Eighteenth-century Praemonstrian Order Processional

Processionale rurale ad usum Ecclesiae Ilbenstadiensis.
[Ilbenstadt, Germany], 1712.
Decorated manuscript on paper, signed by Frater Jeremiah Moeller and dated 1712.
(BRMS 96)

This processional was written for use by canons of the Praemonstratensian Order at the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Ilbenstadt, Germany, near Frankfurt am Main. Founded by St. Norbert of Xanten in the twelfth century, the Praemonstratensian canons lived according to the Rule of St. Augustine. Their duties included preaching the Gospel, administering sacraments, directing parishes, teaching, and other pastoral services. Many of the order’s monasteries were associated with wealthy abbeys such as that in Ilbenstadt.

Signed by the scribe Frater Jeremiah Moeller in 1712, the decorated manuscript contains services for the feasts of St. Mark, Ascension Week, and Corpus Christi. The volume includes antiphons, responses, prayers, Gospel readings, the litany of saints, and services for the investiture of novices and the profession of Praemonstratensian canons in the presence of the Abbot.

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Manuscripts
Eighteenth-century Praemonstrian Order Processional