How many tabernacles?

[TraderTif]

Ok, so I’ve been going to a very nice parish in town for the past few weeks. They have one of those real fancy old altars with the tabernacle in the middle. (Were they all like that back in the pre-vatican II days?) Anyway, they also have a tabernacle on each side of the church, on little…would they be called side-altars?

All 3 tabernacles look basically identical, so I’m guessing that they are all original to the church (100 years old). They only *use *one, of course (usually the one on the left, but now they moved to the one on the right because the creche is on the left.)

But my question is…*why *the 3 tabernacles?? I’ve never personally seen this sort of thing before…

 

[James0235]

Ok, so I’ve been going to a very nice parish in town for the past few weeks. They have one of those real fancy old altars with the tabernacle in the middle. (Were they all like that back in the pre-vatican II days?) Anyway, they also have a tabernacle on each side of the church, on little…would they be called side-altars?

All 3 tabernacles look basically identical, so I’m guessing that they are all original to the church (100 years old). They only *use *one, of course (usually the one on the left, but now they moved to the one on the right because the creche is on the left.)

But my question is…*why *the 3 tabernacles?? I’ve never personally seen this sort of thing before…

A couple of thoughts come to mind:

First, it used to be more common for parishes to have multiple priests. And pre-Vatican II concelebration was only done in a few cases in the Roman Rite. So, it would not be uncommon for multiple priests to offer Mass in the Church at the same time - one using the main altar and others using side altars.

Also, one of the side altar tabernacles was possibly used (and maybe still used?) as the altar of repose on Holy Thursday.

James

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Ok, so I’ve been going to a very nice parish in town for the past few weeks. They have one of those real fancy old altars with the tabernacle in the middle. (Were they all like that back in the pre-vatican II days?) Anyway, they also have a tabernacle on each side of the church, on little…would they be called side-altars?

All 3 tabernacles look basically identical, so I’m guessing that they are all original to the church (100 years old). They only *use *one, of course (usually the one on the left, but now they moved to the one on the right because the creche is on the left.)

But my question is…*why *the 3 tabernacles?? I’ve never personally seen this sort of thing before…

Because Mass was actually celebrated at all the different altars from time to time. The Blessed Sacrament was secured in the tabernacle where Mass was being celebrated after Mass.

 

[TraderTif]

Because Mass was actually celebrated at all the different altars from time to time. The Blessed Sacrament was secured in the tabernacle where Mass was being celebrated after Mass.

trying to picture this

That makes sense…and must have been interesting to see, back in the old days!!

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

trying to picture this

That makes sense…and must have been interesting to see, back in the old days!!

Yeah - interesting.

Back in the day laity would sometimes altar hop to HEAR mass - multiple priests at these side altars, staggered timing and folks moving around partially because they were discouraged from frequenting the sacraments.

 

[James0235]

Yeah - interesting.

Back in the day laity would sometimes altar hop to HEAR mass - multiple priests at these side altars, staggered timing and folks moving around partially because they were discouraged from frequenting the sacraments.

Rather than say they were “discouraged from frequenting the sacraments” I would say they were “not encouraged to frequent the sacraments as much as people are today”.

James

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

Rather than say they were “discouraged from frequenting the sacraments” I would say they were “not encouraged to frequent the sacraments as much as people are today”.

James

When, as indicated in a biography of a saint who tried to change this, the ‘opposition’ said “what would make them different than us?” (re: laity frequently taking part in the sacraments) – I think discouraged is more accurate.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

I believe that churches were always required to have only one tabernacle, at least for the last several hundred years. In most churches with receptacles in each altar, the central one was always the tabernacle, one of the others was used as an altar of repose on Good Friday, and the other was used for an ambry to store the holy oils. Most newer churches have a wall-mounted ambry somewhere to the side of the altar.

 

[dandn5000]

My church has three.

The center main one is the one we use, the one on the right with the right side altar we use for Holy Thursday, and the one on the left just is kind of there. I think that in the past they would use the side altars for daily Mass and the main one for Sunday Masses.

(Actually, I have no idea, but that’s the best I can think of why its there…)

 

[James0235]

When, as indicated in a biography of a saint who tried to change this, the ‘opposition’ said “what would make them different than us?” (re: laity frequently taking part in the sacraments) – I think discouraged is more accurate.

What biography and what saint? And who is the opposition?

Just because some priests may have discouraged the frequenting of the sacraments it does not mean that the Church discouraged it.

James

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

Just because some priests may have discouraged the frequenting of the sacraments it does not mean that the Church discouraged it.

James

SOME???

If only SOME discouraged it then there would never have been the need to set a MINIMUM in Canon Law.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

My church has three.

The center main one is the one we use, the one on the right with the right side altar we use for Holy Thursday, and the one on the left just is kind of there. I think that in the past they would use the side altars for daily Mass and the main one for Sunday Masses.

(Actually, I have no idea, but that’s the best I can think of why its there…)

Most older churches have three, one in the high altar, and one in each side altar. However, only one of these was ever used as a tabernacle, almost always the center one. Otherwise, you would find sanctuary lamps hanging by each one.