Funeral Procession of the Virgin
Purchased on the Belle da Costa Greene Fund with the assistance of the Fellows, 1963
The Virgin's funeral cortege consists of the twelve apostles. John, with a palm, leads the way; Peter sprinkles the cloth-covered coffin with holy water; and Paul censes it. At the left, the priest Jephonias hides behind a hillock with a group of soldiers. Two other soldiers have tried to stop the procession by toppling the coffin, but their hands miraculously stick to it; indeed, the hand of one soldier is severed from his wrist.
Hours and Masses for the Seven Days of the Week
The most unusual texts in Catherine's manuscript are the series of Hours and Masses for every day of the week. Medieval Christian tradition associated certain figures or themes with different days. Thus Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, was the Lord's Day; Thursday was connected with the Eucharist since that sacrament was instituted on Holy Thursday; and Monday was the day of the dead, since their torments were suspended on Sunday but recommenced the following day. In Catherine's prayer book, the themes for the Hours and Masses of the seven days of the week are:
| Sunday | the Trinity |
| Monday | the Dead |
| Tuesday | the Holy Spirit |
| Wednesday | All Saints |
| Thursday | the Blessed Sacrament |
| Friday | the Compassion of God |
| Saturday | the Virgin. |
Image courtesy of Faksimile Verlag Luzern