Ceremonies of the Sarum Missal : A Careful Conjecture

R.J. Urquhart provides the first systematic description of the ceremonial of the Sarum Mass in 500 years. Using a variety of sources, and tracing the Sarum rite and its occasional use from the Act of Supremacy through to modern times, Urquhart has compiled a volume that offers the best possible reconstruction and overview of these profoundly beautiful rites from the liturgical treasury of the Church.

Urquhart considers Sarum in the light of Pope Benedict XVI's groundbreaking apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus, and how this has reopened the question of the catholicity of part of the Anglican patrimony. He also considers the impact of Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum and its proposition that what was sacred for earlier generations remains sacred now, arguing that this supremely pastoral teaching calls for a more profound and detailed study of the rite.

Urquhart covers all aspects of the ritual, beginning with an outline of the vessels, books and vestments and then moving on to outline both Low and High Mass, special forms, processions and blessings, and the ritual year. Appendices cover the role of the laity, and offer an Ordo Missae with simple rubrics.

“This book is both learned, in the best sense of that word, and fun! It is structured like O'Connell ... and shows you how to celebrate the Sarum Rite solemnly. But also (this is far more difficult to reconstruct from the rubrics) how to “do Sarum” in the simple “Low Mass” way it must have been done every morning in churches and chantries all over England (and much of northern Europe). Sources are minutely footnoted, and a convincing account is given of the canonical status of this Rite. A volume which could change your life!” —THE REVD FR JOHN HUNWICKE, Independent Scholar, UK

“The use of Sarum, a sort of liturgical “dialect” within the Roman Rite, was noted for its processions, colourful splendour and elaborate ritual, spreading not only to much of mediæval England but to parts of Ireland and Portugal. It led Giles de Bridport to report in 1256 that “among the churches of the whole world, the church of Salisbury shines like the sun in full orb.” Although its legacy continues today, it remains a lost and much misunderstood part of our English Christian patrimony. In this volume, R.J. Urquhart unlocks its secrets and provides a practical guide, allowing us to picture how our forebears worshipped and inspiring us to celebrate the Sacred Liturgy worthily today.” —THE REVD FR NICHOLAS SCHOFIELD, Archivist of the Archdiocese of Westminster, UK

“The modern revival of the use of Sarum has been prevented not by religious principle, but by the sheer erudition required to perform the ceremonies. This book removes that obstacle. It constitutes both an invaluable reference tool for future scholarship and an indispensable vade mecum for all who wish to participate in this renaissance.” —CHRISTOPHER HODKINSON, Wyoming Catholic College, USA; Director Emeritus, Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, UK