Dominican Rite Mass at San Buenaventura Mission

First a picture of San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura, California. This mission has had Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite for a good number of years at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. For the last two or so, Fr. Paul K. Raftery, O.P. a Dominican of the Western Dominican Province and chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula has been supplying there, celebrating the traditional Dominican Rite Mass.










In this photo see the interior of the Mission with a view of the High Altar, prepared for a Missa Cantata in the Dominican Rite on Sunday April 27, the day traditionally called the Fourth Sunday after the Octave of Easter in the Domnican Rite.

This image shows Fr. Paul at the Epistle Side after the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. This is his position during the reading of the Officium (as we call the Introit), the Kyrie, the Gloria, Collect, Epistle, and the intervening chants. Fr. Paul read all of these quietly as the schola sang them, except for the Collect and the Epistle, which he himself chanted according to the Dominican tone. We only have one tone for the Epistle and it is similar to that found in the Roman books as "an ancient authentic tone." As this is a Mass in Easter time the two chants are both Alleluias.

In the Missa Cantata according to our Rite, the chalice is prepared at the altar as Fr. Paul is doing here, while the choir sings the intervening chants. In the Solemn Mass, it is prepared at this point, but by the ministers at the sedilla (the single bench used by all three major ministers in our Rite). The famous Dominican preparation of the chalice before the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar is only done in the Low Mass.

In this image, Fr. Paul has moved to the Gospel side of the altar to sing the Gospel. We have only one Gospel tone, and it is similar to one of the Roman ones. After this, Fr. Paul preached his sermon.

Here we see the genuflection at the Incarnatus est of the Creed, which Fr. Paul has been reading quietly as it was sung by the choir and congregation. Normally the priest in the Dominican Rite moves to the center of the altar to make this genuflection, but it is not unknown for him to do it more Romano at the book, as Father does here. In our books there is actually only one truly Dominican Credo, it is similar to the Roman Credo I.

Here the thurifer is incensing Father Paul at the Offertory. The thurifer will incense the two acolytes during the singing of the Sanctus. If this were a Solemn Mass, that would also be the time when he would incense the deacon and subdeacon. Our Offertory is made in a single oblation of Host and Chalice together. And, of course, the chalice has already been prepared at the intervening chants.

Here Fr. Paul is reading the Sanctus and about to begin the Canon as the choir and congregation sing. At this point a Sanctus Candle (or several) may be lighted. You can see it as the very small candle between the last two o nthe Epistle side in this photo.

The Elevation of the Host. In the Dominican Rite the Sanctus and Benedictus are properly sung together, so after the elevations there is silence until the doxology of the Canon, even at a Missa Cantata.

After the elevations in our Rite, the priest extends his arms moderately to form a Cross, calling to mind the Sacrifice of Calvary, which is re-presented for us at Mass. This posture is maintained until the blessings at the end of the prayer Unde et memores, at which point the usual close orans posture is resumed. Note we do not extend our arms all the way in this cross posture, unlike the Carthusians and Carmelites (I believe).

Here we see the procession leaving the church. Unlike secular clergy who wear birettas in the traditional rite processions, the Dominican practice is to raise the capuce (here covered by the large Dominican style amice) coming in and going out.


And finally we close with a view from the back of Fr. Paul Rafterty, showing the capuce and amice.

I am told that the servers at the mission have gone through the trouble to learn two sets of responses, those for the Roman and those for the Dominican rite. They are to be congratulated and thanked.

Credit to California Roamin' Catholic for these lovely photographs.