New Church--there is hope!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sr_Sally
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Sr_Sally

Guest
A parish near me just finished building their new church. Their beautiful sanctuary shows that there is hope for church arcitecture. The tabernacle is directly behind the altar.
The church’s Irish gothic-style pillars and arches, paired in threes, symbolize the Holy Trinity. A focal point for the, $18 million, 80,000-square-foot church is the main stained glass window over the entrance that has three interlocking rings depicting the three persons of the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Eventually all the mysteries of the rosary will be depicted in stained glass throughout the church.
Statues of saints are displayed prominently throughout, including St. Patrick, St. John the Evangelist, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, St. Thérèse, St. Francis of Assisi and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Click to expand...
Here’s the full article.
 
Oooh - I like!

Its a beautiful church and it’s got that “something” that I think makes it a little unique.
 
Sr_Sally said:
A parish near me just finished building their new church. Their beautiful sanctuary shows that there is hope for church arcitecture. The tabernacle is directly behind the altar.

Here’s the full article.
Click to expand...
Do you happen to know if the priest will have his back to the Blessed Sacrament while he celebrates the Mass? I’m curious how the design of this parish church comports with the GIRM?

GIRM 315. It is more in keeping with the meaning of the sign that the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved not be on an altar on which Mass is celebrated.
Consequently, it is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop,

a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration

b. Or even in some chapel suitable for the faithful’s private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful.
 
Fillmont said:
Do you happen to know if the priest will have his back to the Blessed Sacrament while he celebrates the Mass? I’m curious how the design of this parish church comports with the GIRM?

GIRM 315. It is more in keeping with the meaning of the sign that the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved not be on an altar on which Mass is celebrated.
Consequently, it is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop,

a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration

b. Or even in some chapel suitable for the faithful’s private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful.
Click to expand...
Wow - I had never heard of that before.

So basically when new churches are built with tabernacles off to the side, they’re actually technically the preferred place for them so that the priest doesn’t have his back to it?

(I’m waiting for someone to post something along the lines of “Well, if the priest would celebrate facing away from the people instead of facing them, this wouldn’t be a problem!”
 
dandn5000 said:
So basically when new churches are built with tabernacles off to the side, they’re actually technically the preferred place for them so that the priest doesn’t have his back to it?

(I’m waiting for someone to post something along the lines of “Well, if the priest would celebrate facing away from the people instead of facing them, this wouldn’t be a problem!”
Click to expand...
Well, it’s not because he’d have his back to the tabernacle. The GIRM’s statement comes from the 1967 Instruction Eucharisticum Mysterium, n. 55: In the celebration of Mass the principal modes of Christ’s presence to his Church emerge clearly one after the other: first he is seen to be present in the assembly of the faithful gathered in his name; then in his word, with the reading and explanation of Scripture; also in the person of the minister; finally, in a singular way under the eucharistic elements. Consequently, on the grounds of the sign value, it is more in keeping with the nature of the celebration that, through reservation of the sacrament in the tabernacle, Christ not be present eucharistically from the beginning on the altar where Mass is celebrated. That presence is the effect of the consecration and should appear as such.

So the reason for having the tabernacle detached from the main altar (on which Mass is celebrated) is to produce the sacramental presence of Jesus on the altar only at the consecration.
 
japhy said:
Well, it’s not because he’d have his back to the tabernacle. The GIRM’s statement comes from the 1967 Instruction Eucharisticum Mysterium, n. 55: In the celebration of Mass the principal modes of Christ’s presence to his Church emerge clearly one after the other: first he is seen to be present in the assembly of the faithful gathered in his name; then in his word, with the reading and explanation of Scripture; also in the person of the minister; finally, in a singular way under the eucharistic elements. Consequently, on the grounds of the sign value, it is more in keeping with the nature of the celebration that, through reservation of the sacrament in the tabernacle, Christ not be present eucharistically from the beginning on the altar where Mass is celebrated. That presence is the effect of the consecration and should appear as such.

So the reason for having the tabernacle detached from the main altar (on which Mass is celebrated) is to produce the sacramental presence of Jesus on the altar only at the consecration.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I see. So the practice of having the tabernacle away from the altar but still in a place of prominence is a clear way of showing this distinction without obscuring one or the other.

Actually, now that I read it a bit more closely, I see what it was really trying to say - that the tabernacle shouldn’t be on the altar the Mass is being celebrated on. I read it at first as saying that the tabernacle shouldn’t be behind the altar, either, which made me wonder if the many churches with tabernacles in reredos behind the altar were technically in noncompliance. Now that I read it, because the reredos is separate, it would be OK.
 
Fillmont said:
Do you happen to know if the priest will have his back to the Blessed Sacrament while he celebrates the Mass? I’m curious how the design of this parish church comports with the GIRM?

GIRM 315. It is more in keeping with the meaning of the sign that the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved not be on an altar on which Mass is celebrated.
Consequently, it is preferable that the tabernacle be located, according to the judgment of the Diocesan Bishop,

a. Either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in a form and place more appropriate, not excluding on an old altar no longer used for celebration

b. Or even in some chapel suitable for the faithful’s private adoration and prayer and which is organically connected to the church and readily visible to the Christian faithful.
Click to expand...
She already said. It is BEHIND the altar, not ON the altar. So that would be item ‘a’.
 
Yes, there is a distance between the tabernacle and the altar. A few steps at least it looks like, so that the priest has room to celebrate. The altar is free standing, so that Mass will be celebrated ‘facing the people’. But the Masses around here are very reverant. We are looking forward to being able to go out to this new parish for Mass-probably not until after Easter since our Pastor has plan a parish retreat with guest homilists (all priests) for during Lent.
 
Sr_Sally said:
Yes, there is a distance between the tabernacle and the altar. A few steps at least it looks like, so that the priest has room to celebrate. The altar is free standing, so that Mass will be celebrated ‘facing the people’. But the Masses around here are very reverant. We are looking forward to being able to go out to this new parish for Mass-probably not until after Easter since our Pastor has plan a parish retreat with guest homilists (all priests) for during Lent.
Click to expand...
Given that configuration do you happen to know if the priest’s back will be facing the Blessed Sacrament when he is celebrating the Mass at the altar? Will the faithful focusing on the miracle taking place on the altar also be looking squarely at the tabernacle to the celebrant’s back which also contains the Blessed Sacrament?

It’s sad that tabernacles have been relegated to such lamentable locations in so many parishes. I think that has made many believe that the best place for the tabernacle is behind the altar, simulating a high altar with integral tabernacle and that’s hardly the case. In a new-construction situation I always find it a bit sad when a proper “Blessed Sacrament Chapel” is not part of the design.
 
ElizabethPH said:
Are there pictures? I would like to see it. 🙂 It sounds beautiful.
Click to expand...
The article linked should have the pictures. If not cruise around the rest of the site, they also have a place where you can order the pictures shown in the paper, so they’ll be there too.
 
I haven’t been to the church yet, so I can’t say from my own experience. It appears from the pictures that the set up is very similar to what we see on the EWTN Masses where the celebrant does have his back tot he tabernacle–except that there appears to be more room in the sanctuary. Our Bishop is very orthodox, so I’m sure that no one knowingly violated any GRIM standards.

It’s interesting to me that we get all kinds of people complaining about modern ‘big box store’ style churches and then when a beautiful church like this is built, there is still complaining. Not sure exactly what is expected, a cathedral in every parish? :rolleyes:
 
Sr_Sally said:
It’s interesting to me that we get all kinds of people complaining about modern ‘big box store’ style churches and then when a beautiful church like this is built, there is still complaining. Not sure exactly what is expected, a cathedral in every parish? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Its like that wherever you go. There’s always something that someone wishes had gone differently. New churches are no exception.

And, having said that, I wonder a bit about the ambo’s placement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the ambo set farther back than the altar. And, if there’s an orthodox bishop as you said, Sr Sally, then I’m sure its not an issue of rubrics or anything, but still - it looks a little off to me.
 
That’s how our altar is in my parish. At least you don’t have to go looking for the tabernacle as you do in some parish’s.

If there is something wrong the folks here in these forums sure will point it out 😉

Thanx Dan for the pic’s link. It is beautiful.
 
It’s a beautiful church - so much more inspiring than what one of our priest friends call new church buildings that look like could be a store, a stadium or a YMCA.

My in-laws live in Wesley Chapel and I know they would love to attend a church that looks more like that. Their church looks like a CVS pharmacy with a matching music liturgy to boot, although they just got in a new music director and it apparently has become much better.
 
Sarabande said:
It’s a beautiful church - so much more inspiring than what one of our priest friends call new church buildings that look like could be a store, a stadium or a YMCA.

My in-laws live in Wesley Chapel and I know they would love to attend a church that looks more like that. Their church looks like a CVS pharmacy with a matching music liturgy to boot, although they just got in a new music director and it apparently has become much better.
Click to expand...
Heh. One of the churches in my area has its residence in an old IGA, as in they bought the IGA, installed pews and an altar and called it home.

It doesn’t look all that inspiring from the outside, but its a nice little building inside. The locals refer to it as “Our Lady of the Holy Aisles”. 😃
 
Fantastic Church!!! Abosolutely LOvely.

I love the angels near the tabernacle…It reminds me of the Ark of the covenant…even the baldichino over the tabernacle is great.
 
THurifer2 said:
Fantastic Church!!! Abosolutely LOvely.

I love the angels near the tabernacle…It reminds me of the Ark of the covenant…even the baldichino over the tabernacle is great.
Click to expand...
Does anybody here happen to know what that says? I fed it into a Latin translator, and it came out with a badly mangled version of what was heard at Jesus’ baptism(the This is my son, with whom I am well pleased).

Anybody have a clearer translation?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top