommend that without reservation. /End
One of the oddest things about the young lady in the chasuble is that it is being worn incorrectly. A Roman chasuble should have tapes attached to the inside front lining that wrap around the body and tie at the front, so that the chasuble is held firmly in place. /1
Not endorsing mockery, but its worth noting the not otherwise popular wearing of Roman Chasubles by Anglicans has historically had its own polemic purpose, being to claim the validity of their Catholicity and Orders.
Serving the Walsingham pilgrims: a thread
Since its beginning, with only a dozen pilgrims, the LMS pilgrimage to Walsingham has grown to large numbers: 114 this year. Naturally an event of this size, taking place over four days, requires the support of non-walking volunteers.
Every year I teach a sewing class for children at the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School. The projects are always connected in some way with church sewing, and the emphasis is on hand sewing. In the past we’ve made rosary purses, pocket shrines, embroidered scapulars, aprons etc.
If only trads would listen to this kind of nuanced and perceptive criticism, they’d be so much better for it. The trouble is there aren’t nearly enough people on social media passing judgment on others; if there were more of them, they could change the Church for the better.
When I started attending the TLM many things about it seemed strange to me. It was the love and unconditional welcome I received from the community that first drew me towards it; love of the liturgy came later. Let’s try and leave personal judgements behind when we go to Mass. /1
For those who don��t much like the tradition and craftsmanship that Gammarelli stands for, I can reassure you that bad vestments are also available in Rome’s tailoring district. Check out this beauty:
I’m visiting Rome this week, to find fabric and passementerie suppliers for the Guild of St Clare. The highlight, of course, is today’s visit to Gammarelli.
Those attached to the Traditional Mass are faithful Catholics who pray regularly for the Pope and his intentions. We are loyal to the Church and her unchanging teachings and stand shoulder to shoulder with all our Catholic brethren of the last two milennia.
“Both Protestants and traditionalists, having rejected the pope — the authentic interpreter of scripture and tradition — are left with nothing but their own judgement as an interpretive key.”
The Guild of St Clare London Chapter has recently completed Passiontide veils for two statues at St Bede’s, Clapham Park: a beautiful Lenten alms from the Chapter to the parish.
Our Lenten Vestment Mending Challenge progresses! Here I am in the office of the Latin Mass Society, returning a completed Low Mass set to the vestment press.
I’m happy to announce the launch of a new Guild of St Clare Chapter, at St Mary Magdalen, Wandsworth. Many thanks to Canon Edwards for inviting us to help with his beautiful vestment collection.
All the same, I have serious questions about the way children are being educated about world religions in schools. Far from encouraging diversity and tolerance, schools are spreading bigotry and fear among secular children.
We’re delighted to welcome back as our chaplain Fr Edward van den Bergh Cong. Orat. of the London Oratory. The beautiful violet vestments, with their striking goldwork embroidered in gold and silver, belong to
@latinmassuk
, kindly lent for the weekend.
I feel anguished that I’m letting them in for this. And yet they were born for it: to know God, to love Him and to serve him; also to suffer for Him. Already, before they’ve even reached their teens, without uttering a word, they are suffering the persecution of the Faith.
One of our young members at work on a new maniple, to match a beautiful chasuble belonging to
@latinmassuk
, with nothing to match it. Of the four pieces needed to make up the Low Mass set, three will have been made by children: most skilfully so.
My eldest daughter, starting university a few weeks ago, had a similar experience. After only a few days she found that other students had been warned to avoid her, because she was prejudiced and hateful. Prejudice is certainly plentiful but it isn’t Catholics who harbour it.
Thanks to the kindness of our supporters, we may raise enough funds to tackle a project especially close to my heart: the restoration of a beautiful white Cope, given to the Guild of St Clare by Fr Mark Swires of the diocese of Brentwood.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
The Guild of St. Clare is a terrific cause, and worthy of your support! (See link here for making a donation: )