Couldn't find the tabernacle!

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JoyToTheWhirled

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I am visiting a new town today, and it’s a big day because I have a job interview. So I thought, as I had some free time, I’d visit the local Catholic church and spend some time with Jesus before I go. I walked in, blessed myself with holy water, and looked round for the tabernacle. It was a new build church, not a traditional one, and the altar was pretty bare, with just some small decoration on the wall behind it. I couldn’t see a tabernacle, or a little red candle lamp lit anywhere. Definitely a Catholic church, though. I knew Our Lord must be there somewhere, so I genuflected in the general direction of the altar, spent a few moments in prayer, lit a candle and went on my way. Is there a really unobvious place I should have been looking to find the tabernacle?
 
It must be something with newer constructed Churches? At a local parish here there is a church built in the 80’s and they have moved the tabernacle from with inside the church to a building next door at the parish office and priest house. Actually they converted the garage into a Tabernacle and you have to go there instead of inside the church for adoration. I guess they needed more room for parishoners.
I am sure it is fine, just feels weird…confused me to no end when I returned that particular church and it was “gone”.
Must have been strange for you wandering around strange church trying to play “Where is Waldo” with the Tabernacle! 🤔
 
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There is a church not too far away from me, built around 1990, that has to have signs pointing you to where the chapel with the tabernacle is located.
A church is supposed to be a representation of heaven on Earth. I’m just guessing that you won’t have to go looking for God in heaven. Thankfully, the churches built around here since 2000 are more sane.
 
No, it’s not just fine. A converted garage to house our blessed Lord?
 
JoyToTheWhirled said:
I am visiting a new town today, and it’s a big day because I have a job interview. So I thought, as I had some free time, I’d visit the local Catholic church and spend some time with Jesus before I go. I walked in, blessed myself with holy water, and looked round for the tabernacle. It was a new build church, not a traditional one, and the altar was pretty bare, with just some small decoration on the wall behind it. I couldn’t see a tabernacle, or a little red candle lamp lit anywhere. Definitely a Catholic church, though. I knew Our Lord must be there somewhere, so I genuflected in the general direction of the altar, spent a few moments in prayer, lit a candle and went on my way. Is there a really unobvious place I should have been looking to find the tabernacle?
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Strange, since the tabernacle in an attached chapel room should be “readily visible to the Christian faithful” per the GIRM 315.
 
This is why it is good to have consistent architecture. There is a reason why older churches were designed like they were. They reflected centuries of wisdom. The architecture itself helped tell the story of Christianity. But recent generations were sure they knew better than the centuries. Their creations tell a story. It isn’t Christianity and it isn’t even a good story.

Incidentally, and someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but if there is no Tabernacle then I think you just bow to the altar. I don’t mean to criticize and am not saying you did something wrong. Besides if you aren’t sure there isn’t a Tabernacle then genuflecting would make sense.
 
At the parish where my school was, the tabernacle where the hosts were kept was in the chapel. The main sanctuary always had people milling about because there was a shrine inside the church. The chapel was a beautiful and quiet spot to sit with the Lord.
 
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tafan2 said:
No, it’s not just fine. A converted garage to house our blessed Lord?
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Well, He was born in a manger, so I suppose if it means more room for people to come worship Him Jesus would be ok with it?

I feel the way you do though, it doesn’t sit well but as a wise friend once said to me…

“We can only control those things that we can control”…

I will not let it stop me from going to adoration simply because they have it a few steps from the church proper.
It is very nice inside and respectfully done…Perhaps I should not have said anything…

To edit…one legit gripe after reading the GIRM 315 statement above…it has a keyed code lock on the door…so if you don’t know that, you don’t go in…
 
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In my grandma’s church, it’s hidden in a corner behind a support beam. In one of the churches around here, it’s behind a wall that’s behind the altar.
 
Vico said:
Strange, since the tabernacle in an attached chapel room should be “readily visible to the Christian faithful” per the GIRM 315.
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Actually, it says “readily noticeable”. Perhaps @JoyToTheWhirled simply walked past it on her way in, since she expected to find it in the sanctuary… 🤷‍♂️
BlueMaxx said:
one legit gripe after reading the GIRM 315 statement above…it has a keyed code lock on the door…so if you don’t know that, you don’t go in…
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It says “readily noticeable”, not “readily accessible”, right? 😉
 
This has been a problem since the 1970s. Churches built since the mid-1990s have improved substantially.
 
Our parish has a chapel next to the offices. The main church is connected to the smaller chapel. Masses except for the large Sunday Masses are held in the chapel. The chapel is used as an overflow to the main church on Sunday and holy days.
 
mrsdizzyd said:
At the parish where my school was, the tabernacle where the hosts were kept was in the chapel. The main sanctuary always had people milling about because there was a shrine inside the church. The chapel was a beautiful and quiet spot to sit with the Lord.
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To add another mention: A Church with a school near me has two tabernacle. One in the Church and another in a chapel across the street.

With tabernacles, I know this isn’t the case for most, but I actually get thrown off when the tabernacle is in the sanctuary. That’s because my parish and the parish with the school both have their tabernacle to the left of the altar (when facing the altar). So when I’m visiting a church and the tabernacle is in the sanctuary I end up floundering in my efforts to find it.

I’ll also say one of the nicest tabernacles I’ve seen was to the right of the altar in a little alcove with all the prayer candles nearby.
 
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What a wonderful choice to visit with our Lord before your interview.

In traveling, I have come into churches built during a specific time where the tabernacle is not prominently visible. Bowing to the altar would be a sign of reverence. I have noticed in some churches of this style, the tabernacle has been returned to its place at the altar.
 
We call those parishes “Church of the Mystery of the Finding in the Temple”, their mission statement is “They have taken my Lord and I cannot find him”.
 
JoyToTheWhirled said:
I knew Our Lord must be there somewhere, so I genuflected in the general direction of the altar, spent a few moments in prayer, lit a candle and went on my way. Is there a really unobvious place I should have been looking to find the tabernacle?
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Of course Our Lord was there. In my military days, I was in some pretty remote locations that had no churches, priests, or tabernacles…rather than lament, I praised God, remembering that last verse in the Gospel of Matthew, where Christ promised he would be with us until the end of time.

Rejoice in the Lord, always! I will say it again, Rejoice! (Phil 4:4)

Pax et Bonum!
 
“They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.”

The tabernacle should be the most accessible item in any Catholic parish. We should not have to go on a scavenger hunt to find Our Blessed Lord.
 
There is a church near me called Blessed Sacrament Orthodox Catholic Church. It is not an actual Catholic church.

In our parish, our old church was opened in the late 80s and the tabernacle was in the back of the church. It was just a gold door on that wall. I cannot remember where the sanctuary lamp was, but on the other side of the wall off the narthex was a eucharistic adoration chapel with another gold door to the tabernacle. Since then, a tabernacle was built and placed behind the altar. The small chapel became a gift shop.
 
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The Church wasn’t by chance St Francis of Assisi in a southern state was it?

It’s fairly new, no kneelers, and they put Jesus in a side altar behind closed doors…essentially Jesus in a big closet.
 
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