On Saturday, 21 January 2017, at 4 p.m. in the Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis presided over the Mass closing the Jubilee of the 800th anniversary of the Order of Preachers. Of course, the place and time of the celebration were not accidental: it was 800 years since Honorius III issued the bull Gratiarum omnium largitori, approving and confirming the Order of Friars Preachers under the Rule of St. Augustine.
We, the Dominican Liturgical Center in Kraków, were asked to prepare the liturgy, attended by representatives of the “Dominican Family” – that is, not only nuns and friars, but everyone who holds the charism of the Preachers dear. Our Center prepared a booklet that was handed out before Mass, and during the celebration itself the singing was led by a schola that came from Kraków for the occasion.
Together with the Dominican Family from all over the world, we took part in the solemn Mass and a pilgrimage of several days whose goal was the liturgy. Studio Leebros prepared an excellent summary of those days. Be sure to subscribe to our channel!
A group of more than fifty singers went to Rome, having prepared for the event for several months under the direction of Fr. Dawid Kusz, a Dominican, composer and conductor. Most of them are people connected with our Center and the Kraków Dominican friary, but they were also joined by the Schola Cantorum Minorum Chosoviensis from Chorzów, which works with our Center on a permanent basis and was entrusted with singing the Gregorian Ordinary of the Mass. The group also included people serving in the liturgy: a deacon, an altar server and a co-leader of the Rosary.
The Schola of our Center is made up of people who have been singing at the Dominican friary in Kraków for years. The preparation of this liturgy was led by Fr. Dawid Kusz OP – the same friar who was responsible for the liturgy during World Youth Day in Kraków. The Kraków schola arrived in Rome at 12 noon after a day-long coach journey. Soon after arriving and checking into the hotel, it began a singing rehearsal in the Lateran Basilica, and a liturgical rehearsal also took place.
Although it was a papal liturgy, it had distinctly Dominican features. The first of them was the Mass formulary – a votive Mass of St. Dominic, probably composed for his canonization in 1234. These texts are among the earliest witnesses to the Dominican liturgy, from before its unification in 1256. In the Prayer of the Faithful – which reflected Dominican unity and diversity – there were seven intentions; each was briefly introduced in Latin, giving everyone the opportunity to pray even if they did not understand the language in which the intention was then prayed.
The celebration at the Lateran – the place where the popes resided, and so probably where St. Dominic met the Bishop of Rome – closed the celebrations of the jubilee year. On Sunday at 4 p.m. the Polish schola also took part in Mass in the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine, presided over by the Provincial, Fr. Paweł Kozacki, with a homily by the Theologian of the Papal Household, Fr. Wojciech Giertych OP. All Polish-speaking pilgrims staying in the Eternal City were also invited.
“This is an honour for our Center and for the Polish Dominicans (…). Among the wealth of forms of prayer from every latitude, it was precisely the heritage associated with Dominican friaries and the Niepojęta Trójco songbooks that was recognized”
Conductor during the Mass
Our Center prepared a booklet that was handed out before Mass. Before the trip we made recordings of the hymns and the sheet music available so that everyone who wished could prepare.
We were also the official distributor of merchandise connected with the Polish celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the Order of Preachers – it was very popular.
see photos • see designs • see films
The merchandise was prepared by the Polish Province of the Order of Preachers; its distribution ended in 2017.
