Question about an item on an altar in a Tridentine Mass

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Hi:
I’m a cradle Catholic but I grew up in the '60s right when all the changes in the Mass were taking place.
I’ve been attending a Tridentine Mass about once a month now. I love it but I’ve been meaning to ask about an object on the altar:

It is heart-shaped and appears to be made largely of red velvet or satin (hard to tell from where I sit). It sits on a gold pedestal and has some gold trim on it. At the church I attend, it is located between the tabernacle and the Gospel side of the altar.
I never see it used or referred to.

My curiousity is piqued. What is it? What is it for?
 
Not having a picture of the item requires a guess. But I’m guessing its a Reliquary containing a Relic. These are very common and if my memory serves me correctly I believe that they were either required or at least highly recommended.
 
As I understand it, relics in the altar are mandatory under the 1962 rubrics (I don’t have the rubrics of the Missal with me at the moment). If no relics, an ante mensam may be used. These are in common use in the military chaplaincy, where a consecrated altar is not always assured. Other reliquaries may be on the altar. You’ll know it’s a reliquary if the priest incenses it with 2 swings of the thurible during Solemn High Mass…
 
Acolythus_sum said:
As I understand it, relics in the altar are mandatory under the 1962 rubrics (I don’t have the rubrics of the Missal with me at the moment). If no relics, an ante mensam may be used. These are in common use in the military chaplaincy, where a consecrated altar is not always assured. Other reliquaries may be on the altar. You’ll know it’s a reliquary if the priest incenses it with 2 swings of the thurible during Solemn High Mass…
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Yes, the relics were mandatory, and they were cemented into the altar stone, or a separate about 1’ x 1’ marble plate at the middle of a (non stone) altar which fit into a carved whole.

Before 1964 each church had a moveable altar stone too, used for outside masses (e.g. at some chapels w/o stable altar)

I never seen such structure what the Original Poster described. Best thing is to ask the sacristan or the priest at that Church.
 
I don’t think the poster has reference to the Altar stone/relics. Its my understanding that OP is talking about something that is sitting on top of the Altar.
 
The ante mensam is that movable altar stone. I think it could have been a reliquary, separate from the altar stone, which was on top of the altar. That seems to be rather common on altars set for purely ad orientem worship, here as well as in Rome. The relics of the saints are incensed with 2 swings of the thurible rather than 3.
 
carmelitenovice said:
Hi:
I’m a cradle Catholic but I grew up in the '60s right when all the changes in the Mass were taking place.
I’ve been attending a Tridentine Mass about once a month now. I love it but I’ve been meaning to ask about an object on the altar:

It is heart-shaped and appears to be made largely of red velvet or satin (hard to tell from where I sit). It sits on a gold pedestal and has some gold trim on it. At the church I attend, it is located between the tabernacle and the Gospel side of the altar.
I never see it used or referred to.

My curiousity is piqued. What is it? What is it for?
Click to expand...
 
carmelitenovice said:
Hi:
I’m a cradle Catholic but I grew up in the '60s right when all the changes in the Mass were taking place.
I’ve been attending a Tridentine Mass about once a month now. I love it but I’ve been meaning to ask about an object on the altar:

It is heart-shaped and appears to be made largely of red velvet or satin (hard to tell from where I sit). It sits on a gold pedestal and has some gold trim on it. At the church I attend, it is located between the tabernacle and the Gospel side of the altar.
I never see it used or referred to.

My curiousity is piqued. What is it? What is it for?
Click to expand...
It sounds lie a reliquary hope i spelled that right.
 
A reliquary is my guess as well. They are permitted on High Altars.
 
Yes, it is a reliquary. If it is on a small pedestal, it is most likely a single first class relic. There is probably another one in roughly the same place on the other side of the tabernacle. Some churches cover them after mass so that they are only exposed during Mass. They are also covered or turned around during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Hi.
Thanks for all the responses and sorry for the delay – I’ve been trying to seriously cut down my internet time during Lent.

At any rate, I don’t think it’s a relic that I’m referring to. There are other reliquaries up above on the back portion of the altar and it doesn’t look anything like those – or anything like the usual reliquary.

I wish I could post a picture of it but I can’t even google it. If I had to compare it to anything I’d say – and pardon me for putting it this way but it’s all I can do – it’s like a very ornate red pincusion heart on a stand. (Lord, forgive me! 🙂 )
Thanks again.
 
Duh! Why didn’t I think of this before?
Here’s a link to a picture of the altar I was referring to.

te-deum.blogspot.com/2006/12/2006-photo-post-midnight-mass-at.html

The item to which I am referring is to the viewer’s left of the tabernacle right behind the book (missal? Other term? Forgive me for messing up the correct term).

Again, it’s the red heart shaped item.

What is it? What is it for?

Thanks and God bless
 
carmelitenovice said:
Duh! Why didn’t I think of this before?
Here’s a link to a picture of the altar I was referring to.

te-deum.blogspot.com/2006/12/2006-photo-post-midnight-mass-at.html

The item to which I am referring is to the viewer’s left of the tabernacle right behind the book (missal? Other term? Forgive me for messing up the correct term).

Again, it’s the red heart shaped item.

What is it? What is it for?

Thanks and God bless
Click to expand...
I had to go through a few photo libraries to get a close-up of the item you’re describing. I think this may help others come up with an answer – I haven’t got a clue what that is but in this picture I’m also wondering if those things that look like small monstrances on the altar are actually that. If so, why are they there for Mass?
 
carmelitenovice said:
Duh! Why didn’t I think of this before?
Here’s a link to a picture of the altar I was referring to.

te-deum.blogspot.com/2006/12/2006-photo-post-midnight-mass-at.html

The item to which I am referring is to the viewer’s left of the tabernacle right behind the book (missal? Other term? Forgive me for messing up the correct term).

Again, it’s the red heart shaped item.

What is it? What is it for?

Thanks and God bless
Click to expand...
Yes, the book is a Missal. 🙂

Unless I missed it, though, the item in question appears only in the top photo. The other photos (during Mass) don’t seem to show it. At first (before looking at the photos), I also thought it was a reliquary, but now that I see it, it doesn’t look like any reliquary that I’ve ever encountered. I’ve no idea. :confused:
 
Phemie said:
I had to go through a few photo libraries to get a close-up of the item you’re describing. I think this may help others come up with an answer – I haven’t got a clue what that is but in this picture I’m also wondering if those things that look like small monstrances on the altar are actually that. If so, why are they there for Mass?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the close-up photo.

Anyway the “mini-monstrances” look to be reliquaries. Im still stumped by the heart-shaped thing, though.
 
malphono said:
Thanks for the close-up photo.

Anyway the “mini-monstrances” look to be reliquaries. Im still stumped by the heart-shaped thing, though.
Click to expand...
I hadn’t thought of reliquaries. That said, I count at least 5. I didn’t realize that a church could have that many relics beyond the ones imbedded in the altar(s).
 
carmelitenovice said:
Duh! Why didn’t I think of this before?
Here’s a link to a picture of the altar I was referring to.

te-deum.blogspot.com/2006/12/2006-photo-post-midnight-mass-at.html

The item to which I am referring is to the viewer’s left of the tabernacle right behind the book (missal? Other term? Forgive me for messing up the correct term).

Again, it’s the red heart shaped item.

What is it? What is it for?

Thanks and God bless
Click to expand...
The Heart shaped ‘monstrance’ similar styled thing, is a relic, probably of the patron saint of the Church, or of a martyr (our Church has a relic of St John Fisher encased in the High Altar), you see them in Seminaries where there generally of the True Cross.
 
It’s the relic of the True Cross, covered.

Here you go…

First pic - covered, taken this year at Christmas. I wondered too and had to ask.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Second pic I took some years ago before it was covered. This reminds me that I need to do a post with the many closeups I got - so close that the names of each saint can be read within the reliquary.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Looking at the cherub and other features on the reliquary, you can see that it is one and the same.

I will ask why it is covered. It is probably a pious custom for such a relic .

Many who are sick request to be blessed with a relic of the True Cross. You will find more about it here in this page on the True Cross.

newadvent.org/cathen/04529a.htm
 
Thanks one and all – especially to Diane K. (see you in two weeks!)
God bless,
 
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