Tabernacle Location---What say you?

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This is not a polarizing thread…nor is it my intention for it to be so. Simple question, where do you prefer the Tabernacle? It has been my experience…and I know I have not been to every Church that they either have the 1) Tabernacle in the Center of the High Altar/or behind the free standing Altar in the Center (which is basically the same I guess, just a difference in Altars???) 2) Located in a side chapel 3) located in some obscure room attached to the Church

My preference is option 1…I prefer to see the Tabernacle in a position of prominence, which is in the center of the High Altar or in the case that there is only a free standing altar, it is place behind it, against the wall in the center. I think it shows the proper reverence and respect…I do not like to see it when it has been relegated to a place on the side of the Church, and the Bishops Cathedra or the Priest’s chair is place in the center of the sanctuary instead…that just odd to me
 
michaeldaniels said:
This is not a polarizing thread…nor is it my intention for it to be so. Simple question, where do you prefer the Tabernacle? It has been my experience…and I know I have not been to every Church that they either have the 1) Tabernacle in the Center of the High Altar/or behind the free standing Altar in the Center (which is basically the same I guess, just a difference in Altars???) 2) Located in a side chapel 3) located in some obscure room attached to the Church

My preference is option 1…I prefer to see the Tabernacle in a position of prominence, which is in the center of the High Altar or in the case that there is only a free standing altar, it is place behind it, against the wall in the center. I think it shows the proper reverence and respect…I do not like to see it when it has been relegated to a place on the side of the Church, and the Bishops Cathedra or the Priest’s chair is place in the center of the sanctuary instead…that just odd to m

:thumbsup:Agreed! I don’t understand why it isn’t in the center of every church. Isn’t the Eucharist the center of our faith? Why not emphasize that by having it’s “house” at the center of the altar?
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Our faith is Christo-centric, can anyone give a good reason as to why our Churches shouldn’t be as well?
 
So what does a parish do when it has 24 hour adoration, in a small chapel. You’re not supposed to have to places of the Eucharist on campus.
 
I personally think there is a lot to say for the tabernacle being on a high prominent altar above/behind the altar of sacrifice… assuming the church building is designed with the sanctuary near a wall.

I am not in favor of redesigning existing churches in order to put the tabernacle behind and altar when it was never there in the first place.

And has been suggested, there actually are parishes which have the tabernacle in an a separate reservation/adoration chapel which can be available even when the main church building is locked up. There is value to this.
 
I’m curious as to those that voted “other” what did you have in mind? Was that in a separate adoration chapel or somewhere else?
 
I picked ‘other’. It all depends on the church, its layout and its popularity as a tourist destination.

Our Tabernacle has been moved twice since I moved to this parish 12 years ago. When I first came it was against the wall to the left of the altar. Then it was moved to the right hand side, pulled foward and made much more prominent as it dominated that space. Now it’s been moved to the center of the sanctuary, to make space for a baptistry. Since it is now behind the altar, it is much less prominent. I preferred it in its second space.

I have nothing against a Chapel of Repose that is easily visible and accessible from the church itself.
 
agapewolf said:
So what does a parish do when it has 24 hour adoration, in a small chapel. You’re not supposed to have to places of the Eucharist on campus.
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Well I know that a church is not supposed to have more than one tabernacle, but I thought that having the tabernacle in the main sanctuary, while having 24 hour Euchastic adoration in a side chapel (with the host in the monstrance placed on an altar) was ok. Is this incorrect? Thanks.
 
I don’t know how strict the policies are enforced, but I don’t think the Eucharist is supposed to be in 2 places on 1 campus.
 
I don’t remember where I read it, but I believe that, at least here in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, they are beginning to reverse the trend of moving the Tabernacle away from “front and center”.
This makes me very happy.
I’ve never really been comfortable with the Tabernacle being moved and the priest sitting in the place where the tabernacle use to be.
Years ago, before most churches had been remodeled, the priest would sit off to the side (like they do on EWTN) This seems much more appropriate.
I look forward to the time when the bishops issue directives that Church remodels must both bring the tabernacle back to it’s prominent position and also that the remodels make allowance for the celbration of the EF. Many Sactuaries today are not well designed fot this.

Peace
James
 
michaeldaniels said:
I’m curious as to those that voted “other” what did you have in mind? Was that in a separate adoration chapel or somewhere else?
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These people have a special devotion to the mystery “the Finding in the Temple”.
 
Our Tabernacle is very prominent to the left and actually forward of the Altar. It would get lost behind the Altar because of the architecture of our church. A curious question. What is the protocol when the Tabernacle is behind the Altar? With the Tabernacle to the side, I know to genuflect toward the Tabernacle before I sit in the pew. When I come front to read, I bow to the Altar, because the ambo is to the right of the Altar. If the Tabernacle is behind the Altar, what does the reader, or anyone approaching the front of the church do - bow or genuflect? The priest, who is in persona Christi, kisses the Altar because it represents Christ. I do understand that is not the same as the Real Presence, but, it does keep Christ front and center, even if the Tabernacle is off to the side.
 
I choose, “I don’t particularly care where the Tabernacle is located”.

🤷
 
In the center! Where it should be. Is not Christ the center of the Church? Then His real presence should stand out in front of everybody!
 
As long as the Tabernacle is in a place where you can see it and kneel or sit and pray, or just think, it’s fine. I am not committed to any particular location. While I respect the feelings of those who like the center location, I find it hard to believe that a particular location is “better” than any of the others. To me, it is the presence of Jesus that matters.
 
LindaSK said:
Our Tabernacle is very prominent to the left and actually forward of the Altar. It would get lost behind the Altar because of the architecture of our church. A curious question. What is the protocol when the Tabernacle is behind the Altar? With the Tabernacle to the side, I know to genuflect toward the Tabernacle before I sit in the pew. When I come front to read, I bow to the Altar, because the ambo is to the right of the Altar. If the Tabernacle is behind the Altar, what does the reader, or anyone approaching the front of the church do - bow or genuflect? The priest, who is in persona Christi, kisses the Altar because it represents Christ. I do understand that is not the same as the Real Presence, but, it does keep Christ front and center, even if the Tabernacle is off to the side.
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From an old catholic who remembers when the tabernacle was ALWAYS front and center.

The rule was always if you crossed in front of the Tabernacle, you would genuflect.
So the lector would simply genuflect instead of bow as he/she goes up to read, AND as they come back down.

Placing the Tabernacle behind the Altar, where it always was before, would actually simplify things in my opinion. There would no longer be any need to determine where the tabernacle is if you are not familiar with a particular Church, or then to genuflect and when to bow. As soon as you walk into ANY catholic Church you’d know where the tabernacle was, and since it and the altar are in line, you’d know to genuflect anytime you pass across the center of the Church.

Peace
James
 
Mother Angelica said something like this about it once, “It’s like going to meet someone at their house, after they’ve asked you over. They ask you to come in. You walk in the door in the living room and you can’t find them in the house. You soon find out they’re outside on the side porch or they are out on the back porch. It’s their house and they’re not in their home. You go to see them, and you have to go out to the side porch or back porch to find them where they are hiding.”

That is exactly how it is with Jesus in the holy tabernacle when he is in the Church. The church is Jesus’s house, not some social meeting house or a dance hall. It is where Jesus literally dwells. Why would you want to relocate him into some dark small room somewhere or off to the side.

It’s some garbage, once again, certain priests or lay or even bishops ran off with when they thought they could do anything after V2 was passed. V2 doesn’t tell people to change the position of the altar, but they just did their own thing anyway. It makes the church people centric.
 
recondelta said:
As long as the Tabernacle is in a place where you can see it and kneel or sit and pray, or just think, it’s fine. I am not committed to any particular location. While I respect the feelings of those who like the center location, I find it hard to believe that a particular location is “better” than any of the others. To me, it is the presence of Jesus that matters.
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Would you want Jesus, the king, to be front and center?
 
We need to remember why the Mysteries are reserved to start with.

It’s to be able to provide the Eucharist for the sick, shut-ins, and those in danger of death as a Viaticum.

Devotional purposes are secondary to this.

Therefore, security of the Holy Mysteries should be a major consideration in where and how they are reserved.

Eucharistic doves and hanging spherical pyxes (both of which I’ve seen) are incredibly beautiful, but not very practical or secure.

Therefore an aumbry built into the wall would be the best way: probably over the Proskomedia in a Byzantine church and in the main sanctuary (where ever would look best) in a Western church.
 
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