While Laetare Sunday has come and gone, I could not help but share these images -- photographed by the NLM's own Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P. -- of a very rare sight indeed. Not only the incredibly beautiful church of
St. Birinius in Dorchester-on-Thames, with its wonderful rood screen, riddle posts and curtains, and painted ceilings, but also a conical chasuble.
Now conical chasubles are rare enough to see, all things considered, but the sight of a
conical rose chasuble is virtually unheard of:
![Laetare Mass in Dorchester](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ty0loKPSYIbeEwMYqrKd06yUm3ZyBCV7784K6cTwDF-kPVO9-5ve5XyY_RaV9ryih_v73qXOKGWA3veKZD8FdyYCm52uJh6txNL7MPEmjOS7AtaXvekyOoxkuVgOkI0g=s0-d)
![Rose in Dorchester](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uZXDrxvMcUdwzi4LrMZ0s4LnX56sNP-jzb9xCJXhNGF1Zu5HLxhzS9byyNGZvJ1pXWNU3GbpljVw6La7CeIJnVZWB1S4Mvbh3kPGbZogC3XuY5twvwisYHZmp09uoycZo=s0-d)
The conical vestment originally came from
Pluscarden Abbey and the priest is Fr. John Osman, the parish priest of St. Birinius.
Quite stunning all around.