Altar area

7 - The altar area

We are now standing in the altar area. It used to be separated from the rest of the church by a communion rail and we called it the sanctuary, but today it is better if we think of the whole church as a sanctuary - a holy place.

The dominant furnishing here is the altar. This is where Christ is made truly present in His Body and Blood. Altars come in two basic styles. The "butcher block" style is usually shaped like a solid cube and emphasizes the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist. Our altar is the "banquet table" style, which looks more like a table and emphasizes the sacred meal dimension of the Eucharist.

The primary ministry associated with the altar is the ordained priest, called the "Presider," because he presides over the Eucharist. The priest is the usual minister of other sacraments as well: Baptism, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick. In our diocese, the bishop also delegates pastors to celebrate Confirmation The bride and groom are actually the ministers of Marriage, and only a bishop can ordain a priest. Another ministry closely associated with the altar is the Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, usually referred to as Communion Ministers. Since we offer both the consecrated bread and wine at every Mass, we need many Communion Ministers. If you are interested in performing this ministry, contact Mitzi Brown, who will train and schedule you.

The little table by the pillar is called the credence table. The chalice, dish, towel, communion plates and goblets used at Mass are placed here. The ministry connected with the credence table is that of Altar Server. This is another ministry that used to be one of the "minor orders" leading to ordination. We welcome children to this ministry after their Confirmation and First Communion. Sometimes it is difficult to get enough children to serve as Altar Servers because they no longer live in the neighborhood as in days past, and they rely on their parents to bring them to church. Parents' work schedules being what they are, children aren't always as available as they used to be. Therefore, we recently expanded this ministry to include adults and parent-child teams.

The organ and piano are located over here and remind us of the Music Ministry. The Song Leader, musicians and choir lead the music from this location. Music has always an integral part of worship, and is essential in expressing our thanks and joy to God.

A cross is required in every Catholic church, and it is located somewhere near the altar. We use a processional cross at the beginning and end of Mass, but we put it away during Mass because there should be only one cross as the focus of our attention.

The tabernacle is a locked container where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. For centuries Catholics did not reserve the consecrated Holy Communion between Masses. Gradually they began to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in order to bring it to the sick and the dying. The Sanctuary Lamp burns to remind us that the Blessed Sacrament is present in the tabernacle.