Cathedral History in Pictures: The Corpus Christi Procession in 1950 by Paul Tobin

CATHEDRAL HISTORY – A PICTORIAL RECORD The Corpus Christi Procession, June 1950

Paul Tobin

Before the reforms of the Liturgical Calendar in 1955, a number of Feasts that were classified as Doubles of the First Class (now known as Solemnities) had an Octave attached to them. There were different types of Octave. Those of Christmas and Easter were known as ‘Special Privileged Octaves’, whilst Corpus Christi with the Epiphany were classed as ‘Privileged Octaves of the Second Order’. This meant that the Divine Office and Masses during the week following the Feast were always those of the feast, including the Sunday. At the Cathedral, both High Mass and Vespers during these eight days were celebrated in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed (coram Sanctissimo).

The custom at the Cathedral was for the Cardinal Archbishop to sing Pontifical First Vespers on the eve. On the feast day itself another priest would sing the High Mass, at which the Cardinal presided wearing cope and mitre rather than the cappa magna, since following the Mass he would be carrying the Blessed Sacrament in procession round the Cathedral. The Cathedral Chaplains who attended Mass in choir would change from their grey cappae parvae (i.e. without the lengthy train of a prelate’s cappa) into stole and chasuble over the sleeveless rochets which they wore.

Traditionally the vestments used on the Feast of Corpus Christi were the set known as the ‘St George’s Flag’ set, on account of the red orphrey that stood out against the white of the vestment itself. The copes in the picture of Benediction following the procession will be familiar to those who attend Vespers of Christmas as this is now the only occasion during the year they are used. For many years, Cardinal George Basil Hume (Archbishop of Westminster 19761999) would wear the chasuble from this set as it suited someone of his height.

In the picture of the procession leaving the Sanctuary can be seen a Master of Ceremonies holding the short train that was attached to the cassock of a prelate. The MC with hands clasped is the late Mgr Peter Anglim, who was Cathedral Master of Ceremonies from 1964-67. The torchbearers on either side of Cardinal Bernard Griffin (Archbishop of Westminster 1944-1956) are servers from the Choir School, who were recruited solely for this purpose for the weekday High Masses and Vespers when sung solemnly with priests in copes. Image: Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, July 1950

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