What would be in a catholic church?

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hi, i just wanted to ask whether what would be in a catholic church? if someone woukld present me an book, or links or website or whatever, of what is in catholic church… e.g. altar etc
 
The most important:
The Tabernacle housing the Real Presence
 
This question is not as easily answered as it would appear at first glance if we concentrate on the physical aspects only. Someone walking into a church designed for the EF with the High Altar, central Tabernacle and Altar Rail would have a bit of trouble relating that interior to one of the modern OF designs; church in the round etc., choir loft above the sanctuary, video projection screens behind or to the sides of the sanctuary. I’ve been in a couple that caused me to go back outside and double check it was a Catholic church!

There are essential requirements but their location and interpretation can be strikingly variable, two most obvious are the location of the Tabernacle and design and location the Altar. The Tabernacle is usually functionally recognizable but is often shoved off into an alcove somewhere at the fringe of what should be the Sanctuary and is rarely covered by the appropriate vestment/liturgical color. Altars range from the old majestic High Altar to a simple Mensa in the middle of a stage.

Since the OP appears to be Muslim it would be interesting to know if there is much variation in the interior design of a Mosque and what essential elements must be present.
 
hugga12 said:
hi, i just wanted to ask whether what would be in a catholic church? if someone woukld present me an book, or links or website or whatever, of what is in catholic church… e.g. altar etc
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There are many things in a catholic church, and what they all are if you actually take the time to go and see for yourself and investigate personally could lead you to seeing the answer to your question, and for some that intense seeking can take minutes.
For some it can take a bit more time.
Some never questioned it ever, and some felt for some reason they would take a break from it for however long.
The bottom line answer I can give you to your question about what would be in a catholic church is simply my personal experience as a non thiest after careful study and continuing search via going to Mass on a very regular basis.

I am a bit biased and happen to prefer going and continuing seeking her (the Church)personally as well as coming here. I happen to have a very good priest to speak to on a regular basis who continues to encourage me, and welcomes my questions.

I think the church has many things in it. Things you can see and many things you expect from it and do not see. Your question is sorta like what is the blueprint of the church?
That’s the wrong way to see her IMHO.
There are beautiful Churches that would blow your mind away (or be offended by the images in it)
Depending on your theology backround, you could walk away with all sorts of ideas and perhaps misconceptions.
Your question leaves those who try to answer it to guess what you have been told or read and have actually seen with your own eyes.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Don’t people exist in all the religious groups everywhere?

Are you implying that the catholics as a whole are somehow better people?
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We are sinners but only Catholics have the fullness of truth and there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church.
 
i apologize for making my question vague. i have been studying chrisitian theology at university, most recently Hans von balthasar, Tillich, Rahner, Barth. in another module i am required to look at a place of worshio and figure out why the objects there or how they could add to a persons beleif. thats why the actual contents of an Catholic church are there…im asking for a blueprint of a catholic church… … in one of the posts posted a picture of a church with an epistle side and a gospel side, whats the difference?

stchadscathedral.org.uk/gallery.asp?gallery=10

there is an example of what i am talking about, St chads cathedral in birmingham, would someone mind talking me through in each picture, writing a sentence for eacg picture, i will be extremely grateful…someones mentioned how muslims would feel about the OP, im not sure what the initials stand for…im extremely grateful for helping me,
 
hugga12 said:
i apologize for making my question vague. i have been studying chrisitian theology at university, most recently Hans von balthasar, Tillich, Rahner, Barth. in another module i am required to look at a place of worshio and figure out why the objects there or how they could add to a persons beleif. thats why the actual contents of an Catholic church are there…im asking for a blueprint of a catholic church… … in one of the posts posted a picture of a church with an epistle side and a gospel side, whats the difference?

stchadscathedral.org.uk/gallery.asp?gallery=10

there is an example of what i am talking about, St chads cathedral in birmingham, would someone mind talking me through in each picture, writing a sentence for eacg picture, i will be extremely grateful…someones mentioned how muslims would feel about the OP, im not sure what the initials stand for…im extremely grateful for helping me,
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The epistle side is for the reading of the epistles, the letters written by the Apostles. The Gospel side is for the reading of the Gospels.

Okay, some thoughts on those pictures:
  • Stained glass was used not only because it was beautiful, but because it was educational. People were generally illiterate until very recently, so the images in the glass helped tell the stories of the Bible. Check out this video about stained glass in Catholicism
  • There are pictures of a few different altars. Many churches have a main “high altar” as well as smaller “side-altars,” which may be dedicated in memory of Our Lady or another saint.
  • The “box” on top of some of the altars is the Tabernacle. That is where the consecrated bread, which we believe is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, is reserved. Thus is is usually a central focus of a Church, and is shown great reverence.
  • I believe one of the pictures shows a station of the cross. Since the middle ages, Churches have displayed the Stations of the Cross, which recount the different steps of Christ’s crucifixion. The faithful start at the first station and walk to each subsequent one while saying certain prayers. It originated as a form of penance and is still used as such or for reflection.
  • You may not be able to see from the pictures, but it is traditional (but not absolutely required) for churches to be built in the shape of a cross, for obvious reasons
  • Also, the “flow” of the Church matters. At the entrance there is usually a foyer-type of area, called a vestibule, which represents the outside world. Then there is often a baptistery, where baptisms are performed. By placing this at the beginning it represents how we start our journey to Christ in Baptism. This arrangement is more common in Eastern than Western churches, but in western churches there are always holy water founts at the entrances of the Church for the same reason. Next comes the nave, where the faithful gather, representing their journey of faith, which leads to the sanctuary, where most of the sacraments are performed, which represents heaven. It is usually visually separated by an altar rail, a rood screen, or an iconostasis.
Hope that helps a bit. If you want to read something in depth, check out St Charles Borromeo’s writings called “The Church and its furnishings” and the “Instructions for Consecrating a Church”. Here is a summary.

You might want to check out a publication called “Sacred Architecture.”
sacredarchitecture.org/pubs/saj/articles/borromeo.php
 
=hugga12;8713760]hi, i just wanted to ask whether what would be in a catholic church? if someone woukld present me an book, or links or website or whatever, of what is in catholic church… e.g. altar etc
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Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite By Peter J. Elliott.

But the short list is:

A Stationary [unmoveable Altar]
A Reservation tabernacle
A “marked off” sactionary
a Crucifix
A Lectionary
A Baptismisal fount
a Chair for the priest [or bishop] and altar servers
A Bible
A book called the Lectionary
A Confessional booth
usually an organ or piano
Pews for the laity
Stations of the Cross
usually one or more statues
Holy water fonts at the entrances

That’s the main items, WHY?
a place for the “holy Oils” to be stored
Often stained Glass windows
 
hi thanks very much. would someone be so kind comment per pec, i apologize if tis hard. starting to slide 1 to the very end. pretty please. and thank you in advance
 
hugga12 said:
hi thanks very much. would someone be so kind comment per pec, i apologize if tis hard. starting to slide 1 to the very end. pretty please. and thank you in advance
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I think you’ve received plenty of help. We’re not going to do your homework for you.
 
my apologize i didnt mean it like that. i just wanted you to confirm everything in those pictures are considered traditional within catholic church. i read an article posted on this thread about Charles Borromeo and his perspective regarding the content of an catholic church. someone else who also posted on this thread said they had to go in and out of an particular church, just to confirm it was catholic… i just want to investigate what makes a church catholic
 
hugga12 said:
my apologize i didnt mean it like that. i just wanted you to confirm everything in those pictures are considered traditional within catholic church. i read an article posted on this thread about Charles Borromeo and his perspective regarding the content of an catholic church. someone else who also posted on this thread said they had to go in and out of an particular church, just to confirm it was catholic… i just want to investigate what makes a church catholic
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The Church that you linked to previously looks relatively “traditional.”

You can tell that at one point in the last 40 years they did some sanctuary revisions. They appear to have added a new altar so that Mass could be said facing the people or facing East, and I can’t tell if there is an altar rail. Other than that, its about as traditional as they come.
 
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