• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

We’re a 501(c)3 public charity established in 2006. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and run no advertisements. We exist solely by the generosity of small donors.

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • Vespers for Holy Thursday?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 10, 2021

HE OTHER DAY, I mentioned a few Catholics who had a great sense of humor. To this list, I should have added Father Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923). He was one of the leading scholars of his age, and earned three doctorates. (This was so extraordinary, the Holy Roman Emperor came to confer them on Father Fortescue.) But Fortescue also possessed a great sense of humor. He wrote a hilarious commentary on a translation by Father Hilarius Dale, who insisted on using Italian phrases when he translated a book by Giuseppe Baldeschi (Master of ceremonies at the Vatican): 1

For instance, in Dale you do not bow to the celebrant, you “proceed to make the customary salutation”; you do not stand, you “retain a standing posture.” Everyone “observes” to do everything: you “observe” not to kneel, you “observe to retain a kneeling posture.” The Master of Ceremonies does not tell a man to do a thing, he “apprizes him that it should he performed.” The celebrant “terminates” the creed; he genuflects “in conjunction” with the sacred ministers—then he observes to assume a standing posture in conjunction with them. The Master of Ceremonies goes about apprizing and comporting himself till he observes to perform the customary salutation. The subdeacon imparts the PAX in the same manner as it was communicated to him. Everyone exhibits a grave deportment. Imagine anyone talking like this! Imagine anyone saying that you ought to exhibit a deportment!

Vespers On Holy Thursday:

In the 1955 revision of Holy Week, the office of Vespers on Holy Thursday was suppressed by Pope Pius XII. In the Pre-1955 version, Vespers on Holy Thursday is to be recited not sung. However, before 1955 it seems that certain churches did sing Vespers on Holy Thursday, and the Vatican allowed this to continue. You can find these Gregorian chants if you look the Appendix of certain books:

*  PDF Download • Sung Vespers for Holy Thursday (1954)
—On page 430, the Antiphonale Monasticum (1934) has a version which is slightly different.

Writing in 1913, Father Adrian Fortescue has some fascinating information to share vis-à-vis Holy Thursday:

After Mass the procession takes the SANCTISSIMUM to the place where it is kept till the next day. This is an example of a real Roman procession, having a definite object. It is usual to call the place to which the Blessed Sacrament is taken the “altar of repose.” This is a harmless popular name; but it is not really an altar. No sacrifice is offered on it. At first it seems that nothing more was done than to keep the SANCTISSIMUM reverently in some safe place, often in the sacristry, as it is still reserved in many Eastern Churches. Then people realized that this was the one occasion when they had the Blessed Sacrament in their churches. So they made much of it. They fitted up and adorned a place of honour; they began to watch and pray before the “altar of repose” all the day and all night. Much of the ideas of such later developments as Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, of the “Forty Hours,” and so on, seems to have begun during this time between Mass on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. And then, even after it had become usual to reserve the SANCTISSIMUM on the altar of nearly every church all the year round, the old custom of special reverence on this occasion continued. That, too, is nearly always so. Custom preserves many things in liturgy after their first reason has ceased. This accounts for the special reverence with which we still treat the SANCTISSIMUM at the altar of repose, although we have it now in the tabernacle always. And, indeed, on this night of all nights, when our Lord was suffering his bitter torment, it is natural that people should spend part of the time with him in prayer, honouring the gift of that day.

We leave the altar of repose, come back to the High Altar and say Vespers. This is not really a special feature of these days. On all fast days Vespers are now said in the morning, from the old idea that one does not break one’s fast till after Vespers. Easier legislation now allows people to eat at midday on fast days; but the liturgical sequence is preserved; so the meal pushed Vespers back to the morning. The fact that on fast days at the end of Mass the deacon says not: “Ite missa est,” but “Benedicamus Domino,” meant once that he did not dismiss the people then, because they were to stay for Vespers. After Vespers the altar is stripped. This ceremony has become to us one of the features of Holy Week; yet it is only one more case of an archaic custom otherwise abolished, but preserved on these days. Once, after Mass on any day, the altar was stripped. Now on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday the stripping of the altar has become a symbol of desolation, or a memory that our Lord was stripped of his garments.

The Maundy follows…

For the Holy Thursday Maundy (“washing of the feet”), Father Fortescue says the thirteen men chosen should be poor. By the way, most readers probably remember that before 1955, the Maundy was never part of the Mass. It took place later in the day. (It will be remembered that all the Triduum Masses before 1955 took place in the morning.)

Addendum:

Speaking of the Pre-1955 Holy Week, there is a book from 1670AD which describes all the ceremonies. On Palm Sunday, it says the Gospel is read facing the people “that they may hear the Gospel.” I don’t know why this is, but I’m hoping one of the readers can enlighten me. It’s not in the rubrics published in 1853. Nor is it in the rubrics published in 1750AD. Very curious.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   When it comes to the stripping of the altars on Holy Thursday (“Ad Denudationem Altarium”), Father Fortescue doesn’t like how Father Hilarius refers to this as the denudation, as you can see: “Predella, zucchetto, bugia, cotta, and so on; then genuflexorium, denudation (he means stripping) of the altar. His rage for Italian goes to such a length that he spells berretta each time.”

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Pre-1955 Holy Week Last Updated: November 9, 2021

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal will undoubtedly enrich liturgical life at the parish level by making accessible these ancient, noble, and theologically-rich Catholic hymns, translated into English in quite a beautiful way.”

— Rev. Fr. John Berg (Superior General, Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter) 30-NOV-2018

Recent Posts

  • Hidden Gem: Ascendit Deus (Dalitz)
  • PDF Download • Soprano Descant — “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above”
  • “Dom Jausions had a skilled hand. His transcriptions are masterpieces of neatness & precision.”
  • Pope Leo XIV pays tribute to Palestrina
  • PDF Download • Palestrina’s “Ave Maria”

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up