I found this at an estate sale, here in Birmingham, Alabama, several years ago. The sale was in a big old frame house near the Vulcan statue that seemed to have been part antique store, part attorney’s office. I usually don’t look at books at these things considering I’ve spent much of the past ten years purging them. But this was just sitting on a table. It was fifty cents.This isn’t the entire book.
It’s pre-Vatican II, obviously, mid-1950’s, of Belgian origin. I’m struck by the simplicity of the vestments – perhaps an expression of where the Liturgical Movement was in Europe by this point?
I offer it because I know I have readers who, like me, are interested in historical catechetical and devotional materials, and also to remind us that the most important stated purpose of the pre-Vatican II Liturgical Movement was to deepen the individual’s understanding of the Mass, and this effort was, outside of academic circles, commonly expressed in terms of encouraging frequent Confession and Communion and catechesis to help develop personal liturgical piety. Not that changes to various aspects of the liturgy weren’t discussed, and in some contexts even practiced, but it wasn’t the pastoral emphasis. And there were lots of materials with that purpose produced during this time, materials that were lovely, simple and solid, and not at all sentimental.
(You can click on all images for a larger version)
Now, from the beginning, in order:
(With a few pages that contained only text omitted)
If you look closely at this image, you can see the elderly and infirm being assisted on their way into church. Corporeal Works of Mercy in action.
Charlotte was Both 