Catholic Tradition

Full View of the Sanctuary
Please Notice the two Side Altars which are partially hidden by pillars.
Also note all of the beautiful paintings, the beautifully painted statues,
and the art work on the ceiling and the tops of the arches

Closer View of the Sanctuary

Sanctuary During a Sunday Mass at a very Ornate Altar
Note all of the Statues, candles, and the steps going up to the Altar

Sanctuary During a Requiem Funeral Mass
Notice the Black Vestments
and
The 6 Black Candlesticks and Unbleached Wax Candles on either side of the Casket
Which is Covered with a Black Funeral Pall

Very Ornate Wooden Altar and Sanctuary

The Altar Itself including a few of its Steps

The Tabernacle with a Tabernacle Veil

Traditional Altar Crucifix

Canopy or Throne of Altar

The Three Altar Cloths on the Mensa or top of Altar

Ornate Candlestick

Ornate Reliquaries
Contain Holy Relics of the Saints

Sepulchrum or Altar Stone of solid Marble
Except for a small hole cut into it for Relics
With a Chalice and Chalice Paten sitting on it
Contains the Relic(s) of Holy Catholic Martyrs
The Altar Stone is permanently set into the top of the Altar
so that the top of the Altar Stone is flush or even with the top of the Altar

Center Altar Card - Placed in Front of Tabernacle During the Mass

Deus, Qui humanae, Lavabo, and Corpus Tuum, Domine
Altar Card on Epistle (right) Side of Altar
(The Deus, Qui humanae prayer is said when
a few drops of water are added to the wine at the Offertory.
The Lavabo prayer is said at the washing of the hands.
The Corpus Tuum, Domine prayer is said when plain wine and water are used to purify
both the chalice and both thumbs and forefingers of the Priest after Holy Communion.)

Last Gospel Altar Card on Gospel (left) Side of Altar

Altar Carpet on the Predella or top of the platform on which the Altar sits

Credence Table with a lace cover
Wine and Water Cruets sitting in a Lavabo Basin
Lavabo Finger Towel on another Lavabo Basin
Round, Gold-Plated Paten with handle for Altar Boy
It is used to put under the chin of each Person Receiving Holy Communion
in case a Consecrated Host falls, it will fall on the Paten
and neither on the fingers or hands of the Communicant or on the floor

Wine and Water Cruets sitting in a Lavabo Basin

Lavabo Finger Towel on another Lavabo Basin

Lavabo Basin

Ablution Cup with White Finger Towel
Sit next to or very close to Tabernacle on right-hand side
Is used by Mass Celebrant to Purify his right hand thumb and forefinger
after Holy Communion
If he gives Holy Communion outside of Mass
or both of his thumbs and forefingers
if he binates and says another Mass immediately following the current Mass

Communion Rail
Note the long red cushion on which the Communicants are to kneel
to Receive Holy Communion

Communion Rail Readied for Holy Communion
Note the long white Communion Cloth which is draped over the top
and then down the opposite side of the Communion Rail.
This is done by two Altar Boys before Holy Communion.
Communicants are to kneel and place both of their folded hands under the Communion Cloth.
This way, if a Consecrated Host accidently falls and somehow misses falling onto the Communion Paten,
which the Altar Boy holds under the chin of each Communicant,
the Sacred Host will then fall onto the Communion Cloth, but
will never touch the fingers, thumbs, or hands of the Communicant
Because only a Priest and a Prelate have their thumbs and forefingers anointed and consecrated
in order to be able to touch the Sacred Host.

Holy Communion is given on the tongue to those kneeling.
Holy Communion is Administered only by a Priest or a Prelate
because only they have thumbs and fingers which have been Consecrated
to touch the Sacred Host when they were Ordained to the Holy Priesthood.
The Laity, by definition, have not received the Sacrament of Holy Orders
and therefore their thumbs and fingers
are forbidden to touch even the Sacred Vessels
and never, under any circumstances, are the Laity permitted
to touch a Consecrated Host or a Chalice containing the Precious Blood.
Communicants do not say anything, not even Amen.
Photo taken in Catacombs III

Choir Loft
The members of the Choir are not permitted to be in the Sanctuary, but to sing in the Choir Loft.

An Organ in a Church Choir Loft
The Only Musical Instrument Permitted is the Organ

Pulpit for Preaching
Used Only by Priests and Bishops
Total Silence is always Observed in Church except for
The Mass Celebrant (a Priest or a Prelate) and the required Responses made by Altar Boys

Sedelia
The Mass Celebrant sits in the center flanked on both sides by one Altar Boy.
This is used primarily at High Masses when the Mass Celebrant sits
after he has finished reading the Gloria and the Creed
while he waits for the Choir to finish singing.
During the Creed, the Altar Boys kneel on the bottom Altar step closest to the Sedelia
while the Mass Celebrant removes his Biretta and bows his head
at the Et incarnatus est.....

Episcopal Throne

Sacristy
The Sacristy is a room off the Epistle side of the Altar
from which the Mass Celebrant goes to and from the Altar.
Priestly Vestments for Mass, Benediction, etc. are kept in the draws, etc.
Missals, Rituals, unconsecrated Mass Hosts, chalices, ciboria, monstrances, etc. are kept in the top portion.

The Mass was always in Latin.

The Mass Celebrant (a Priest or a Prelate - a Bishop)
read the Mass from the Missal which was in Latin.

Pope Saint Leo I

Some Liturgists claim that this Missal for the Mass has been traced back to the Leonine Sacramentary of Pope Saint Leo I [Saturday, September 29, 440 - Thursday, November 10, 461].

Pope Saint Gelasius I

Pope Saint Gelasius I [Saturday, March 1, 492 - Wednesday, November 21, 496] used this same “Missal” called the Leonine Sacramentary of Pope Saint Leo I and had copies made of it probably to replace the older copies which were wearing out.

This re-issued edition is called the Gelasian Sacramentary. According to some Liturgical historians, both Sacramentaries are similar to the 1943 and earlier editions of the Missale Romanum (in Latin, of course) which Mass Rite some pre-Vatican 2 Liturgists call the Ancient Roman Rite.

Pope Saint Pius V

Pope Saint Pius V restored the Missale Romanum to the original purity of the Missals (Sacramentaries) used by Pope Saint Leo I and Pope Saint Gelasius I.

Pope Saint Pius V then promulgated the restored Missale Romanum on Tuesday, July 14, 1570, forbidding all changes to it (except for new feast days and rubrical clarifications) under censure of excommunication in his Papal Bulla, Quo Primum Tempore, of Tuesday, July 14, 1570.

The Priest faced the Altar.
This Photo is of the Consecration of the Sacred Host.

The Altar was fastened securely to the back wall at the center of the Sanctuary.

Another Example of a Marble Altar with the Tabernacle in the center.
This one has a gold door.

The Tabernacle was fastened securely to the top of the back of the Altar
and also sometimes to the back wall of the Sanctuary.

There were only Altar BOYS.

The Congregation followed the Mass in their hand-size Missals.

Biretta

The Mass Celebrant, either a Priest - who wore a Black Biretta - or a Prelate - who wore a Roman Purple Biretta, wore a Biretta when processing from the Sacristry to the Altar, when sitting on the Sedelia (Priest) Episcopal Throne (Prelate) during a High Mass, and when processing from the Altar to the Sacristry after reciting the Prayers after Low Mass.

Prayers after Low Mass Card
(Please click on the image of the Card to get a larger size Card
Click on that to make it bigger - so you can read it very easily.)

How the Chalice is Prepared for Mass

Catholic Traditional Mass Vestments Worn by Priests
Given in the Order in which they were put on

Black Cassock Rabat with White Roman Collar

Black Cassock for Priests
(Photo also shows White Roman Collar - the Black Cassock Rabat is not showing)

Black Cassock Cincture

The Priest is already wearing his Black Cassock,
Black Cassock Rabat with White Roman Collar, and Black Cassock Cincture
before he begins to vest for Mass

Before putting on any Mass Vestments, the Mass Celebrant
always washed his hands first reciting the require prayer.

When vesting with each garment, the Priest would
always recite the prayer for that particular Mass Vestment.

Amice

Alb

Cincture

Maniple

Stole

Chasuble and Biretta
Carrying the Chalice to the Altar

Altar Boys wore a Cassock - Usually Black
Over which they put a White Surplice.
Similar to a Priest's Black Cassock and White Surplice
Except the obvious smaller size for both Cassock and Surplice..
Also, Altar Boys wore neither a Black Cassock Rabat nor a White Roman Collar,
nor a Black Cassock Cincture.

The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar were recited at the Foot of the Altar, after which the Priest ascended the Altar Steps. During the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, both the Priest and the Altar Boys, in turn, recited the Confiteor.

Among many other things, e.g. moving the Missal on the Missal Stand from the Epistle Side of the Altar (after the conclusion of the Epistle and the prayers after it) to the Gospel Side of the Altar. After Holy Communion, the Altar Boys would move the Missal on the Missal Stand back to the Epistle Side of the Altar.

During the Mass, the Altar Boys would also bring the wine and the water cruets to the Priest, walking up the steps of the Altar on the Epistle side of the Altar from the Credence Table. After that, they washed the thumbs and forefingers of the Priest.

Before Holy Communion, the Altar Boys would go to the Communion Rail to turn the Communion Cloth onto the top of the Communion Rail and would also let part of it hang down over the side of the Communion rail so the Laity, when kneeling, could put their folded hands under the Communion Cloth so that the Consecrated Host, if it fell, would never touch their fingers or hands in any way.

Only the specially Consecrated hands and fingers of Priests and Bishops could touch a Consecrated Host.

The Altar Boys also recited the Confiteor before the Priest gave them Holy Communion as they knelt on the Predella (top platform on which the Altar sat). The Priest then walked down the Altar Steps to the Communion Rail to give Holy Communion to those kneeling at the Communion Rail.

Only Priests, and Bishops could touch any Sacred Vessel, e.g. the Chalice, Chalice Paten, Ciborium, Monstrance, etc.

Deacons could only touch the empty Sacred Vessels, i.e. the Chalice, Ciborium, and Monstrance and the other Sacred Vessels, e.g. Chalice Paten.

Only Priests and Prelates (Bishops, Archbishops, etc.)
could give Holy Communion.

Holy Communion was only given in the form of a small
( 1 1/8" diameter), very, very thin, white host.

The Precious Blood was consumed only by the Mass Celebrant - a Priest or Prelate.

Ciborium with top in place
Covered with a White Cover
The White Cover indicated Consecrated Hosts were in the Ciborium
This is Holy Consecrated Hosts were kept in the Tabernacle

The Consecrated small, thin, white hosts were kept in a Ciborium
which was kept in the Tabernacle except for administering Holy Communion.

Holy Communion was received kneeling on the tongue at the Communion Rail

The Communicant remained totally silent before, during, and after receiving the Sacred Host.

An Altar Boy would place a Paten, which had a handle on it about 12" long, under the chin of each Communicant to whom the Priest was about to give Holy Communion so that if a Consecrated Host fell, it would not fall on the floor, but onto the Paten instead.

Except on All Souls Day, each Mass could be offered for only one intention. More than one intention was prohibited.

The Chalice and Host were always set on top of the third Altar Cloth directly over the marble Altar Stone which contained the relic of at least one Saint, usually the Patron Saint of the Church, which relic was cemented into a small cavity which had been made in the marble Altar Stone.

Mass Vestments were made of silk or other expensive material.
All Liturgical Vestments, especially Mass Vestments, were a beautiful work of art.

Black Requiem Mass Vestments

Missae Defunctorum

Black Vestments were always used for funeral Masses, Masses for the Dead, Good Friday, and the three Masses on All Souls' Day. Except for Good Friday a Special Requiem Missal called the Missae Defunctorum is used.

Only the Priest gave a Sermon.
Only the Priest spoke to the Congregation.

The Laity, except for Altar Boys, always remained on their side of the Communion Rail, the gates of which were always closed usually with only a few exceptions - Weddings, Funerals, and the three Processions.

Holy Saturday Procession

The three Processions were usually held, one on Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, and the other on Corpus Christi.

Prelates (i.e. Bishops of whatever rank of ecclesiastical jurisdiction - Bishops, Archbishops, Metropolitan Archbishops, Primates, Cardinals, and Patriarchs) would sometimes enter the Church in a Solemn Procession in which case the gates of the Communion Rail would be opened before the Mass, but closed after everyone in the Procession had entered the Sanctuary. The gates would be re-opened after the Pontifical Low Mass, or Pontifical High Mass, or Pontifical Solemn High Mass was over so the Procession could exit the same way it entered the Church with the Prelate.

One exception was the Mass for Episcopal Consecration because the Candidate for the Episcopacy would process with his Co-Consecrators, etc. from a Side Altar to the Main Altar as in the above photo.

Silence was a hard and fast rule which was required of everyone in the Church except for the Priest and the responses made by the Altar Boys.

There was no shaking hands with anyone before, during, or after the Mass inside the Church. The focus was always on God.

There was a Main Altar and at least two Side Altars.

Beautiful statues of Our Lord, Our Blessed Mother, and the Saints filled the Sanctuary and each Side Altar had one such statue set on top of its Tabernacle, which was also attached to its respective Altar, which Altar was also fastened to the back of the wall in the Sanctuary.

Statue of Saint Paul

Statue of Saint Augustine

Various Churches also had beautiful statues in other places in their Churches. The above are a but examples of the fine artistry that made each statue "Heavenly". Notice the attention to detail and the life-like features of the faces, the great attention to every detail, and the beautiful trims.

Depending on the Church, the High Altar had from three to fifteen steps.

The Choir Loft was only for the members of the Choir.

Only one musical instrument was permitted - the organ.

After the Gloria on Holy Thursday until the Gloria on Easter Saturday, no music was permitted and the bells were not rung - instead a special wooden clapper was used in place of the bells.

Good Friday was only the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.

Holy Saturday had the reading or chanting of the twelve prophecies.

Holy Saturday's new fire lit one of the three candles of the triple candlestick which was carried in procession to the High Altar where the Pascal Candle had been set in its special candlestick.

The Pascal Candle was lit from one of the three candles of the triple candlestick.

No nails were put into the Pascal Candle in the form of the Jewish Star of David, but instead five grains of incense were applied in the form of a Greek Cross + to the Pascal Candle.

Votive candles were made of wax - they were not electric lights.

Religious items for the home could be purchased in the vestibule of the Church after Mass in some Churches, and especially before Christmas.

There were Low Masses, High Masses, Solemn High Masses, and Pontifical Masses.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was always done after the High Mass was over.

Card used by the Priest for the Prayers at the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

This card was also used before the Sunday High Mass for the Asperges
(Vidi Aquam in Paschal Season) when the Priest Blessed the Congregation.

The Tabernacle was set into the center of the High Altar.

Traditional Confessional

Confessions were heard in sound-proof (to keep the Seal of Confession intact) "Confessionals" which were either built into the walls in the back of the Church or on the sides of the Church. In the above photo, the door on the left indicates there is a hearing aid inside it. Even though Confessionals were supposed to be sound-proof, both the Confessor and Penitent usually spoke either in a whisper or in a very low tone of voice in order to protect the Seal of Confession.

Going to Confession

This cut-away view shows the interior of the Confessional.
The Confessional "screen" was usually much smaller than the one depicted in the graphic.

The Priest hearing Confessions sat in the center cubicle while penitents would enter the outer cubicles, close the door, and kneel down to wait for the Priest to open the small, sliding door to hear your Confession.

The Ordinary (i.e. the Bishop or Archbishop) of the Diocese would Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation by walking down the Communion Rail from left to right inside the Sanctuary.

In this photo, He is obviously Confirming Grade-School Children.

It was Traditional for those to be Confirmed to wear a "Confirmation Gown" which was
somewhat similar to a Graduation Gown, except the color was always the same for everyone.

Notice the Boys have a Male Sponsor and the Girls a Female Sponsor. Each Sponsor (God Parent) physically touched the right shoulder of the one to be Confirmed with his/her right hand.

Two Examples of Traditional Religious Habits

Male and Female Members of Religious Orders wore the Traditional Habit of their Respective Order and Obeyed the Holy Constitutions for which their Saintly Founder(s) received approval from the Pope, in some cases many, many Centuries before the 20th Century.

The Church doors were unlocked about an hour before the first Mass in the morning and remained unlocked until dark so parishioners could stop in and make a Visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

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