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Balance
Guest
Here’s a link to St Stephen’s for anyone who’s interested. Wave your cursor over the images and it’ll tell you what they are.
cathedralofststephen.org.au/art.htm
cathedralofststephen.org.au/art.htm
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B
Balance
Guest
Realised I needed to pontificate a bit more than I did in the last post. 
…
Here’s a link to St Stephen’s for anyone who’s interested.
cathedralofststephen.org.au/art.htm
Interesting discussion, the “What should crucifixes (and Stations of the Cross/Staues of Saints and so on) look like” one. If a piece of devotional art makes you stop and think, isn’t that a good thing? If a crucifix like this one offends some people but moves others to prayer, is one group of people “right” and the other “wrong”? (That is, is there one (& only one) particular “taste” or “sensibility” for church art that a Christian should have?)
I can fully understand that some don’t like crucifixes like these, and that they **aren’t **moved to prayer - but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for them. (“Them” being the crucifixes in question, not the people unmoved by them.
)
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch, New Zealand recently commissioned and installed some new Stations of the Cross which was a decision that led to a brief but passionate storm of controversy - focussed almost exclusively on the fact that Christ is pictured naked in some of the Stations. That’s another fascinating question - if Christ was crucified naked, as many believe, should he or should he not be depicted as such in the crucifixes that hang in our churches? If we take artistic license and carve a loincloth, what other artistic decisions might we take? like depicting him cruciform but with no cross, or with one hand nailed to the crossbeam and one not.
nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10111393
I hear that the “happily added” loincloth is plaster, and I wonder if, at some point in the future, it will be removed to show the Station as the artist intended.
I’ll always land on the side of the argument for devotional art that stops me in my tracks and makes me think, even makes me a bit uncomfortable (in the sense of having to ask “why has the artist made the choices he/she has?”). I like that edgy quality in film, sculpture, poetry, painting, music. That’s the way God seems to work with me, I guess, as much as I’d like him to just leave me alone and let me be comfortable!
…Here’s a link to St Stephen’s for anyone who’s interested.
cathedralofststephen.org.au/art.htm
Interesting discussion, the “What should crucifixes (and Stations of the Cross/Staues of Saints and so on) look like” one. If a piece of devotional art makes you stop and think, isn’t that a good thing? If a crucifix like this one offends some people but moves others to prayer, is one group of people “right” and the other “wrong”? (That is, is there one (& only one) particular “taste” or “sensibility” for church art that a Christian should have?)
I can fully understand that some don’t like crucifixes like these, and that they **aren’t **moved to prayer - but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for them. (“Them” being the crucifixes in question, not the people unmoved by them.
)The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch, New Zealand recently commissioned and installed some new Stations of the Cross which was a decision that led to a brief but passionate storm of controversy - focussed almost exclusively on the fact that Christ is pictured naked in some of the Stations. That’s another fascinating question - if Christ was crucified naked, as many believe, should he or should he not be depicted as such in the crucifixes that hang in our churches? If we take artistic license and carve a loincloth, what other artistic decisions might we take? like depicting him cruciform but with no cross, or with one hand nailed to the crossbeam and one not.
nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10111393
I hear that the “happily added” loincloth is plaster, and I wonder if, at some point in the future, it will be removed to show the Station as the artist intended.
I’ll always land on the side of the argument for devotional art that stops me in my tracks and makes me think, even makes me a bit uncomfortable (in the sense of having to ask “why has the artist made the choices he/she has?”). I like that edgy quality in film, sculpture, poetry, painting, music. That’s the way God seems to work with me, I guess, as much as I’d like him to just leave me alone and let me be comfortable!
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Marian_Carroll
Guest
However, the thread topic is
Where do you sit at church?
Where do you sit at church?
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Balance
Guest
Sorry.
I sit “…not too near the front/ I need to know behind me/ Not too near the back/ I need to see the priest.”
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LeahInancsi
Guest
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I didn’t want to think it was a problem on my end.
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Rebecca_New
Guest
The Eucharist is the Risen Christ.It’s a bit odd seeing a corpus suspended in air without a cross behind it
Our Parish in NYS has this same Statue. Our present Church has a risen Jesus in the back of the alter. After much commentation the back of the Church has a stained glass Crusifix.
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Anne1964
Guest
I sit four or five rows from the front on the right side so I can be in line to receive communion from the priest. I also like to sit up front so I can see. It helps to hold my attention.
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Melissa
Guest
A little before the midpoint (so a little more forward), our parish has a ‘sick and disabled’ row (created by removing one row of pews so that there is room for a wheelchair or a walker). We sit two pews back of that, on the left. (No particular reason, we just ended up there.)
My older two sons, however, don’t sit with us–they’re altarboys.
My older two sons, however, don’t sit with us–they’re altarboys.
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highland
Guest
wow… I didn’t know u are from st. mary of the angels church …
btw… How’s Friar John Paul…??
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Wendy-Kay
Guest
Front roll seats at Calvary…for free!
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netmilsmom
Guest
We sit as far to the front as possible.
BTW.
I think that is the problem, children sometimes understand too much.
Why does someone always have to improve on the best anyway? How about a crucifix?
BTW.
What cross? That is the point, there is no cross.It is very bad to be critizing the cross I hoope you will go to confession right away on this one.
I’m sorry but if my six-year-old walked into that church, she would have nightmares. That is horrifiying.The children can understand more than you think and some day if the leave the catholic church pray they dion’t they will remember how big our GOD REALLY IS!!! Desert
I think that is the problem, children sometimes understand too much.
Why does someone always have to improve on the best anyway? How about a crucifix?
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DaughterSorrow
Guest
I sit with the choir (or near the altar if cantoring). The choir does not have a loft. They are located on the far right side near the far end of the church. It is a Vatican II church where the altar is near the center of the sanctuary (with crucifix hanging directly over the altarI’m curious why people sit where they sit in church and why.
I would enjoy hearing where you sit and why.
I sit five to ten rows from the front and to the right of the center isle. I can only guess that I sit on the right because I’m right handed and, as a recent graduate of RCIA, we sat to the right of the main isle. I sit so close to the front because I am an EMHC almost every Sunday and don’t want to have to run the length of the church at communion time.
) and the pews “wrap around the altar” with the exception of the very back (U shaped section of pews.)Peace,
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DARichards
Guest
Two answers.
- When my wife and children go with me we are sitting in the cry room which is on the same plane with the altar, to the left.
- When I attend by myself, I sit about 5 rows back from the front, right on the center aisle. I do this for many reasons. Primarily, I have seen that the further back I sit, the more distracted I am by the others, and also the more active parishoners tend to sit closer. I have noticed that I get alot more conversation to the back of the nave. In addition, whenever possible, I prefer to partake of both the Body and the Blood of our Lord and if I sit in the rear, usually, I am only able to partake of the Body only…
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Brenda_V
Guest
I chose “other” because it depends.
It depends on if I go to St. Thomas (mother Parish) - I tend to sit near the front on the left-center set of pews.
It depends if my daughter is playing her violin at St. John Vianney’s(mission parish), I sit front pew, far left. We have Mass in the School chapel and it is pretty small so the choir is just to the left (as you are facing the Altar) of the Altar.
It depends if we go to St. John Vianney’s and she isn’t playing, we sit on the far right side near the front.
As you will notice, I sit up front no matter where I go because I can then see and hear better .
Brenda V.
It depends on if I go to St. Thomas (mother Parish) - I tend to sit near the front on the left-center set of pews.
It depends if my daughter is playing her violin at St. John Vianney’s(mission parish), I sit front pew, far left. We have Mass in the School chapel and it is pretty small so the choir is just to the left (as you are facing the Altar) of the Altar.
It depends if we go to St. John Vianney’s and she isn’t playing, we sit on the far right side near the front.
As you will notice, I sit up front no matter where I go because I can then see and hear better
.Brenda V.
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Prayer_Warrior
Guest
I sit right up front center, first or second row. I find it easier to stay focused if I am right up front. I, too, like to receive Him in both species but prefer not to drink the wine if 30 other people have already done so… wimpy Catholic, I know…
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MAMom
Guest
II sit on the right side, next to the aisle; we have one center aisle. We also have an aisle/walkway bisecting the front half and back half. I sit in the second pew down from that aisle, so technically in the front, but really somewhat in the middle.
Why do I sit there? Well, sitting on the right I think has to do with when I was little. We had a children’s Mass before CCD on Sundays that all the children had to attend, and the girls sat on the right and the boys on the left. I guess I just got used to that and have conconciously always sat there. I asked my sisters and they too always sit on the right, probably for the same reason. Also, at my parish I enter on the R side entrance as that is where I park, but at the parish where I grew we always came in through the front, so I do think it stems back to those children’s Masses (I do exit through the rear to say hello to the priest though).
Everyone does seem to sit in the same spots every week I notice.
MAMom (caregiver beforethe crash )
Why do I sit there? Well, sitting on the right I think has to do with when I was little. We had a children’s Mass before CCD on Sundays that all the children had to attend, and the girls sat on the right and the boys on the left. I guess I just got used to that and have conconciously always sat there. I asked my sisters and they too always sit on the right, probably for the same reason. Also, at my parish I enter on the R side entrance as that is where I park, but at the parish where I grew we always came in through the front, so I do think it stems back to those children’s Masses (I do exit through the rear to say hello to the priest though).
Everyone does seem to sit in the same spots every week I notice.
MAMom (caregiver beforethe crash
)
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plh
Guest
What is that? Jesus was crucified on a cross. He did not fall off a balance beam. We complain about public school systems changing the “truth” of history in the books used to educate. This sort of looks like the Church is changing the history of Calvary. Sorry if this sounds mean - I don’t want to be.
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plh
Guest
Sorry. Our church is in the cruciform shape. I sit in the “left wing” as you face the alter. The sound is good; sometimes serve as EMHC; and sometimes (fall and spring) sneeze A LOT and escape for a moment out the door close by that leads to a hallway and the (attached) small chapel.
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mrs_abbott
Guest
When we go, we try and sit towards the back, especially since we have a two year old that might need “taken out” for a tantrum or two. 
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xsuasox
Guest
Our parish has a cluster od speakers above the altar, so you can clearly hear what’s going on anywhere in the church.
I sit on the left side of the center aisle about 2/3 of the way back, mainly because at communion it is the priest line, which I am partial to. When I go to the movies or to class, I always sit in the back on the left side, so maybe it is a subconcious preference as well.
I sit on the left side of the center aisle about 2/3 of the way back, mainly because at communion it is the priest line, which I am partial to. When I go to the movies or to class, I always sit in the back on the left side, so maybe it is a subconcious preference as well.
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