Our Patron - Saint Lawrence

The feast of St. Lawrence is a Double of the Second Class in the Universal Kalendar and, amongst many other things, Patron of the Saint Lawrence Press. St. Lawrence's body is interred in the basilica of St. Lawrence-without-the-Walls in Rome. St. Lawrence was the first of the seven Roman deacons and known for his generosity to the poor. He was martyred in 258 according to tradition on a grid iron and asked his tormentors to turn him over as his flesh was roasted on the one side.

Celebration of the feast began yesterday (with a Vigil by way of preparation) with first vespers. The antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc were sung with psalms of vespers from the Common of Apostles. The chapter, antiphon on the Magnificat and collect were proper, the rest of the Office from the Common of Martyrs. A commemoration was sung of the preceding Office of St. John Mary Vianney.

At Mattins the invitatory Beatus Laurentius, Christi Martyr, triumphat coronatus in caelis: Venite, adoremus Dominum. The antiphons Quo progredis etc are sung in the first nocturn. The lessons in the first nocturn are from the Book of Eccesiasticus. In the second nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Leo on St. Lawrence and in the third nocturn the lessons are from a sermon of St. Augustine on St. John's Gospel. At Lauds the antiphons Laurentius ingressus est martyr etc are sung with Dominical psalms.

At Prime the feastal psalms are sung (53, 118i & 118ii) and the short lesson is Potens est autem. At the Hours the Dominical psalms are sung.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung and the Common Preface are sung.

Second Vespers and Compline are celebrated in the afternoon. At second vespers the V&R are proper to the feast.

The SSPX stopped publishing the Ordo in 1983, due to Archbishop Lefebvre's imposition of 'the liturgical books of 1962' on various districts which had thereto used the Old Rite during his negotiations with Vatican authorities. Fr. Edward Black, the current superior of Australasia but formerly a superior of Great Britain, then asked my current fellow directors Mr. and Mrs. Warwick to take over the publication and distribution of the Ordo so the work and achievements since 1973 might not be totally lost. The St. Lawrence Press came into being and St. Lawrence was chosen as patron as he was a munificent deacon and whose feast had both a Vigil and an Octave.

The above photographs are of Ordo 1983. The SSPX's St. Michael's House address can be clearly seen. This was the last edition of the Ordo that the SSPX published.

The 1984 edition of the Ordo (photographs below) had a new cover design, that only lasted for one year - the 1985 edition was plain with the now familiar cover design by Gavin Stamp appearing from 1986. Note that the 1984 edition is no longer published by the SSPX but by the Saint Lawrence Press. (The Saint Lawrence Press Ltd was formed in 2001 and Ordo 2002 its first publication).




In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast loses first Vespers. At the Hours the ferial psalms are sung.

Icon: Orthodox Church of America.