HE SHERBORNE MISSAL is the largest (and most lavishly decorated) Medieval Missal from England to have survived the Reformation. The manuscript was produced for the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s in Sherborne, Dorset, circa 1399AD. The principal artist—a Dominican friar named John Siferwas—included his portrait and coat of arms several times in the manuscript. We were made aware of this by Father Lawrence Lew. One of the attendants of the Blessed Virgin Mary (next to the Cross) has braided hair, so I guess young women did that even in the 1400s:
Similar to the Saint Isaac Jogues Illuminated Missal, Gradual, and Lectionary there appear to be fantastic little images of the different motions the priest makes during the Canon:
Priests who want to help congregations follow the Mass should really look into the Jogues Missal, because it provides photographs alongside the Ordinary of the Mass, in addition to having the complete Lectionary readings (ABC) and complete Propers in Latin and English.
The Sherborne Missal is now available
in its entirety to view online.
Meménto, Dómine, famulórum famularúmque tuárum…
…in primis quæ tibi offérimus pro Ecclésia tua sancta cathólica…
Communicántes, et memóriam venerántes, in primis gloriósæ semper Vírginis Maríæ…
Qui prídie quam paterétur, accépit panem in sanctas ac venerábiles manus suas…
Hanc ígitur oblatiónem servitútis nostræ, sed et cunctæ famíliæ tuæ…
Quam oblatiónem tu, Deus, in ómnibus, quaésumus, benedíctam, adscríptam, ratam, rationábilem, acceptabilémque fácere dignéris…
Præcéptis salutáribus móniti, et divína institutióne formáti, audémus dícere…
The level of detail is astounding:
Notice how the monks along the side have the words (on little white flags) to the Ave Regina Caelorum, which matches the drawings:
Roráte cæli désuper et nubes pluant justum…
Nunc scio vere, quia misit Dóminus ángelum suum…
