Saturday, March 24, 2018

Holy Week Schedule for Westminster Cathedral, 1939

I have seen this several times on social media, but somehow, we’ve never got around to sharing it here on NLM. His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop (Arthur Hinsley) had a very busy week. Note that in addition to the singing of all four of the Passions, the Office is given a prominent place, with Compline in addition to Tenebrae, and Pontifical Matins and Lauds of Easter, anticipated to the evening of Holy Saturday, as was then the long-standing custom. This schedule comprises only the services which are in addition to or variations of the regular ones; at the time, the canons of Westminster Cathedral maintained a very full liturgical life. The other Hours of the Divine Office would also have been celebrated according to their normal schedule, as they were every day, with Vespers and Compline sung, the rest in recto tono. (If anyone has any further information, please comment.) Multa renascentur quae jam cecidere!

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