Lendert Cathedral

Saint Peter's Cathedral Priory
The Cathedral Priory of Saint Peter and Saint Blaise at Lendert
Ecclesia Cathedralis Sanctorum Petri et Blasii Lendartiensis
Location	Lendert-with-Cadell
Country	Great Nortend
Denomination	Church of Nortend
History
Dedication	St Peter and St Blaise
Consecrated	August 1st, 1284
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Gothic
Years built	1111–1322
Administration
Diocese	Lendert and Cadell
Province	Limmes
Clergy
Lord Bishop of Lendert	Cardinal Alan Gough
Bishop of Cadell	Walter Fitzcolling
Prior	Henry Finchen
Dean	Matthew Reedman

St. Peter's Cathedral Priory, commonly known as St. Peter's Cathedral, is a priory of the Church of Nortend in the capital city of Lendert-with-Cadell. Its formal name is the Ecclesia Cathedralis Sanctorum Petri et Blasii Lendartoniensis or the Cathedral Priory of St. Peter and St. Blaise at Lendert, and consists of the Prior and Convent. The Priory Church, which is also the see of the Lord Bishop of Lendert, bishop of the Diocese of Lendert and Cadell, is dedicated to St Peter the Apostle and St Blaise. As a monastic cathedral, the Priory's chapter serves as the bishop's chapter, whilst the Bishop of Lendert is also the titular Abbot of Lendert.

History

Abbey

The church was founded as a Benedictine abbey in 800 by Æthelfrey after the death of his father, Hartmold the Great, who was the first Christian king of Nortend. Originally a small house, by 977, records shew that there were forty monks at the Abbey, which had its own daughter priory at Galwick. The increase in population, assisted by generous grants by kings of the House of Mure necessitated expansion and rebuilding of the monastic buildings. This began in 930 under the abbot Geselwin after funds were secured from the increasing number of pilgrims to the shrine of St. Blaise, whose relics had passed into the Abbey's possession.

With the new buildings yet unfinished, in 1094, Lendert was besieged by invading forces from Lorecia which severely damaged the abbey buildings and destroyed the nearly completed nave, though the monk's quire and chancel remained mostly intact. The rebuilding of Lendert and Cadell brought skilled stonemasons to the city, who practised in the new Gothic style. Subsequently, when the entire abbey church was rebuilt beginning in 1111, it was mostly in this new Gothic style.

Elevation to Cathedral

With the increasing wealth and population of Lendert, the Royal Court settled down permanently in Lendert in the early 13th century. Desiring a cathedral in his capital, Eltbold appointed the abbot, Edward de Groive, as Bishop of Lendert in 1284, elevating the abbey into a bishopric by his charter. Though the diocese merged with the diocese of Cadell in 1302 after the death of the Bishop of Cadell, and became the Diocese of Lendert and Cadell, the Bishop of Lendert never became Bishop of Lendart and Cadell for unknown reasons.

Owing to this arrangement, the Lord Bishop of Lendert is also the Abbot of the Lendert. Indeed, this was in practice the case as well for Edward de Groive and the several bishops after him who considered themselves the head of the priory and used the title of abbot in that capacity. However, by the time of the Bishop Thomas de Darton in 1402 at the latest, it had become usual for the prior to take the place as de facto head of the priory, rather than merely the bishop-abbot's deputy. The change meant that the monks voted for their prior rather than have the abbot appoint a prior. However, at their installation, the Bishops of Lendert are still enthroned in the Chapter House as Abbot of Lendert by the Prior.

Schism

See also: Church of Nortend § The Great Schism

In 1614, Alexander I renounced papal authority in Great Nortend, and declared the Church in Nortend an independent church, for the Bishop of Rome “hath no jurisdiction, temporal or spiritual in our Realm”. Daily life at the Cathedral carried on as usual; however, in 1668 the Duke of Cardenbridge's Act was passed which required all religious office holders to assent to an Oath of Supremacy forsaking the Bishop of Rome's “usurped powers”. The Convent threatened to refuse to sign and declare assent to the Oath of Supremacy. However, the Prior, John de Robesthorp did, allegedly in the interests of the Priory and his subordinates. Nevertheless, he translated his vow of stability to Curching Abbey after he was elected Abbot in 1674 after several tense years. The Dean of Lendert followed and was made Prior.

William I refused to grant subsequently his writ of priore eligendo to permit the Convent to proceed to an election to elect a new Prior. The priory was vacant for three years, and in 1677, the Bishop of Lendert exercised his power as Abbot of Lendert to appoint Guilliam Molsey as Prior. Molsey implemented some minor reforms to the monastic office during his tenure; however, he vigorously defended the privileges and rights of the Priory against the Bishopric.

To Present

In 1711, the canon Quia solliciti was assented to by Edmund VI which imposed the new Book of Offices, Book of Masses and Book of Rites in English, ending the use of Latin in the liturgy. The Priory adopted these books with some hesitation and reluctance; however, by 1715, the Lord High Treasurer remarked that the “monks of the Priory did sing the new Offices cheerfully”. This was attributed to the greatly reduced burthen the new offices imposed, halving the number of offices daily to four from eight, and simplifying and shortening them considerably, so as to allow more time for work and toil. Some, however, regretted the reduced focus on divine service; Walter Maddle, an elderly choir monk, said in 1720 that “we have become monks cooler than lukewarm”.

In 1737, Mary passed In reformatione, which suspended the entrance of novices to all religious houses, including St. Peter's Priory. However, in 1742, after her marriage to the Earl of Scode, this was revoked, and fifteen monks were professed in that very year.

Architecture

Screen and Organ

The Cathedral Church has a combined rood screen and choir screen, as in common in many southern monastic churches, forming one continuous rood loft, upon which the Rood is erected. It is flanked by figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. There is a rood altar located at the base of the rood, upon the rood loft.

The Cathedral has two organs. The older Fenvitt Organ, donated by the Earl of Fenvitt, is located under the north arch of the transept whilst the 20th century State Organ is located in the Lady Chapel.

Nave and Transepts

The north transept of the Cathedral.

Chapels

Masses and Offices of the Lady are sung daily in the Lady Chapel.

The Carolian Lady Chapel was completed in 1433 as the bequest of Charles I as an enlargement of the earlier lady chapel, situated at the eastern end of the chancel, behind the reredos of the High Altar. Six boys and four monks weekly are assigned to sing on rotation from the main choir at the Lady Chapel. Daily Lady Masses in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary are offered in the Lady Chapel, as well as the Offices of the Lady.

Location on the southern side of the chancel is the chapel and shrine of St. Blaise where relics of the 4th century saint were deposited during the rebuilding of the Abbey. There are also chapels dedicated to the Holy Trinity, St. Paul, St. John the Baptist, St. Michael, St. Andrew, St. Lawrence, St. Lucy, St. Benedict, and St. Silvester.

Foundation

The Priory is a Benedictine religious house consisting of the Prior and the Convent of up to fifty monks and brothers. In 2020, there were 33 monks and 12 brothers. The incumbent of the Cathedral Priory is the Prior, who with the Convent (excluding the brothers) acts as its governing corporate body. Subordinate to the Prior is the Dean, as well as the other departmental obediencers, including the the Precentor, the Sacristan, the Cellarer, and Porter. Additionally, there are eighteen boys in the choir, who attend the Cathedral Priory School, and a number of singing clerks.

The Cathedral Priory is also the seat of the Lord Bishop of Lendert, who holds the nearby cardinalate of St. John the Baptist, Orse Street, in commendam. He has his cathedra in the Quire of the Abbey with jurisdiction over the Priory as Ordinary of the diocese. The Bishop also has jurisdiction as the Priory's titular Abbot. As Abbot, he formally invests a new Prior with his temporalities and spiritualities whilst sitting in his throne in the Chapter House.

Liturgy

See also: Cardican Rite

The daily liturgies of the Cathedral are served by the Priory and are conducted according to the Cardican Rite of the Church of Nortend as adapted to the monastic use. In the main quire, divine service of Mattins and Vespers are sung daily by the full choir of monks, boys and clerks. Prime, Tierce, Sext, Nones and Compline are sung by the monks only. The Conventual High Mass as customary occurs at noon, and is sung with the full choir. This occurs both at the High Altar, sung by the hebdomadary, and also at the Rood Altar by another hebdomadary before the Rood Screen simultaneously.

Throughout the morning, after Mattins and until the High Mass, there is a steady stream of low masses at the various chapels and side-altars around the Cathedal said by the monks and clergy.

In the Lady Chapel, Mattins and Vespers of the Lady are said daily by the full Lady choir, immediately after their corresponding ordinary offices are sung. Once a week, usually on a ferial Saturday, the offices will be sung by the full Lady choir, whilst Sext and Compline are sung by the monks only, as for the ordinary services. On ordinary fairs a Lady Mass is sung daily by the full choir.

Members of the public are allowed access to the Cathedral throughout the day and during divine service. However, as in all Cardican churches, they are not ordinarily permitted to pass the Rood Screen and enter the Quire or Chancel, or pass the altar rails of chapels and side-altars.