Liturgy
Our Order is known for the “splendor cultus” (the splendour of worship) which it has always promoted. The Sacred Liturgy is therefore the centre of our life. “Laus Dei in choro” (The praise of God in Choir) is the chief mark of our Order and a Norbertine’s first obligation.
The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) is entirely sung in common, as far as possible, by each canonry of the Order, with only minor variations between the canonries. Each hour of the Office ends with an anthem sung in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, chanted either in the simple or solemn tone according to Premonstratensian Chant (a variant on the ‘Gregorian’ chant of the Roman Rite).
The Conventual Mass is the highlight of each day, when the entire canonry gathers around the Altar for the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Order has a strong Eucharistic charism, which also favours the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at other times, especially Holy Hour and Benediction.
The Premonstratensian Use (or Rite) was effectively abandoned at the time of the post-conciliar reforms. However, canonries of the Order maintain certain customs of text or ceremony which come from our rich canonical tradition. While celebrating the Roman Rite, the Order has its own calendar, with its own celebrations of saints and beati, and its own supplements for chant and ceremony which mean that the feasts of the year maintain a Norbertine flavour.
Our canonry sings the Liturgy in Latin and English to the best of our ability, and with as much fidelity to our tradition as possible.
In this way, our Order conducts a liturgical apostolate, designed to provide for the Faithful under our care a beautiful and full sacramental life, in tune with the universal Church. Preaching is also part of our mission to edify and encourage the people of God, and to enable them to advance in holiness and in love of God and neighbour.
While most of our celebrations are in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, we also make use of the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin rite), using our own Missale Praemonstratense, which differs only in detail from the Roman Missal of 1962.
Solemnity, dignity, and beauty are the hallmarks of the conventual liturgy of our Order, and we try always to live up to the high ideals of our Holy Father Norbert, whose devotion to the Mass, to the sung Office, to the relics of the Saints, and to the Blessed Sacrament, remain an essential part of the tradition handed down to us throughout our 900 year old history. In this way, we offer to Almighty God the worship that is His due, a sacrifice of praise to His honour and glory.
Please see our Horarium.