Jacobus Ornat – Hilden

Concept

In addition to exploring the life of St. James and the legends surrounding him, I attended several services at the parish. Both—the life and message of St. James as a person and the actual liturgical practice—as well as the liturgical space for which the vestments were designed, were and remain essential focal points of my work. My exploration of questions regarding martyrdom, the history of martyrs’ feasts, their significance for the development of the early Church, and their place in our lives today served as important foundations for the design of this vestment.
A Call to Follow the Cross – In celebrating a martyr’s feast day, on the one hand we commemorate the specific individual and his or her faithfulness to Christ and the faith that enabled that person to endure suffering and death; on the other hand, the specific martyrdom can serve as an example and a model for us Christians on our own journey of faith—even if it must continually be “translated” anew into the context of our time. “Take up your cross and follow me…” This unambiguous yet controversial statement by Jesus points the way: Christian discipleship—especially following the cross—can only succeed when sustained in and through the security of Christ’s love. Following the cross is following the faith. I am tempted to say: A white, empty cross awaits everyone….
And then there is a second point: “Wherever we go, we always carry the death of Jesus in our bodies, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For even while we live, we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. Thus death exerts its power on us, but life on you.” (2 Cor 4:10–12) This is the reading for the Feast of St. James. Taking up this thought, I placed a breastplate at the center of the garment—like a heart. This breastplate penetrates the garment and thus the body of the wearer. The front of the breastplate shows an exposed, recessed white—and thus empty—cross, the cross that awaits us. This breastplate is embedded in the golden
T-shaped cross of Christ, the cross of love and security. The wearer’s white alb becomes clearly visible, both at the side and at the bottom hem of the garment, thereby extending the golden cross from the chasuble into the alb and thus bringing it even closer to the wearer. A visual transition takes place. Through their hemline, the vestments echo the shape of the pointed arch of the neo-Gothic church. These fundamental design principles were applied to all vestment styles for the various ministers and their respective roles. The golden cross, however, is reserved for the principal celebrant, who, as the presider of the service, is the representative of Christ in the celebration of the Mass.

Items from the catalog

Msgr. Ulrich Hennes: Background and Objectives

Msgr. Ulrich Hennes: The New Man in a New Garment

Dr. Wolfgang Stracke: A Symbolic Stroke of Luck

Photos: © Julia Oppermann