Where's the Tabernacle?

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AMJ

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As a Junior Member, I don’t visit as often as I should. So this is likely a topic with much previous discussion. I’ll defer to a moderator, should that be the case. Just don’t load this question. No need to cover old territory. Perhaps if I figured out how to use a search option in this website…I could find my answer that way.

At any rate, a few years ago (maybe 2) our church directed us to bow to the center of the sancuary (the bare alter - I suppose) rather than genuflecting. The tabernacle has been moved to a separate “place” outside the sanctuary (in the back - ugh). I’m not entirely sure what I’m bowing to. There’s not even a permanent/prominent crucifix in that direction. 😦 I guess I’m bowing to the bare alter.

My (wonderful) wife continues to genuflect…pretty much in protest to the absence of the Eucharitic presence. Not a good way to start off a Mass, one might argue. But I appreciate her intent. In fact, I can’t really criticize – being slightly the appeaser. She genuflects and I, following behind, do the obligatory bow. I think I probably do so to avoid “upsetting” the other sheep oogeling everyone’s entrance. (As you probably suspect, there’s also the ban on making the sign of the cross after receiving Communion. But that’s another issue. Mrs. AMJ does it – in the spirit this should be done and with no other intent – as is the case with her genuflecting. Once again, I’m the appeaser…not wanting to take an “in your face” approach with my fellow parishoners. I’d rather they were contemplating their own Communion than thinking about a few wayward churchgoers who can’t seem to follow the rules. So after 50 some years of doing it one way, I just move along back to my place.)

That makes me more a coward than an appeaser, because inside I am roiling with anger over the decisions to move the Eucharist “elsewhere” and to tell me when I can and cannot make the sign of the cross.

I found an article that seems to do a good job addressing the tabernacle issue: catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Faith/0102-97/sacram3.html but I’m concerned that I like this article because it speaks in words I want to hear.

Q: Is this a big issue with you all – or should I let it go. Have any of you made a successful approach to your parish, your priest, your diocese toward restoring the Eucharist to it’s (in my mind) rightful place?
 
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AMJ:
Q: Is this a big issue with you all – or should I let it go. Have any of you made a successful approach to your parish, your priest, your diocese toward restoring the Eucharist to it’s (in my mind) rightful place?
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Yes I do know of parishes that have successfully moved the Tabernacle back to the center or at least back into the sanctuary.
However most cases it was after a pastor change.

“My (wonderful) wife continues to genuflect…pretty much in protest to the absence of the Eucharitic presence.”

Which she should stop doing.

“As you probably suspect, there’s also the ban on making the sign of the cross after receiving Communion.”

No one can stop you from making the sign of the Cross. Just like no one can stop you from kneeling after returning from receiving Holy Communion.
 
I would talk with your priest and let him know of your frustrations and if things don’t get resolved, it may be time to find a new parish. I say that because if it is on your mind that much, especially during Mass, then how much are you getting out of the Mass?

I guess I can understand the bowing thing, at least if their intent is to doing things uniformly as a parish community, something akin to some parishes hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer. However, moving the Tabernacle out of view is different. To me that should be have a prominent place on the altar. We are there to worship and be with Jesus, so why put him in the back, hidden from us until the Liturgy of the Eucharist? That makes no sense and shows a lack of respect as far as I’m concerned.

Watch out, next thing you know, the kneelers will be removed. My brother’s church is that way and I kid with him saying he belongs to a “Protestent” Catholic church. It’s one of the newer kinds where there is no real main entrance, no center aisle, the seating is in a fan-shaped formation, no statues, no stained glass, and while I’m sure that they have them, I don’t recall seeing any stations of the cross. I find that odd, because that’s one of the things I enjoy looking at when visiting a new church. I guess it’s all designed to keep the “distractions” minimal and keep us focused on the altar, where low and behold, Jesus is not there through much of the Mass.

Rick
 
A few years ago, during a remodeling, we moved our tabernacle back to the center of the sanctuary, behind the altar.
 
According to the Ceremonial of Bishops:

“71. No one who enters a church should fail to adore the blessed sacrament, either by visiting the blessed sacrament chapel or at least by genuflecting.”

So you find out where the tabernacle is. When you arrive at church for Mass you first go there and genuflect towards the tabernacle.

Perhaps there is no tabernacle. Rather than having Mass in a church it is being held in a hall. It that case it would be wrong to genuflect. From the Ceremonial of Bishops:

“69. A genuflection, made by bending only the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and is therefore reserved for the blessed sacrament, whether exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, and for the holy cross from the time of the solemn adoration in the liturgical celebration of Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.”

The bowing is a reverence to the altar:

“72. A deep bow is made to the altar by all who enter the sanctuary (chancel), leave it, or pass before the altar.”

(Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, pages 36-37).
 
I visited a parish in Orange County, CA while on vacation and I was surprised that they had the Tabernacle not only off to the side but completely out of site. It was otherwise a lovely parish but I found that odd. I didn’t like it much. I wonder though, what is the rule on this?
 
What’s strange is that the move to put the tabernacle in a separate place was initially driven by large/historic churches and cathedrals that had many tourists. It was considered impious to have so many people just milling around and looking at the architecture, etc. It makes sense in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, etc., to allow for adoration in a separate sacred space. It was absolutely nuts to move the tabernacle in the average parish church. My church has moved the tabernacle back to the center - and my Bishop is encouraging all parishes to do the same. Hopefully, it will happen in other churches and dioceses, too.
 
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johnnykins:
What’s strange is that the move to put the tabernacle in a separate place was initially driven by large/historic churches and cathedrals that had many tourists. It was considered impious to have so many people just milling around and looking at the architecture, etc. It makes sense in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, etc., to allow for adoration in a separate sacred space. It was absolutely nuts to move the tabernacle in the average parish church. My church has moved the tabernacle back to the center - and my Bishop is encouraging all parishes to do the same. Hopefully, it will happen in other churches and dioceses, too.
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I didn’t realize this. Interesting.
 
At my church, the Tabernacle is exactly where is should be. In the santuary, behind the altar. 🙂

Two weeks ago, I went to a new contemporary church in my diocese to meet the Bishop. There was no sign of Jesus on the cross or anywhere else, Mary or Joseph, or a Tabernacle. It was very hard to know that it was a church. The lousy atmosphere completely took any significance from the occassion. It was extremely hard to focus on the purpose of the meeting. 😦
 
During a recent visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, (by simply following the pathways that go around the altar) I was pleased to discover the tabernacle and the exposed Eucharist directly behind the main altar so that if some one were to mistakenly geneuflect to the main altar they would at least still be genuflecting to our Lord since it is all one very large room. However, I wonder if it is correct to genuflect in front of the main altar since the tabernacle and the Eucharist is not visible from that point.
 
In my parish they moved the tabernacle from the altar and kicked out St. Joseph to put it on the side. But the fancy holy oils are in a lit up spot of prominence on the altar.
 
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