Beautiful New Vestments for the Dominican Order

Our long-time contributor, and photographer extraordinaire, Fr Lawrence Lew OP, is currently serving as rector and parish priest of the Dominican church in London, dedicated to St Dominic and Our Lady of the Rosary. The church has recently received some very nice new vestments, beautifully decorated with symbols of the Dominican Order. Fr Lew writes: “To celebrate the 800th anniverary of the English Dominican Province, we decided to commission vestments that will be used by the brethren for concelebrated Masses. I worked with Adam Bławat (of Benedicamus.pl) on the design of the vestments, including the customised damask and orphrey we designed together that features the Holy Rosary, Dominican heraldry and other symbols. This set will be used for the first time at an ordination at St Dominic’s Church on July 4th.

With the help of benefactors, I hope in time that the Rosary Shrine will have vestments with this design in all the main liturgical colours. If any Dominican brothers, convents, provinces would like to order similar vestments, please contact me – we should club together and co-ordinate the order!” Anyone who is interested can contact Fr Lew via email at [email protected]. Our thanks to him for sharing these pictures with us.

A closer view of the decorative band, with the alternating black-and-white cross of the Dominican Order (a shape known in heraldry as a “cross fleury”).

The chasuble; this is the pose of a priest when he says “Dominus vobiscum” facing the people during the Dominican Mass.

In the Dominican Mass, as in most medieval Uses and the Ambrosian Rite, the priest extends his arms out in the form of a cross at the Unde et memores.