Traditional Incense

[jboss]

Hi All,

I will be thurifer at Easter Mass in the Extraordinary Form and am curious about incense. What is traditional incense? Where do most traditional parishes purchase their incense (recommended websites)? Is there a specific type or set of guidelines determining which incense is most appropriate for different liturgical seasons?

It would be wonderful to make the church smell like the Mass 1,000 or more years ago, but even like 50 years ago would be nice. There are so many different blends and places selling incense, so I thought the best way to select which type to buy is by asking what others are doing.

Any information would be most helpful.

jboss

 

[saskatoon]

when my husband was an altar boy/sacristant he said the priest would mix a couple insenses. One was Jerusalem but neither of us remember the other. The priest would always use this mix, not just for special occasions and it smelled wonderful.

Autom has a variety of insense to choose from. www.autom.com

 

[Revs96]

The Pontifical Blend from Will & Baumer is an old favorite. You can find it for $25/lb. from many on-line vendors. Cassia is a blend with a track record: Moses used it in the tent of meeting in the desert. It’s a cinnamon blend that’s nice for penitential days and available from many different makers and vendors for $20/lb. or a little more. Holy Transfiguration Monastery just might be the best, although being Orthodox, their incense is in bigger pieces and must be put next to the coal, not on top of it, in order to burn properly. I think that Gloria makes a Cassia that is in smaller pieces like what we in the west are used to. Aside from Will & Baumer and Gloria, I’m pretty sure all good incenses are made by monasteries. In the East, all incenses are made by monasteries.

 

[malphono]

Holy Transfiguration Monastery just might be the best, although being Orthodox, their incense is in bigger pieces and must be put next to the coal, not on top of it, in order to burn properly.

With a little interest and elbow grease, that can be overcome by putting it in a bag and crushing it (best done when it’s frozen). Put it between two flat rocks and have at it. Or, for larger quantities, drive over it in the car a couple of times. For smaller quantities, it can be done with a hammer.

Now, I’ve never tried this, but I imagine it could also be done in a coffee grinder. (Of course, because of the resins, it would have to be a dedicated grinder.)