Vision for Sanctuary and Tabernacle
Dear Friends in Christ,
“O Jesus of the Eucharist! O consecrated Host! O envied Monstrance! O blessed Ciborium, beloved of my heart! The Tabernacle is my Treasure, and, far or near, my eyes never lose sight of it, for it contains the God of Love.” (Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida)
The faithful are to hold the Eucharist in highest honor: taking part in the celebration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, receiving the sacrament frequently with a sincere and earnest heart, and worshiping the Lamb who sacrificed Himself for us with supreme adoration. Therefore, to have the altar of sacrifice and the Tabernacle in the sanctuary, the “holy of holies,” best promotes and preserves the reverence proper to the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice.
Here are some concise instructions and directions about the location of the Tabernacle within a church:
1. Canon Law 938 §2: The Tabernacle, in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved, should be placed in a part of the church that is prominent, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.
2. The General Instruction for the Roman Missal: The one Tabernacle should be immovable, be made of solid and inviolable material that is not transparent, and be locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is prevented to the greatest extent possible.
3. The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1379: The Tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
4. The USCCB’s Built of Living Stones #73: The place of reservation should be a space that is dedicated to Christ present in the Eucharist and that is designed so that the attention of one praying there is drawn to the Tabernacle that houses the presence of the Lord. Iconography can be chosen from the rich treasury of symbolism that is associated with the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is what defines us as Catholics because we believe that in the Eucharist Christ is truly present. Specifically, people can easily identify a Catholic Church when they see the combination of the Altar Table, the Tabernacle, and the Crucifix that go together. I would like to communicate with you clearly the very location of the Tabernacle, simply because the way a Church is set up liturgically, architecturally, and aesthetically speaks volumes about what we believe and what we hold most important as Catholics.
Liturgically, the Tabernacle at the center of the sanctuary subtly dictates how we behave in the Church. If our Lord is enthroned in the most prominent and conspicuous location of the Church, it immediately becomes clear that he is the center of our liturgy and explains why we are in the Church in the first place. If it is only Him who is displayed or located at the center of the high altar, He immediately becomes the center and focus of our presence in the Church. It becomes Him who calls and unites us as His body.
This picture is from 1965 and shows the Tabernacle at the center, on the main altar, and behind a second altar. It also shows the two statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary in their original alcoves.
Also from 1965, this picture shows a young First Communicant standing next to the Tabernacle in the center of the Sanctuary and under the large Crucifix.
From 1971, this picture shows that the Tabernacle has been moved to the right of the altar, in the niche where the Virgin Mary’s statue originally resided. The Sacred Heart statue has been moved as well, perhaps replaced by a baptismal font, and the main altar removed. In studying the Altar Guild’s records, the move occurred sometime in the winter of 1971.
From a purely educational perspective, the goodness of having the Tabernacle at the center of the sanctuary is that it fosters devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. For instance, people genuflect in reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. In parish churches, where the Tabernacle has been removed to a side chapel and out of view, people do not genuflect, do not maintain a sacred silence in the church, and lose the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. The Church becomes “Protestantized,” and children in particular are deprived of growing in love with the Blessed Sacrament.
Architecturally, our church was built with the intention to serve the liturgical sacrifice and direct our attention to the sanctuary. In studying the history of our church, I looked for help from the Archdiocesan department of Archives and Records. We found two pictures of the interior of the church that are included in this letter.
At the center of the sanctuary under the crucifix, there are two elevated steps built with the intent that the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament in the Ciborium to the Tabernacle is the liturgical symbol of elevating the Lord to higher honor for continuous adoration after the Mass. Our current Tabernacle location is not suitable for ease of transfer, as it is blocked by the Presider’s and Deacon’s Chairs as well as the side railing. The Deacon or Priest who transfers the Lord from the main Altar Table to the Tabernacle has to walk down to the main floor and the walk up to the Tabernacle and vice versa.
Aesthetically the niche of the current Tabernacle is too narrow for liturgical decoration. There is not enough space to allow for iconography such as adoring angels, votive candles, and flowers which all serve as symbolism that are associated with Eucharistic adoration. Furthermore, the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary stand by themselves on the wall so that any flowers placed in dedication to them will add more obstacles in the sanctuary.
The easiest solution to fulfill what the Church requires liturgically, architecturally, and aesthetically for our church at St. Rose is certainly to restore the Tabernacle to the traditional, central placement in the sanctuary, and moving the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary back to their original niches. When I spoke with Rev. Msgr. James B. Anderson, the former Pastor of our church 1999 – 2007, he expressed that he had that intention for the Tabernacle and these statues to be moved back to their original location. However, he added that the situation of the church at that time did not support his wishes. Yet, he highly recommended to me that now is the time to move them back to their original locations.
Additionally, this matter has been discussed at the meetings of the Pastoral Council, the Art and Environments Committee, the Archdiocesan Liturgist, the Personnel of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Worshiping, as well as my mentors. It is recommendable that these movements will allow us to transform the sanctuary into a more sacred and holy place, as well as allow for a deeper devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary with votive candles and flowers. With this, the entire sanctuary will foster reverence and awe. It will have the “halo” effect as soon as one enters the Church. After all, the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (1324). What better way is there as Catholics, that indeed Christ is the source and summit of our faith, than to move His place of repose, the Tabernacle, to the highest and most prominent place in our church.
Since most parishioners only attend Mass on Sunday, having the Tabernacle visible in a prominent location makes them aware of the Eucharistic presence of our Lord. People are more mindful that the church itself is the “House of God” and a sacred space. Moreover, people become more aware that the sacrifice of the Mass is inherently connected with the Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Last but not least, we will implement more practices of Eucharistic devotion in our parish by having Adoration every single day, Monday through Friday, from after the 8:15 a.m. Mass to 12:00 p.m., with the exception of Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Also, we will have one hour of Eucharistic Adoration before the 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass on Wednesday. We will also add an additional hour of confession available in both English and Spanish during Adoration before the Spanish Mass on Wednesday. These two practices can take effect immediately tomorrow, June 19, while the rearrangement of the sanctuary will take a bit more time. The timetable for its completion can be expected sometime in August of this year.
At present, the Bishops of the United States are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. They believe that God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. Unfortunately, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that most self-described Catholics don’t believe the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. In fact, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.”
Brothers and Sisters! In this age of doubt and disbelief, we need to do all we can to promote and foster devotion and reverence to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. We must always remember to approach the throne of grace with sincerity of heart and utmost adoration. Then, most assuredly, the Lord will say to us in reply, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Linh Nguyen