Home altars

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corsair said:
whoa, there are enough candles going there to heat downtown San Fran. Hope you have a fire extinguisher handy.
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Relax, I don’t have them burning ALL DAY; just for morning and evening prayer.
 
I think it is beautiful and your mind is also beautiful. I wish you all the best on you journey to being with God.
For me I have be searching and I keep coming back to square one so to say my Christian faith in God, love, forgiveness, and love again is a total forgiveness is true.

I have found that everytime I fail my faith in God grows, his forgiveness is so amazing. His fountain is never dry, I now understand that meaning. I may feel dead but He gives me life again.

God bless you, and thank you for sharing your faith. It encourages me to push onward just knowing others are reaching out and respecting the unknown in Him.

Love,
from the Northern Star.
 
Now this is what solid Catholics call eye candy…

I wish I had a home altar, but when it comes to prayer all I have is the foot of my bed. Although on my bookshelf I do keep a crucifix, a statue of St. Michael, a statue of St. Joseph, and a Rosary as well as seasonal decorations (A Nativity Scene in Christmastide, an icon of Mary on Saturday, et cetera). I also have a bottle of Holy Water I use to bless myself before my prayers.
 
I have a question what exactly would we do with blessed salt in the house altar? i dont really understand what we would use it for, and how to display it
 
I put my little tealight candles inside a glass votive that has blessed salt in it. 🙂
 
Blessed salt is pretty much Holy water but it’s not a solution. I have mine in a little ‘Baptismal shell’ shaped vial. I sprinkle it around my room. 🙂
 
We always had a home altar growing up. It was very much a sort of cross between an Icon Corner and a flat out folksy altar with a lot of Eastern European thrown in.

I live in the American South-West, where many Catholic families have home altars. (Here, a “shrine” is considered an outdoor altar.) I am very drawn to the santos and bultos carved by the old santeros (carvers of wooden saints.) So I’ll try and describe what’s where.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/381/marylb.jpg

On top of the altar (which is an old oak barrister bookcase,) from left to right: an unknown Mary from the Philippines. The antique dealer I purchased her from estimated 300 years of age. The middle is my favorite, I have never seen an Our Lady of Guadalupe santos carved like this, with the crescent moon and the angel. I know it is from Mexico City, looks like several hundred years old. My best friend died of cancer in October '10, and her husband gave this to me. The little Mary (stepping on a snake) I am not sure of. She seems fairly old and her hands are worn off. She’s also on a globe.

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/299/leftwe.jpg

In the back is a polychrome of St Joseph and Jesus as a toddler. It is from Mexico but is very “Angelo.” Anyway I love this because we had a small plaster version of this when I was a kid. A small icon box I made that has scared dirt from Chimayo in silk. Holy water from San Juan Mission. A San Damiano cross.

Right side:
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7061/righta.jpg

I think it is an ikon of Virgin of Vladimir, my favorite ikon of Michael the archangel, and Eastern triptych (Theotokos, Jesus, and St John Forerunner.) A polychrome unknown. I think it is St Ignatius, guess made in Spain not the SW or Mexico (has glass eyes.) A soapstone incense holder (I burn pinon incense since I am somewhat allergic to Myrrh.)

Under shelf:
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/4363/underq.jpg

Same as right. Has my mom’s rosary plus one I was given at the Shrine to The Mexican Martyrs by a visiting priest. And mine are the blue rosary dangling from above. A gift from a friend that found it in an antique store in California.

I hope I did the embedding right. One other thing, I make my own beeswax votive and tea light candles. It’s easy, inexpensive, and nothing surpasses the scent it gives off.

Anyway was so happy to find this thread! Also there are a number of books about family home altars of the south west that are beautiful.
 
webgecko said:
We always had a home altar growing up. It was very much a sort of cross between an Icon Corner and a flat out folksy altar with a lot of Eastern European thrown in.

I live in the American South-West, where many Catholic families have home altars. (Here, a “shrine” is considered an outdoor altar.) I am very drawn to the santos and bultos carved by the old santeros (carvers of wooden saints.) So I’ll try and describe what’s where.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/381/marylb.jpg

On top of the altar (which is an old oak barrister bookcase,) from left to right: an unknown Mary from the Philippines. The antique dealer I purchased her from estimated 300 years of age. The middle is my favorite, I have never seen an Our Lady of Guadalupe santos carved like this, with the crescent moon and the angel. I know it is from Mexico City, looks like several hundred years old. My best friend died of cancer in October '10, and her husband gave this to me. The little Mary (stepping on a snake) I am not sure of. She seems fairly old and her hands are worn off. She’s also on a globe.

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/299/leftwe.jpg

In the back is a polychrome of St Joseph and Jesus as a toddler. It is from Mexico but is very “Angelo.” Anyway I love this because we had a small plaster version of this when I was a kid. A small icon box I made that has scared dirt from Chimayo in silk. Holy water from San Juan Mission. A San Damiano cross.

Right side:
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7061/righta.jpg

I think it is an ikon of Virgin of Vladimir, my favorite ikon of Michael the archangel, and Eastern triptych (Theotokos, Jesus, and St John Forerunner.) A polychrome unknown. I think it is St Ignatius, guess made in Spain not the SW or Mexico (has glass eyes.) A soapstone incense holder (I burn pinon incense since I am somewhat allergic to Myrrh.)

Under shelf:
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/4363/underq.jpg

Same as right. Has my mom’s rosary plus one I was given at the Shrine to The Mexican Martyrs by a visiting priest. And mine are the blue rosary dangling from above. A gift from a friend that found it in an antique store in California.

I hope I did the embedding right. One other thing, I make my own beeswax votive and tea light candles. It’s easy, inexpensive, and nothing surpasses the scent it gives off.

Anyway was so happy to find this thread! Also there are a number of books about family home altars of the south west that are beautiful.
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Wow, your home altar is very lovely! What website do you usually go to to purchase these santos? Or what stores in California (I live in Valencia, California)?

I find your altar very appealing. I’m Filipino, and whenever I go back to the Philippines, I always find it interesting to see these kinds of primitive figurines in church museums and even in ancestral homes of upper class Filipino families. It just has this feeling of those golden colonial days.

I’m very particular when it comes to santos as well. You know those collections made in resin? Yeah, I pretty much avoid those. As much as possible, I want to keep with the traditional elements in figurines carved with quality – it gives these figurines a more deeper meaning. Also, as much as possible, I want to keep it so to have a feel of the colonial past to keep with the legacy of my heritage, so I add into it halos made out of metal or tin. Right now, I’m trying to figure out where I can buy metal- /tin-made “halo” for my crucifix, particularly a Las Potencias design.

Whenever I go back to Manila, Philippines, I always try my best to visit this store: guadaluperelics.multiply.com/

They’re just amazing.

Anyway, thank you for sharing yours! You gave me more inspiration to my new home altar project. Yeah, I would also agree with you…I find it uneasy to say home shrine…I always consider home shrines to be outdoors…
 
minchul said:
Wow, your home altar is very lovely! What website do you usually go to to purchase these santos? Or what stores in California (I live in Valencia, California)?

I find your altar very appealing. I’m Filipino, and whenever I go back to the Philippines, I always find it interesting to see these kinds of primitive figurines in church museums and even in ancestral homes of upper class Filipino families. It just has this feeling of those golden colonial days.

I’m very particular when it comes to santos as well. You know those collections made in resin? Yeah, I pretty much avoid those. As much as possible, I want to keep with the traditional elements in figurines carved with quality – it gives these figurines a more deeper meaning. Also, as much as possible, I want to keep it so to have a feel of the colonial past to keep with the legacy of my heritage, so I add into it halos made out of metal or tin. Right now, I’m trying to figure out where I can buy metal- /tin-made “halo” for my crucifix, particularly a Las Potencias design.

Whenever I go back to Manila, Philippines, I always try my best to visit this store: guadaluperelics.multiply.com/

They’re just amazing.

Anyway, thank you for sharing yours! You gave me more inspiration to my new home altar project. Yeah, I would also agree with you…I find it uneasy to say home shrine…I always consider home shrines to be outdoors…
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Hi and thank you! We’re kindred spirits. I think what makes the old wooden santos so special is the santeros (at least in New Mexico) consider it a very consecrated calling. They often fast while making them, trying to imbue prayers into the carving of them. Much like writing Ikons. Its a shame to see how commercial it has become now.

If you ever get to Santa Fe there is a room in the old Governor’s Palace, right on the Plaza, that has a home chapel that was very common for hundreds of years in the South-West. You will see remarkable bultos and santos. And an incredible hand carved and painted retablo. When I go I spent a lot of time in the Basilica, Our Lady of Guadalupe mission church (near the Plaza and one of the original ones, also they have a bronze statue of our lady, that was made in Mexico and hand carried to Santa Fe by pilgrims I think three years ago.

I buy santos when I am in New Mexico. I try to avoid new made ones, most of which seem really garish, because they never feel right. Above my bed is a small Ortega angel, very primitive but its so restful and … serene I guess. Never bought one online, I have to touch it, look at it closely, to get a feel for it. Words don’t work here but I get a sense of rightness about one. Maybe its the prayerful intent. I never feel that way about stone, resin or plaster ones, they are too perfect. And I am a very imperfect human, the rough work in old wooden santos calls to me, makes the saint feel accessible to me, accepting of my imperfections and humanity.

The California shop I believe was in the north end of San Diego, just before La Jolla. I know the rosary was purchased there and it is stamped Roma, silver and Venetian glass beads. I was told about the shop on the phone and that’s all I know about it.

BTW the small unidentified Mary is also from the Philippines. But I don’t know where. I bought both in an antique shop in Alexandria VA when on vacation. There was a tag with a tiny bit of information, I’ll try and find it.

On tinsmith and tinwork. Google it. There are many classic tin workers in New Mexico, who use the old world methods from Spain. And I know you can buy halos on Ebay for Santos. I can’t testify to their quality. (If you want tin to stay shiney be sure to clean it, then spray it with a clear lacquer, several coats on both sides.)

I looked at the site you linked, but a lot of their stuff seems really “Angelo” (the term here for non-Hispanic or European.) Have you looked at flickr? There are several folks from Manila posting beautiful old santos.
 
You all have some really great home altars. Thanks to everyone for sharing. Great thread. 👍

My home altar is simple. A crucifix, a St. Michael candle, a couple of prayer cards (Jesus, Mary), some catholic saint pendants, and a prayer book.
I used an old TV stand for my altar and it works well for me.

I also like to burn just a little bit of frankincense on occasion while praying to our Lord.

God bless
 
WOW! i cant believe how long this forum has lasted… thats such a great thing! i’ve had an altar since i was 17 (20 now) and i absolutly love it… such a great place to pray everyday.

anyway here’s mine:







 
Here is a very poor picture of mine, very much a work in progress.



St. Michael the Archangel, St. Nicholas, St. Joseph holding a baby Jesus, St. Josemaria and St. Philomena.

Still need one of our Blessed Mother, hoping to find the right one in the next couple of months.

Enjoy!
 
My home altar is on top of my bookshelf I have a Icon of the Holy trinity and a crucifix hanging above it on the wall and then on the self itself I have an Icon of the Blessed Virgin and two icons that I change with the seasons(right now an icon of Sts. Micheal and Gabriel, and an icon of the Nativity) my prayerbooks, rosary, holy water and two candles as well as a votive in front of the icon of the Blessed Mother maybe I’ll take a pic soon.
 
Mine’s a work in progress but so far it consist of a large brass crucifix, a 9 inch Our Lady Of Grace statue, and an 8 inch St Joan Of Arc statue. I’ll try and post a pic in the near future as soon as I add some more to it.
 
I have enjoyed reading through this thread and seeing all the wonderful altars! This is something I have wanted to do for a while, and now that we are finally starting to re-organize our house, I’m hoping to make some room to have one of my own!
 
VENETI3 said:
WOW! i cant believe how long this forum has lasted… thats such a great thing! i’ve had an altar since i was 17 (20 now) and i absolutly love it… such a great place to pray everyday.

anyway here’s mine:
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Veneti, what is that book which you have open?
 
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