Seminarian Crafts Handpainted and Scripted Altar Cards for Seminary EF Celebration

Many of our readers will know that I have often extolled the virtue of not limiting ourselves to the mass-produced offerings of the religious supply catalogues. I have suggested that, while these certainly have a place, we also need to look beyond the catalogues into the realm of possibilities offered by original liturgical art and original commissions from artisans and craftsmen.

In that vein I couldn't resist circling back to our post from earlier this morning about a Missa Cantata offered a few days ago at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Minnesota. While we focused on the Mass itself in that post, what I hadn't mentioned was the fact that the altar cards which were used for that Mass were hand designed and executed by one of the seminarians of that seminary, Dan Schumaker.

Here is a detail from the central card:


As part of a new liturgical movement I believe we need to regain this creative aspect with regard our liturgical arts. The world of possibilities this opens up (and, by contrast, the dangers of becoming cliche and stale where we otherwise limit ourselves) can hardly be overstated.

Make no mistake, the artisans are out there; but do not make a second mistake either: this aspect of the new liturgical movement ultimately relies on yourselves as patrons who will commission and pay for these works from these artisans.