Altar Candles

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smndtupidisaftr

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So while reading at the Adoremus website, I was looking at pictures of a recently renovated church that now looks gorgeous. What particularly struck me were the altar candles that were installed. There are now 6 candles adorning the altar. The only other place where I have seen this many candles was at a parish that celebrated the EF every Sunday. Every other church I’ve seen just has 2 and they are all plain.

In a church that only celebrates the OF, can 6 altar candles be used? Which is preferred? And in general, have you seen that churches are open to donations of new stands for the candles (I’m sure there is a better name for this, but I don’t know what it is)?

Here are the pictures that I was looking at:
holyghostcc.org/gallery/tour-of-the-church/
 
smndtupidisaftr said:
So while reading at the Adoremus website, I was looking at pictures of a recently renovated church that now looks gorgeous. What particularly struck me were the altar candles that were installed. There are now 6 candles adorning the altar. The only other place where I have seen this many candles was at a parish that celebrated the EF every Sunday. Every other church I’ve seen just has 2 and they are all plain.

In a church that only celebrates the OF, can 6 altar candles be used? Which is preferred? And in general, have you seen that churches are open to donations of new stands for the candles (I’m sure there is a better name for this, but I don’t know what it is)?

Here are the pictures that I was looking at:
holyghostcc.org/gallery/tour-of-the-church/
Click to expand...
Two candles “on or near the altar” are required, but often this ends up being in some odd place. Up to six can be used. Other than that, the rubrics are silent. So yes, six candles in the OF can certainly be used. It strikes me as most appropriate to vary the number of candles according to the celebration at hand. For example, two for a simple Ferial or Memorial Mass, four for a saint’s Feast or a Feast of a Martyr, and six for Solemnities and Sundays. Four or six for a votive Mass.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Two candles “on or near the altar” are required, but often this ends up being in some odd place. Up to six can be used. Other than that, the rubrics are silent. So yes, six candles in the OF can certainly be used. It strikes me as most appropriate to vary the number of candles according to the celebration at hand. For example, two for a simple Ferial or Memorial Mass, four for a saint’s Feast or a Feast of a Martyr, and six for Solemnities and Sundays. Four or six for a votive Mass.
Click to expand...
So the OF does not allow for those other 6 candles that you would have during an EF High Mass?
 
smndtupidisaftr said:
So the OF does not allow for those other 6 candles that you would have during an EF High Mass?
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Do you mean in addition to the six allowed on the altar as per rubrics? I guess you could put a thousand candles on the reredos and gradine, and around the altar, if you want. Might look a bit weird, but there is nothing governing this as far as I can tell. Have a look at this fabulous setting:

2.bp.blogspot.com/-qbTKnf0DgLI/UODsqMVzU3I/AAAAAAAAWeI/jE-beGGLx9s/s1600/mezzanotte%2B2012.JPG

I think the priest is using his six tallest candles to satisfy EF rubrics–this is an EF Mass but this can legally work for the OF as well–and the rest as pure decoration.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Do you mean in addition to the six allowed on the altar as per rubrics? I guess you could put a thousand candles on the reredos and gradine, and around the altar, if you want. Might look a bit weird, but there is nothing governing this as far as I can tell. Have a look at this fabulous setting:

2.bp.blogspot.com/-qbTKnf0DgLI/UODsqMVzU3I/AAAAAAAAWeI/jE-beGGLx9s/s1600/mezzanotte%2B2012.JPG

I think the priest is using his six tallest candles to satisfy EF rubrics–this is an EF Mass but this can legally work for the OF as well–and the rest as pure decoration.
Click to expand...
Interesting. What I’ve seen at a local church is 6 candles on the altar and 6 candles behind the altar near the tabernacle that are even taller for the EF. During OF celebrations, only the 6 candles on the altar are lighted.
 
smndtupidisaftr said:
Interesting. What I’ve seen at a local church is 6 candles on the altar and 6 candles behind the altar near the tabernacle that are even taller for the EF. During OF celebrations, only the 6 candles on the altar are lighted.
Click to expand...
Typically what you see is this:

per EF rubrics
EF Low: 2
EF High/Missa Cantata: 2/4
EF Solemn: 6

perhaps not strictly rubrical (no clue) but nevertheless done in abundance:
there can be jillions more if you like, around these
per OF rubrics
“Low”/“High”/“Solemn”: 2, hardly ever any variation, but sometimes there is, up to 6
if the celebrant likes more, then he uses more
 
YoungTradCath said:
Typically what you see is this:

per EF rubrics
EF Low: 2
EF High/Missa Cantata: 2/4
EF Solemn: 6

perhaps not strictly rubrical (no clue) but nevertheless done in abundance:
there can be jillions more if you like, around these
per OF rubrics
“Low”/“High”/“Solemn”: 2, hardly ever any variation, but sometimes there is, up to 6
if the celebrant likes more, then he uses more
Click to expand...
I usually see 6 at a Missa Cantata.
 
At our cathedral, the altar of repose is separated physically from the altar of sacrifice (like most modern churches).

We always have two candles to the sides of the altar of sacrifice (OF) or back (EF) lit. These are in large candle holders and the tops of the candles are about five feet high. We always have two candles at the ambo (OF or EF). This is the minimum for daily Mass (OF) or Low Mass (EF).

The two ambo candles are carried by the lucifers in procession for Sunday Mass.

In the EF, if we have enough servers to have lucifers, they hold smaller candles during the proclamation of the Gospel.

For Sunday Masses or solemnities in the OF, we also light the six candles on the altar of repose. For the Missa Cantata or Missa Solemnis, we do the same.

When the Bishop celebrates, we place a seventh candle on the altar of repose and light it.
 
Up to 6?

My visiting parish uses 20 candles. Six at the “high altar” with the tabernacle (this is at OF Mass) and sometimes (special occasions only) one candelabrum on each side of the altar with seven candles in each. Not to mention, two processional candles held by altar servers during proclamation of the gospel. And of course many votives at the side altar of Our Lady. My parish is quite candle-happy.
 
Your church must smell wonderful. I love the smell of burning church candles.
 
I don’t know about my visiting parish, but my home parish uses liquid paraffin candles except the four-hour votives in the shrines. So we rarely smell any candles around there.

The exception happened when someone managed to light the two candles accompanying a small Child Jesus statue. Those candles are never lit. I came out saying “Do you smell wax?” and it wasn’t until Mass had begun that I could see from my vantage point as an altar server that someone had lit them, so I had to wait until we were finished to go blow them out…
 
I remember that a parish I attended in a small town was"candle happy" with the unused altar rail lined with 7 day votives.

That church burnt to the ground.

Another church I went to later was candle happy too, one weekday I came to pray and got there just in time to prevent another fire.

A lot of churches now use electric votive lights, not traditional I know but safer.
 
Two are required, but more can be used. The Holy Father himself has encouraged the use of six candles at sung Masses. More and an increasing number of churches have been following this arrangement, which has come to be known as a Benedictine arrangement because of its association with Pope Benedict.

Google benedictine arrangement and you will see.
 
Up to 6 can be used for a regular Mass, 7 in the presence of a Bishop

From the GIRM
  1. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks with lighted candles:** at least two in any celebration, or even four or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation**. If the diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candles should be used. Also on or close to the altar, there is to be a cross with a figure of Christ crucified. The candles and the cross adorned with a figure of Christ crucified may also be carried in the Entrance Procession. On the altar itself may be placed the Book of the Gospels, distinct from the book of other readings, unless it is carried in the Entrance Procession.
Click to expand...
So up to 6 is even encouraged for a Sunday Mass
 
GwenL said:
The two ambo candles are carried by the lucifers in procession for Sunday Mass.

In the EF, if we have enough servers to have lucifers, they hold smaller candles during the proclamation of the Gospel.
Click to expand...
My mother and I suggest that it is improper to call a person by a notorious name such as “Lucifer”, and she suggests “lumenifer” or “luminifer” as an alternative, although I could not turn up much useful in Google searches by those names. It is said that in the Eastern Churches, the taper-bearer was a minor rank of clergy.
 
Elizium23 said:
My mother and I suggest that it is improper to call a person by a notorious name such as “Lucifer”, and she suggests “lumenifer” or “luminifer” as an alternative, although I could not turn up much useful in Google searches by those names. It is said that in the Eastern Churches, the taper-bearer was a minor rank of clergy.
Click to expand...
'round here, it’s an altar boy joke to be called a lucifer, and everyone gets it 🙂
 
Elizium23 said:
My mother and I suggest that it is improper to call a person by a notorious name such as “Lucifer”, and she suggests “lumenifer” or “luminifer” as an alternative, although I could not turn up much useful in Google searches by those names. It is said that in the Eastern Churches, the taper-bearer was a minor rank of clergy.
Click to expand...
You are entitled to your opinion. However, “lucifer” simply means “light-bearer” in Latin. Also, using such a term generates some amazing catechetical discussions among the altar servers. Most people think that Lucifer = Satan (ooo…icky…bad) and they never investigate further. The term lucifer appears in Sacred Scripture (in the Vulgate) and was used to mean “morning star” or “light-bearer” for many centuries before “lucifer” came to mean Satan.

Even in this latter usage, Lucifer is the name of the highest angel in heaven BEFORE he fell. This can lead to some very good discussions with young people about choices between good and evil, choices to sin, and turning from the light to the dark (as did Lucifer when he fell). Also, this answers a typical adolescent question: “how could a good God have created Satan?” Of course, God created Lucifer, and Lucifer choose to rebel against God.
 
smndtupidisaftr said:
So while reading at the Adoremus website, I was looking at pictures of a recently renovated church that now looks gorgeous. What particularly struck me were the altar candles that were installed. There are now 6 candles adorning the altar. The only other place where I have seen this many candles was at a parish that celebrated the EF every Sunday. Every other church I’ve seen just has 2 and they are all plain.

In a church that only celebrates the OF, can 6 altar candles be used? Which is preferred? And in general, have you seen that churches are open to donations of new stands for the candles (I’m sure there is a better name for this, but I don’t know what it is)?

Here are the pictures that I was looking at:
holyghostcc.org/gallery/tour-of-the-church/
Click to expand...
My local OF Catholic Korean parish has six candles on the altar.
 
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