Sanctuary Candle and candles in general?

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jmcrae said:
Shouldn’t that, at least, come from the building fund? I don’t see it as one of the “optionals” that a church could do without if no donor comes forward.
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I am sure it could, however, it is one of many objects donated. Look, someone just donated a new Monstrance to our parish, and the Pastor is asking for donations for some new vessels and vestments as ours are looking pretty tacky. He says we can do it in memoriam. Now I am sure that if people don’t come forward they will eventually come out of the budget, but really, people usually respond well to such requests and want to donate. There is no promise, however to pray for release from purgatory for the deceased, and one is not going to get brownie points in heaven for donating.
 
=polishprincess;11107685]Why do we Catholics have the Sanctuary Candle lit for someone who has passed away? can it helpful to their soul if they are in purgatory? Thank you and God bless!
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It’s part TRADITION & Part a prayer

It recalls ones Baptisimal candle “the light of Christ” [Jn.8:12] and is a hoped and prayerd for wish and reminder that this SOUL now rest WITH that very “Light” Jesus Himself. AMEN:thumbsup:
 
CB_Catholic said:
I am sure it could, however, it is one of many objects donated. Look, someone just donated a new Monstrance to our parish, and the Pastor is asking for donations for some new vessels and vestments as ours are looking pretty tacky. He says we can do it in memoriam. Now I am sure that if people don’t come forward they will eventually come out of the budget, but really, people usually respond well to such requests and want to donate. There is no promise, however to pray for release from purgatory for the deceased, and one is not going to get brownie points in heaven for donating.
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I think I would feel strange praying in front of the Tabernacle if it had someone’s name inscribed on it.

Maybe that’s just me. 🤷
 
jmcrae said:
I think I would feel strange praying in front of the Tabernacle if it had someone’s name inscribed on it.

Maybe that’s just me. 🤷
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There is no name inscribed on it. What makes you think there would be? Sometimes when sizeable donations are made there is a place in the vestibule or someplace on the property with the name of donors and who the items are in memory of. Sometimes it is only published in the bulletin. Every parish differs as to how they acknowledge the donation, but I have never seen someone’s name on an object, except our parish library, which is named after the deceased donor.
 
CB_Catholic said:
There is no name inscribed on it. What makes you think there would be? Sometimes when sizeable donations are made there is a place in the vestibule or someplace on the property with the name of donors and who the items are in memory of. Sometimes it is only published in the bulletin. Every parish differs as to how they acknowledge the donation, but I have never seen someone’s name on an object, except our parish library, which is named after the deceased donor.
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That’s what an “in memoriam” is, is it not? The privilege to inscribe your loved one’s name on the object that you are donating on behalf of that person.

For example, if you donate an organ in the name of your deceased father, James Smith, then it becomes known as “the James Smith organ” and it has a plaque on it somewhere with the words “In memory of James Smith.”

And in the case of stained glass windows, at the bottom of each window is printed the name of the person in whose name the window was donated. (Otherwise, how is the congregation supposed to remember the person’s name?)

I donated the funding to build a library to my father’s community in my father’s name after he died, and it is known as the “Dad’s Name Memorial Library.”

Isn’t that the case with all memorial donations? :confused:
 
jmcrae said:
That’s what an “in memoriam” is, is it not? The privilege to inscribe your loved one’s name on the object that you are donating on behalf of that person.

For example, if you donate an organ in the name of your deceased father, James Smith, then it becomes known as “the James Smith organ” and it has a plaque on it somewhere with the words “In memory of James Smith.”

And in the case of stained glass windows, at the bottom of each window is printed the name of the person in whose name the window was donated. (Otherwise, how is the congregation supposed to remember the person’s name?)

I donated the funding to build a library to my father’s community in my father’s name after he died, and it is known as the “Dad’s Name Memorial Library.”

Isn’t that the case with all memorial donations? :confused:
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No. Not in our church. We built a new church 20 years ago, and there are no names on the stained glass windows, or anything else that I can see. I never checked out the organ. There is a large plaque in the vestibule with the names of donors, some of which say in memory of. Now how it is done in your church, I don’t know. It really is not that important, and I highly doubt they are going to embroider someone’s name in the vestments or inscribe it on the chalice. That would be beyond tacky.
 
CB_Catholic said:
Now how it is done in your church, I don’t know.
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In our church, and indeed in our whole culture, “in memoriam” means that the object itself is named after the person.
It really is not that important, and I highly doubt they are going to embroider someone’s name in the vestments or inscribe it on the chalice. That would be beyond tacky.
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Which is why we never do “in memoriam” for those kinds of things.

Instead, people are invited to donate to the building fund for one-time purchases, and to tithe to the parish for supplies such as candles and other consumables, and the building fund or the parish pays for these things.
 
When I first replied to the OP, I thought she was confusing the Sanctuary light with votive candles. Now that I know she wasn’t, and that it is a common practice, I’m rather shocked. Having the Sanctuary light do double duty is, I think, a mistake. When people see it, they should be reminded that Jesus is present, and not be thinking it’s to remember Uncle George by.

Do the parishes that do that also have the electric lights and other utilities in the church paid for in memory of the deceased?
 
jmcrae said:
:confused: We don’t.

The Sanctuary Candle is for the Tabernacle, to show that Jesus is present within.

If there are votive candles, you can light a votive candle for any reason. There is usually a donation box close by so that you can donate for the use of the candle.
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While it’s been years, I do remember that the Sanctuary Lamp in my childhood parish would always be donated in memory of someone and it was always announced.

No such thing in my parish today, because the pastor who came in 2000 had an electrical Sanctuary Lamp installed when he came. I believe that violates canon law but during his term in our parish ‘cheaper’ was how we did everything. No pastor since has seen fit to change it. I often read here that it’s due to insurance but the diocese has no problem with banks of votives all over the place, so I doubt that they ever mandated that we go electrical due to that.
 
Carmelite1 said:
I still do not believe that this is a “common” practice - I do not live in a bubble and have never heard of it.🤷

I suggest that all churches that are having a problem buying candles - take up a special collection (once a month or every few months) especially to buy a box of Sanctuary Candles (the votive candles are paid for by the person lighting the candle).

Then we could have the Sanctuary Candle telling us that our Dear Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament and he is not sharing.:highprayer:
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It’s a practice that has been around forever – well, OK, since I was a kid in the 50s. 😃

You donate the candle in memory of someone. The candle costs $15.

2 other women and I donate the Paschal Candle each year. Never thought to make it in memory of someone. Next year I’ll have to mention it to them.
 
From a few parish bulletins on line.

SANCTUARY LAMP AT HOLY CROSS CHURCH

If you are interested in having a loved one remembered by providing the sanctuary lamps for a one week period, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page with the name of the those to remember / honor, the week
which you would like the lamp lit, the name of the person requesting, and an e-mail address and telephone number so that we might contact you. Please check the list to the left to find out available dates.

After finishing and submitting the form below, please continue to the Parish Pay Link: parishpay.com/customer/donation.asp?id=34530
A donation of $25.00 is requested for the lighting of the Santuary Lamp, but any other amount is appreciated.

DONATE FOR A 14-DAY SANCTUARY LAMP
The most prominent candle in any Catholic church is the sanctuary lamp of pure beeswax and olive oil, which burns as a sign of Our Lord’s Real Presence in the tabernacle.

Your donation of $25 or more will help defray the cost of a sanctuary lamp at St. Gertrude’s. This lamp will burn before the Blessed Sacrament for 14 consecutive days — presenting your prayers, representing your presence.

Please provide your name and intention during checkout. Your name and intention will appear in the St. Gertrude the Great Church bulletin.

The Sanctuary Lamp: donations are needed to keep the lamp burning before the Blessed Sacrament. The lamp will be burning all week and your intentions will be remembered at Mass the suggested donation is $10.00.

The Sanctuary Lamp burns constantly. Weekly donation of $45 are accepted for your special intention. This donation is for the Sanctuary Lamp, Adoration Chapel Lamp and the Bread and Wine used at all the liturgies for the week. Envelopes for this purpose are on the wall by the Sacristy. Reservations are normally 4-5 weeks in advance.

Mass Intentions, Sanctuary Lamps, and Mass Cards
It is the long standing tradition of the Church to pray for the dead at Mass. We remember the dead in the Prayers of the Faithful, and during the Eucharistic Prayer. The Church always prays for the dead.

You can schedule an Anniversary Mass (around the date of the person’s anniversary of death) or a Memorial Mass (praying for the dead at some other important date, i.e. their birthday, anniversary, etc.) at a weekday 9:00 mass or a 4:00pm Saturday Mass. Offering for these Masses is $10 per Mass. To schedule a Mass, first check the availability on the parish calendar, then phone the Parish House at 508-668-4700 for more information.

We do not schedule Anniversary or Memorial Masses at the Sunday Masses. We do not schedule Masses for “special intentions” since everyone who comes to Mass has a special intention.

You might also consider donating the sanctuary lamp that burns in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament either in the church or in the chapel in memory of a loved one who has died. The suggested donation for the Sanctuary Lamp is $15. Call the Parish House for more information.

We also have parish Mass cards for the deceased. These Mass intentions are sent to the missions with a suggested donation of $5. Or you can pick up a leatherette bound “spiritual bouquet” also known as a Perpetual Enrollment, in which the intentions of the deceased are remembered at all the Masses celebrated by the SMA Fathers, who provide the enrollments. These leatherette enrollments come with an enrollment card which you complete and mail back to the SMA Fathers along with your donation. Contact the Parish House for more information.
 
Phemie said:
It’s a practice that has been around forever – well, OK, since I was a kid in the 50s. 😃

You donate the candle in memory of someone. The candle costs $15.

2 other women and I donate the Paschal Candle each year. Never thought to make it in memory of someone. Next year I’ll have to mention it to them.
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Is this also down East? I have never seen it here in the West. I can’t imagine any of our priests allowing such a thing.
 
 
polishprincess said:
Look you! you know how when you have a mass said for someone who we loved??? And you know how when we pray for a soul in purgatory it lessens the time in purgatory they would have had. my question was, if the candle lit was beneficial in some way to HELP THE SOUL GET OUT OF PURGATORY! HOW HARD IS THIS TO UNDERSTAND??? IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS PLEASE DONT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME. 🙂
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LOL! Niech pani będzie spokojna! 😉

Yes, I know that this was your question. My answer is that, no, making a donation in memoriam of someone isn’t the same as lighting a votive candle (or better yet, having a Mass celebrated).

Peace! 👍
 
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