Tabernacle weight

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scoobydoo6v92

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I was looking at the local religious store here in Milwaukee and they have tabernacles and of course empty so I approached one and to see how they are built and everyone was heavy and I couldn’t move it and I am strong and still barely could move it, the question I have is, is it that they are heavy? or bolted down? they look solid but I don’t know. Thanks for any help Scoob.
 
I think I remember a passage from the catechism (or another church source, idk) that says they’re supposed to be that way. Anyone know what I’m thinking of?
 
Alex246 said:
I think I remember a passage from the catechism (or another church source, idk) that says they’re supposed to be that way. Anyone know what I’m thinking of?
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Possibly canon law. You don’t really want a portable tabernacle. Can you imagine if anyone could reasonably walk into a church, pick it up and carry it out?!?!?!
 
Having moved several tabernacles before, I can tell you that the ones I have been involved with were unbelievably heavy. I was also extremely surprised at how heavy they were. They were quite deceptively heavy, not appearing to have much mass behind them until you tried to move them.

I would guess most rounded tabernacles (which these were) are weighted on the bottom, or at the base.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
I was looking at the local religious store here in Milwaukee and they have tabernacles and of course empty so I approached one and to see how they are built and everyone was heavy and I couldn’t move it and I am strong and still barely could move it, the question I have is, is it that they are heavy? or bolted down? they look solid but I don’t know. Thanks for any help Scoob.
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The tabernacle in my parish took 4 men to lift up when we changed the altar cloth.
 
CatholicCid said:
They were quite deceptively heavy, not appearing to have much mass behind them until you tried to move them.
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No. Most tabernacles have mass in front of them, whether the priest is saying Mass ad orientem or ad populum.

Sorry couldn’t resist the pun.
 
Several years ago around here there was a rash of church vandalisms. Not just Catholic churches, it seems that the criminals thought that any church would do as a target (what they did to the Jewish synagogue, they should rot in hell for. Swastikas and the like.)

But after that crime wave, the Catholic churches bolted the already-heavy tabernacles down, and a lot of the churches moved the tabernacle of reservation (I don’t think that’s actually the term, but it is where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved) off the main altar to either a chapel or a side altar, to foil the vandals. I guess the thinking was that the miscreants would first go to the centrally located tabernacle, and that by the time they trashed that someone in the rectory would figure out that something was amiss and the cops would be on their way before they figured out where the consecrated hosts were. A lot of churches had locked their doors a long time before the crime wave, but this bunch managed to jimmy their way in.

Crud. I remember when you could walk into a Catholic church, any time of the day or night, and spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament with whatever weighed on your heart, or just sat there in the company of Our Lord. This bunch of weasels ruined that for everyone.

Going up to the door of a Catholic church and finding it locked is one of the saddest commentaries of our times.
 
odile53 said:
… I remember when you could walk into a Catholic church, any time of the day or night, and spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament with whatever weighed on your heart, or just sat there in the company of Our Lord. This bunch of weasels ruined that for everyone.

Going up to the door of a Catholic church and finding it locked is one of the saddest commentaries of our times.
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Indeed it is sad. We are so fortunate to have a church here that never closes it’s doors, and has a 24 hr Perpetual Adoration Chapel. Still, 24 hr security is provided.
 
PacoG said:
No. Most tabernacles have mass in front of them, whether the priest is saying Mass ad orientem or ad populum.

Sorry couldn’t resist the pun.
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😃

And I found that passage. SonCatcher, you were right, it’s in canon law. here’s the excerpt:
Can. 938 §1. The Most Holy Eucharist is to be reserved habitually in only one tabernacle of a church or oratory.
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§2. The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is to be situated in some part of the church or oratory which is distinguished, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.
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§3. The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved habitually is to be immovable, made of solid and opaque material, and locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is avoided as much as possible.
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§4. For a grave cause, it is permitted to reserve the Most Holy Eucharist in some other fit-ting and more secure place, especially at night.
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§5. The person responsible for the church or oratory is to take care that the key of the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is safeguarded most diligently.
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Depending on where the tabernacle is in the church it may also be bolted in place, so built into the structure. Our tabernacle is on a stand just behind the altar. The stand is actually a very large marble column that is built into the floor and the tabernacle is built into or bolted to the stand. Very immovable.

The tabernacle in our adoration chapel is built into the wall like a wall safe, so again very immovable.
 
Right,

All I know is that this tabernacle was square and was sitting on the table and I could barely move it and it was heavy. Looks like the sides were cast of bronze and the top was raised like a hip roof and the sides were thick. It was just much heavier than I ever imagined and it is hard to see a tabernacle up and personal and be able to touch it Not alone try to pick it up. I wonder if they use concrete between the metal like a safe. Well anyway it was surprized and would hate one to fall on my foot. The one here at seminary took five guys to move and place where the tabernacle is now. Scoob.
 
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