The Seven Sacraments

Richard C. SauerzopfBexley Hall Seminary

February 2008

San Vitale, RavennaCompleted, 548 AD

Detail of the decoration of the Presbytery. San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy.548. Oar_square's photostream. www.flickr.com

San Vitale, Ravenna. From Sacred-desitnations.com

San Vitale, Ravenna. Interior view showing apse. From azoto46'sphotostream. www.flickr.com.

Hildegard of Bingen(1098-1179)

Hildegard receiving divineinspiration, frommedieaval manuscript

Representation of theTrinity from t heScivias Codex

Rogier van der Weyden(1399/1400 - 1464)

The Sacraments of Baptism,Confirmation and Penance

by Weyden, Rogier van der(1399/1400 - 1464)- Triptychpanel from Koninklijk Museumvoor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp

The Sacrament of the Eucharist

by Weyden, Rogier van der(1399/1400 - 1464)- Triptych panelfrom Koninklijk Museum voorSchone Kunsten, Antwerp

The Sacraments of ExtremeUnction, Matrimony and HolyOrders

by Weyden, Rogier van der(1399/1400 - 1464)- Triptychpanel from Koninklijk Museumvoor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp

Rogier van der Weyden. Seven Sacraments Altarpiece. Baptism,Confirmation, and Penance. Detail of the left wing. c.1445-1450. Oilon panel. Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp,Belgium.

van Rogier der Weyden.Seven SacramentsAltarpiece.Ordination,Marriage, andExtreme Unction.Detail of the rightwing. c.1445-1450.Oil on panel.Koninklijk Museumvoor SchoneKunsten, Antwerp,Belgium.

Rogier van der Weyden. Seven SacramentsAltarpiece. Virgin Mary and St. John. Detailof the cental part. c.1445-1450. Oil on panel.Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten,Antwerp, Belgium.

Rogier van der Weyden (b. 1400, Tournai, d. 1464, Bruxelles). SevenSacraments Altarpiece, complete.

St. Peter Church, Monk Soham,Suffolk, England

Confession. Frombaptismal font,St. Peter Church,Monk Soham,Suffolk, England.Early fifteenthcentury.

All photos of thischurch fromSimon K’s PhotoStream.www.flickr.com.

Mass. Frombaptismal font,St. Peter Church,Monk Soham,Suffolk,England. Earlyfifteenthcentury.

Baptism. Frombaptismal font,St. Peter Church,Monk Soham,Suffolk, England.Early fifteenthcentury.

Ordination. Frombaptismal font, St.Peter Church, MonkSoham, Suffolk,England. Earlyfifteenth century.

Last Rights. Frombaptismal font,St. Peter Church,Monk Soham,Suffolk, England.Early fifteenthcentury.

Matrimony. Frombaptismal font, St.Peter Church,Monk Soham,Suffolk, England.Early fifteenthcentury.

Confirmation. Frombaptismal font, St. PeterChurch, Monk Soham,Suffolk, England. Earlyfifteenth century.

Crucifixion. Central panel of baptismal font, St. Peter Church,Monk Soham, Suffolk, England. Early fifteenth century.

View of St. Peter Church Baptismal Font showing its location at the(liturgical) west end of the church. Monk Soham, Suffolk,England.

View of St. Peter Church Baptismal Font from choir/sanctuary. Monk Soham,Suffolk, England.

Seven Sacraments Baptismal Font doing double duty as a Christmas tree stand. (!) St.Peter Church. Monk Soham, Suffolk, England. Note typical (and badly damaged)effigies of Evangelists at base of font, and top of scary-looking box on floor.

Gratuitous image of scary-looking box in front of Baptismal Font, St. Peter Church,Monk Soham, Suffolk, England. Note sickly-green copper-oxide depositswhich have leached from the box to stain the terra-cotta floor tiles.

St. Peter Church, Monk Soham, Suffolk, England

The Assumption Church, GreatWitchingham, England

Baptismal font, The AssumptionChurch, Great Witchingham,England, Fifteenth Century.

Another “typical” font showingthe seven sacraments. Alsotypical are the effigies of thefour Evangelists, which ringthe Font’s base.

This font retains significant tracesof its polychromaticdecoration.

All images of this church fromwww.norfolkchurches.co.uk

Baptism.

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

It’s time to play…NAME THATSACRAMENT!

Is it Matrimony?

You make the call.

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

Note: Game is for exhibition only.Please, no wagering.

And now forround II of…NAME THATSACRAMENT!

Ordinationperhaps?

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

Extreme Unction.

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

Mass

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

Note that the altaris adornedwith a lovelydossal andtester!

Confirmation?

The AssumptionChurch,baptismalfont detail.GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

Confession?

The AssumptionChurch,baptismalfont detail.GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

The Assumption

The AssumptionChurch,baptismal fontdetail. GreatWitchingham,Enlgand.

A fitting themefor thedecoration ofthe front panelof this font.

The Assumption Church, Great Witchingham, Enlgand. Fifteenth Century

Interior of The AssumptionChurch, GreatWitchingham, Enlgand.

View shows position offifteenth century “sevensacraments” baptismalfont (the top of whichappears on the left side ofthe bottom of the image)relative to the Choir andHigh Altar.

Interior of The AssumptionChurch, GreatWitchingham, Enlgand.

View shows position offifteenth century “sevensacraments” baptismalfont in the baptistry, whichis located on the (liturgical)western end of the churchand which here containsthe the main body of theorgan as well.

Cathedral of the Holy TrinityNorwich, England

Norwich, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

“The Seven Sacraments Font in St. Luke'schapel is a beautiful example of a typeof font popular in East Anglia in the15th century. There are only two inother areas, but 38 in Norfolk andSuffolk. The scenes carved round theoctagonal bowl are Baptism,Confirmation, Ordination, HolyCommunion, Marriage, Unction of theDying - then a Crucifixion to fill theeighth space and Penance. The fontc.1480

This font was badly damaged during theEnglish Civil War by Puritan iconoclastsThe font originates from the parishchurch of St Mary-in-the-Marsh, whichwas demolished in 1564. Theparishioners were given use of St.Luke's Chapel, where they still worship.”

(Official Norwich Cathedral website)

Magnificent Great Crossingwith Romanesquestructure, and Gothicvaulting over choir andapse roof. Cathedral ofthe Holy Trinity.Norwich, Norfolk,England.

www.artandarchitecture.org.uk

Nave with Romanesquestructure and Gothicvaulting over choir andapse roof. Cathedral ofthe Holy Trinity.Norwich, NorfolkEngland.

www.artandarchitecture.org.uk

Norwich, Cathedral of theHoly Trinity, West façade(15th Century). Norfolk,England

After C. H. B. Quennell, TheCathedral Church ofNorwich (London: GeorgeBell & Sons, 1900)

St. Mary ChurchLittle Walsingham, Norfolk

St. Mary Church, Little Walsingham, Norfolk

St. Mary is the Anglican parish church for Little Walsingham, and as such the motherchurch for all the Anglican parishes in the vicinity. It was destroyed by fire in 1961,only the shell, font and memorial surviving.

The font is one of the seven sacrament series, depicting the seven sacraments of the pre-Reformation Catholic Church. About forty of these fonts have survived in England,more than half of them in Norfolk. Simon K's Flickr site. www.flickr.com

Baptistry, Saint Mary Church , Little Walsingham, Norfolk

Laxfield Church, England

“Laxfield's fantastic 15th-century font is one of the finest 'Seven Sacraments'fonts in the country.” Lawrence OP’s Flickr site. www.flickr.com

Laxfield Church, England.

Buckland, Gloucestershire

Buckland, Gloucestershire. One of three surviving panels of a late fifteenthcentury series of the seven sacraments. Matrimony. Vitrearum's Flickrphoto site. www.flickr.com

St. Michael ChurchDoddiscombsleigh, Devon, England

Seven Sacraments Window.

St. Michael Church,Doddiscombsleigh, Devon,England

“[T]he east window of the northaisle, contains the mostcomplete in situ compositionof the Seven Sacraments inany English church, withbeautifully painted scenes ofthe Eucharist, Marriage,Confirmation, Penance,Ordination, Baptism, andExtreme Unction, depicted asflowing from lines of bloodstreaming from Christ’swounds”

(www.vidimus.org)

St. Michael Church,Doddiscombsleigh, Devon,England

(www.vidimus.org)

St Anthony’s ChurchCartmel Fell, Lancashire, England

East window of St Anthony’s Church, Cartmel Fell,England. (www.vidimus.org)

Interior of St Anthony’s Church, Cartmel Fell, Lancashire, England

(www.visitcumbria.com)

Exterior of St Anthony’s Church, Cartmel Fell, Lancashire, England

(www.visitcumbria.com)

Manuscripts

Salutaris septum Sacramentoruminstitutio. From WarwickUniversity Department of History.No caption found.

La Croix de Pardieu. [Paris: UlrichGering and Bertold Rembolt,after 1500?]: Aberdeen SLA Inc.200. The seven concentriccircles of the title page, eachdivided into seven sections, setout the petitions of the Lord’sPrayer, the seven sacraments,the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit,and so on, collectivelyrepresenting all the religiousknowledge required of everyperson. The remainder of thelittle treatise expounds inequally elementary fashion ’LeA b c des Christiens’. Thisfascinating little work, whichappears to be unique, raisesseveral bibliographical problems,discussed in Mitchell,Catalogue of the Incunabula inAberdeen University Library,no. 200.

Page from Assertio SeptemSacramentorum, HenryVIII

The Vatican Libraries.

1521 “Assertion of theSeven Sacraments” byKing Henry VIII: A replyto Martin Luther. PopeLeo X gives Henry thetitle of “Defender of theFaith” Vatican Libraries

Nicolas Poussin

Self-Portrait by NicolasPoussin, 1650, oil oncanvas, 98 x 74 cm,Louvre

The Sacrament of Baptism, Nicolas Poussin, 1642, Oil on canvas,95,3 x 121,6 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington

Nicolas Poussin. The Ordination. 1640s. Oil on canvas. TheTrustees of Rutland Trust, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, UK.

Nicolas Poussin. The Last Supper. 1640s. Oil on canvas. TheTrustees of Rutland Trust, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, UK.

Nicolas Poussin. The Confirmation. 1640s. Oil on canvas. The Trustees ofRutland Trust, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, UK.

Nicolas Poussin. The Extreme Unction. 1640s. Oil on canvas. The Trustees of

Rutland Trust, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, UK.

Prayer CardsAmerican, Nineteenth Century

Confession. This card is from the complete set of seven holy cardsissued in the 1800s to showcase the Seven Sacraments.

Baptism. This card is from the complete set of seven holy cardsissued in the 1800s to showcase the Seven Sacraments.

The Penny CatechismAmerican, 1930s

"The Penny Catechism"CATECHISM FORBEGINNERS AnAid in Preparing theLittle Ones for theReception of FirstHoly CommunionFirst Book of FatherDecks' Series ofCatechisms NihilObstat andImprimatur, 1930OMNI CHRISTIANBOOK CLUB.HAWTHORNE,CALIFORNIA 90251

"The PennyCatechism"

"The PennyCatechism"

"The PennyCatechism"

"The PennyCatechism"

"The PennyCatechism"

"The PennyCatechism"

Christ the King CathedralLexington, Kentucky

Seven Sacraments Windows. Christ the King Cathedral, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. +Alan’s Flickr Photo Stream. www.flickr.com

The Sacrifice of Abraham, in context. St. Vitale’s Revenna. Fromazoto46's photostream. www.flickr.com

More Revenna

“The two prominent figures here are the Emperor Justinian and BishopMaximian. Justinain carries a large gilded paten and is followed by twopatricians wearing white tunics with purple tabellae and by the Imperialguard armed with shields and lances.” Oar_square's photostream.www.flickr.com  

The Empress Theodora and her court, St. Vitale, Revenna

“Christ is seated on a deep blue globewith San Vitale to his rightaccompanied by an angel. BishopEcclesio appears with another angelon the opposite side. Cross shapedvault ceiling of the cupola in theBasilica of San Vitale in RavennaItaly. Construction of he churchbegan in 526 AD and wasconsecrated on April 19, 548AD.Often referred to as the "mostglorious example of Byzantine artin the West". The predominantfeature of this basilica is itsoctagonal shape with a central coresurmounted by a dome andsupported by eight columns andarches.” Oar_square's photostream.www.flickr.com

San Vitale, Ravenna. Interior view showing apse. From Sacred-desitnations.com

“Cross shaped vault ceiling of the cupola in the Basilica of San Vitale inRavenna Italy..” Oar_square's photostream. www.flickr.com  

Floor plan of St. Vitale Church,Revenna. From a StateUniversity of New York atOneonta class website.

Constantinople

Church of St. Surgius and Bacchus,Constantinople.

“The name of the recently restoredchurch (Little Haghia Sophia,Kücük Ayasofya) derives from itssupposed architecturalresemblance to that of the greatHaghia Sophia (Ayasofya), thoughit is older than the latter. It wasbuilt by the emperor Justinian in527 AD and was originally knownas the Church of SS Sergius andBacchus.The architect of thebuilding is unknown but itsarchitecture is very similar to thatof the Selimiye Mosque in Edirnebuilt by Mimar Sinan, of the St.Vitale Church in Ravenna and evento that of the Cathedral of Aaachenin Germany.It is one of the mostimportant buildings in the historyof architecture. Efendi'sphotostream. www.flickr.com