DOCSLIB.ORG

14Th Sunday of Ordinary Time July 8, 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
14Th Sunday of Ordinary Time July 8, 2018 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time July 8, 2018 O good St. Henry, even as an Emperor you sought the greater glory of God. You deprived yourself of many things to enrich the House of the Lord. Your humility and spirit of justice when dealing with friend or foe is an excellent example for all people to follow. Through your intercession, St. Henry, may those with disabilities be given courage, may those in difficult marriages be given perseverance, and may all of us seek to shun the allurements of the world, and strive to live our life for the greater glory of our Lord, just as you did. Amen. 2 From the Gusset This week (Thursday, July 12th) we will celebrate a Memorial Mass for Priests, as this is the anniversary date of the death of Monsignor William J. Donovan. This is the priest that inspired Fr. Randy’s vocation to the priesthood. Msgr. Donovan lived to be 102 years old, and I was just so impressed that someone with over 75 years of priestly life was still so zealous about celebrating the Holy Mass. Msgr. Donovan became my hero; and my brothers, my whole family, and our parish family idolized his priesthood. (The city of Batavia even named their bridge over the Fox River after him). I think it is so essential to our Church community that every single person and every married person should have a Catholic role model or hero. Everyone needs some Catholic person (receiving the sacraments) to inspire them to keep persevering against all the odds of sin, Satan, and the world – to live out their own vocation. Our single people are disparately seeking a Catholic mentor – a future Saint of God, to emulate with their single life. Our young couples, who have just been married a few years, are disparately seeking a mentor couple to emulate with their marriage. A role model is someone to look up to and say: I know I can be successful at my vocation, because so and so is successful at this same vocation that I have. The reason our role model or mentor is so successful at persevering at their vocation is because they receive the Eucharist every Sunday. Because they have the power of Jesus Christ in them (from their reception of Holy Communion), they are successful in living out the vocation that Jesus’ Dad gave them. Msgr. Donovan never knew that the vocation to the priesthood came to a 4th grade-boy through his preaching and his devotion to the Eucharist for Monsignor died long before I entered the Seminary, and I never told him the effect he had on my life. Msgr. Donovan is going to be surprised when we meet up in heaven. If you are going to Mass every Sunday don’t be surprised if there isn’t some young person, who has picked you out to be their hero. There may be some young person, who has the same vocation as you, and they are secretly watching you – they are in awe at your success in living the Catholic Faith, and they are emulating you with their life. So when I celebrate the Memorial Mass for Priests on this coming Thursday – I not only honor my priest-mentor, who died 31 years ago, but we will also pray for that person who is your hero. We do these things, because that is what God calls us Catholics to do. Remember no one else in the world prays for their mentor like you do. Yours on the Path Fr. Randy Eternal rest grant unto Msgr. Donovan, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. May Msgr. Donovan’s soul and the souls of all our faithfully-departed-mentors, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 3 Marcella Dinges Memorial Fund Mission Priest Sunday: College loan applications are being accepted for July 21st & 22nd the 2018-2019 college school year. First considerations will be given to students, who are Fr. Jose Forent Kakpo from the Society of members of: African Missions will celebrate the Mass for Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sublette, us on the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. St. Mary of the Assumption in West Brooklyn, and St. Patrick Church in Maytown. Payment terms include a nominal interest charge and repayment after graduation over a 5 to 10 year period. Applications are due by July 20th, and can be obtained and submitted to Nicole Jones at Midland State Bank, Mendota. ST. HENRY Remember a few years back TIME magazine ran their promotion for Man of the Millennium. I’m not even sure who they wound up crowning (I think it was Albert Einstein), but one of my candidates for the Man of the Last 1000 years was St. Henry, whose Feast day is July 13th. Henry II was born in the very late 10th century, and was studying to be a priest when his seminary formation was curtailed, because of his father’s death and Henry’s succession to the throne in the year 995. Seven years later, Henry’s cousin, Emperor Otto III, died and Henry inherited the throne of Germany and ruled over the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire. Some challenged Henry’s sovereignty, and proclaimed another man their king. So in 1003, Henry crossed the Alps with his army to put down the rebellious Italians, and was crowned Italy’s king by the Archbishop of Milan. Later in 1014, Pope Benedict VIII crowned Henry the Holy Roman Emperor. Because Henry was a staunch Catholic, he recognized the independence of the Church and the supremacy of the Papacy. Henry was thoughtful and did much to promote the Faith by having Churches built and lavishly furnished for the glory of God. In 1021, Henry prayed at Monte Cassino with the Father of Monasticism, St. Benedict, himself. Henry suffered from a disease that left him partially lame. He was healed of his illness, and wanting to give his life to God, Henry wished to be a monk, but St. Benedict convinced him not to give up his reign that God could be served better by Henry’s remaining on the throne. St. Henry is known as the patron Saint of disabled people and there is a modern day group called Chariots of Hope that invokes St. Henry’s aid to provide for individuals with limited mobility (the bedridden). Chariots of Hope provides wheelchairs to the disabled in countries where the wheelchair is considered a luxury. It is fascinating to note that Henry’s marriage produced no children, and so at Henry’s death the Saxon dynasty of emperors ended. But unlike King Henry the VIII of England, Henry didn’t have his wife’s head lopped off or divorce her to marry a more fertile woman. No, St. Henry loved his wife with greater intensity, which is what married couples not blessed with children are called to do! St. Henry II …pray for us! 4 How to Speak Catholic; Vocabulary of the Catholic Church Altar Stone (AWL-tuhr stohn) – a solid slab of stone, usually anywhere from 8 inches to 13 inches square (large enough for the chalice and the paten to be placed on) that is inserted into the altar. The altar stone is decorated with five crosses carved into it to symbolize the 5 wounds of Christ, and the center of the lower portion of the altar stone has a cavity into which the relics of martyrs (or now, of other Saints) is placed and sealed. St. John had a vision of heaven in the Book of Revelation in which he “saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered, because of the witness they bore to the Word of God.” Rev 6:9 St. Augustine wrote: “Rightly do the souls of the just rest beneath the altar, since on it the Body of the Lord is immolated.” Thus those who have suffered with Christ (the martyrs and the Saints) should be in the place where the death of the Lord is daily commemorated. Ie. the Altar Stone. An Altar Stone and an Altar both from ancient times have been made of stone not only for their durability, but also because of the symbolism involved, which illustrates the relationship between the altar and Christ. Jesus is the cornerstone of the Church (Acts 4:11) and the rock foundation (1Cor 10:4) upon which the Church is built. The burying of martyrs’ relics inside the altar stone goes back to the early days of Church persecution, when Catholics had to celebrate Mass on the sarcophagi or arcosolia of the martyrs in the catacombs. The custom then was established with the Edict of Milan in 313, that the Church would continue to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries over the relics of the martyrs. The beauty of an Altar Stone is that Fr. Randy may celebrate the Mass anywhere simply by moving the Altar Stone to the Nursing Home or Woodhaven or the Cemetery to celebrate the Mass. Altar Stones are so heavy that Fr. Kramer likes to use an Antimensium instead. An Antimensium is a consecrated cloth with a relic of a martyr sewn into it that is typically decorated with an icon of the deposition of Christ. This way Father can celebrate the Mass at Sandy Hill cemetery simply by unfolding this lightweight cloth much as Fr. Randy spreads the corporal over a heavy Altar Stone. Ashes (ASH-uhz) – ashes are what remain after a fire. When our sins have been absolved in the sacrament of Confession, they have been totally destroyed or wiped away by the passionate fire of the Holy Spirit – all that remains of our sins is our sorrow at having committed them in the first place, and so we do penance for our sins.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Did You Know? Facts About Our Faith & Our Church a Series By: Kevin Mathieu - Director of Liturgical Music & Parish Communications January, 2021 Issue Number: 2
    Did you know? Facts about our Faith & our Church a series by: Kevin Mathieu - Director of Liturgical Music & Parish Communications January, 2021 Issue Number: 2 Sacred Vessels & Altar Appointments What are all those things called? - The Catholic Church has a long tradition of beautiful well appointed items used in the Sacred Liturgy, each having a special name and function. In this issue I will just scratch the surface to identify and explain most of the common items we see each week, and a few of the “special occasion” items that only appear a few times, or even only once a year. Please bear with me as I try not to get to “in depth” with the following descriptions. We can begin with one of the most recognized liturgical items, the Chalice. From the Roman word calix, a chalice is a tall, footed goblet for holding drink. In the Catholic Church, the chalice holds the blessed, then consecrated wine, the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Usually made of precious metals and sometimes richly ornamented, they show just how special what they contain is. The Catholic Church sets forth guidelines on construction and materials for chalices, one of those being, the cup that will contain the Precious Blood must be lined with precious metal (usually gold) if it is not constructed of it. While we all get to see the beautiful silver of Father Lizewski’s chalice, not many see the gold interior. Blessed by a Bishop (usually at a priests ordination) the chalice is truly the most important of the sacred vessels used at MASS every day.
    [Show full text]
  • “Introibo Ad Altare Dei” the Consecration of the Seminary’S Main Altar + a Photo Essay +
    ISSUE No. 52 WINTER, 1994 Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary Winona, Minnesota Stockton Hill 55987 U.S.A. “Introibo Ad Altare Dei” The Consecration of the Seminary’s Main Altar + A Photo Essay + Although it had been six years since the Society of St. Pius X acquired the former Dominican Novitiate in Winona as the site of our North American seminary, it was only in November of this past year that the altar in the Main Chapel was at last consecrated. Or, more precisely, re-consecrated. This consecration was necessary because, when the building was sold by the Dominicans in 1970 due to a lack of vocations, they properly removed the relics from the main altar, and thus the altar lost its consecration. The ceremony for the consecration of an altar is unlike anything most people have ever seen, lasting five hours when combined with the Pontifical High Mass which follows it. For most Traditional Catholics today, it is a once-in-a- lifetime experience. Many, indeed, will probably never witness such a magnificent event. And it is to those that we present this “photo essay” of our altar consecration. On this page are shown the two patrons of our Seminary, memorialized in the original stained glass windows that, appropriately enough, stand side-by-side in the Main Chapel. On the left, St. Peter Martyr, a Dominican from the 1200’s killed by the Albigensians and from whom this former Dominican Novitiate was originally named; and St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican “Angelic Doctor” whose teachings are closely adhered to by the Society of St.
    [Show full text]
  • Deconsecration Rites of Roman Catholic Church Buildings
    religions Article Ritual Void or Ritual Muddle? Deconsecration Rites of Roman Catholic Church Buildings Kim de Wildt Transformation of Sacred Space: Function and Use of Religious Places in Germany (FOR 2733), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany; [email protected] Received: 29 August 2020; Accepted: 6 October 2020; Published: 10 October 2020 Abstract: The decrease in people who regularly celebrate liturgy in western Europe has led to the question of what to do with so-called obsolete church buildings. This question not only refers to whether or not a church building will be converted, reused or demolished, but also to the question of whether or not such a building needs to be deconsecrated, and if so, what does deconsecration of a church building actually entail? In this contribution, I will consider the role deconsecration rites play in the Roman Catholic church when a church building is taken out of liturgical use. In Roman Catholic liturgy, there are no prescribed, official deconsecration rites that are mandatory for a church building that is to be taken out of liturgical use. The actual deconsecration of a church building is, according to canon law, established by a decree that is issued by the responsible diocesan bishop. In the case of a church being taken out of liturgical use, however, there seems to be a shift from having a ritual void with regard to deconsecration rites, and also a focus on the “legitimate” way (in the sense of canon law) to deconsecrate a church building (object orientation), towards, in recent decades, paying more attention to a growing pastoral need (subject orientation) for deconsecration rites.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sanctuary and the Altar
    THE SANCTUARY AND THE ALTAR GLOSSARY OF TERMS ALTAR CANOPY Required by liturgical law to cover at least the altar and predella (to denote the dignity of the altar and the priest, which represent) there are several names that refer to distinct types: • Baldacino (baldachinum and in English, baldaquin): a canopy made of textile suspended from the ceiling. The word comes from the Italian word for “Baghdad” where the type of textile (made from silk woof and metallic warp) once came from This term is often mistakenly used in reference to a ciborium or civory. • Ciborium, civory: a canopy borne by columns. • Tester: a canopy suspended from the ceiling, or even attached directly to the ceiling. This is a particular favorite of English- style churches AMBO A pulpit-like lectern, from which the Epistle and Gospel were once read. Some churches had two, located on either side of the sanctuary, while other churches had only one. Often the ambo(s) was located on the rood screen and had to be ascended by a stairway, whence came the name, Gradual (steps) referring to the proper chanted before the Gospel, for it would be chanted while the deacon (often with the subdeacon, thurifer and acolytes) would ascend the steps while it was sung. St. Clement’s Basilica in Rome still has matching ambos. ANTEPENDIUM [altar frontal] A rectangular vestment used to cover the front of the altar. The term comes from the fact that it is often hung in front of the altar either from a suspending rod just under the mensa or from the middle altar cloth.
    [Show full text]
  • Introductory Rites: Part 1
    Explaining the Mass with Fr. Mark Bentz, STL Part 3: Introductory rites: Part 1 We now begin to look at the structure of the Mass and its parts. The Mass is made up of two principle parts, the Liturgy of the Word, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Today we’ll talk about the introductory rites which prepare us for the Liturgy of the Word. Most people think that mass begins with the sign of the cross. Actually it begins with the entrance chant and procession into the Church. After the people have gathered, the procession of priest and ministers begins and the Entrance chant is recited or sung. If you go to daily mass, we recite the text of this ‘entrance antiphon’ during the procession. Most people don’t realize this, but every mass has its own specific entrance chant that comes from the Scriptures and is set to music. The book that contains these chants is called the Graduale Romanum which is the official music book of the Roman Catholic Church—it actually has all of the music for every mass of the year in it! There is also a version of the book with simpler melodies for smaller parishes called the Graduale Simplex. Unfortunately, most people don’t even know of these books’ existence. In the USA, there are 4 options given in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal for music in the beginning of mass which are as follows: “(1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting; (2) the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time; (3)
    [Show full text]
  • UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Descending from the Throne: Byzantine Bishops, Ritual and Spaces of Authority Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q80k7ct Author Rose, Justin Richard Publication Date 2017 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Descending from the Throne: Byzantine Bishops, Ritual and Spaces of Authority A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies by Justin Richard Rose December 2017 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Michael Alexander, Co-Chairperson Dr. Sherri Franks Johnson, Co-Chairperson Dr. Sharon E. J. Gerstel Dr. Muhammad Ali Copyright by Justin Richard Rose 2017 The Dissertation of Justin Richard Rose is approved: Committee Co-Chairperson ____________________________________________________________ Committee Co-Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgements Before all else, I give thanks to Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here on earth, I am grateful to my mother, friends and parishioners who have encouraged and supported me throughout this last round of graduate study. And, yes, Mother, this is the last round of graduate study. My experience at the University of California Riverside has been extraordinary. I am especially grateful to Dr. Sherri Franks Johnson for her support and guidance over the last six years. Sherri made my qualifying exam defense a truly positive experience. I am grateful for her continued support even after leaving the UCR faculty for Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. Thanks to the Religious Studies department for the opportunities I have had during my academic study.
    [Show full text]
  • Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship
    U.S. Catholic Bishops - Committee on the Liturgy Page 1 of 82 Issued by NCCB/USCC (Now USCCB), November 16, 2000. Copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. Order Copies of This Statement Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship Guidelines of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops Table of Contents n Preface n Key to Reference Abbreviations n Chapter One: The Living Church The Living Church: God's Building The Church Building Worship in Time and Space Christ's Presence in Sign and Symbol Liturgical Principles for Building and Renovating Churches n Chapter Two: The Church Building and the Sacred Rites Celebrated There The Eucharist The Building: The Place for the Liturgical Assembly Gathered as One Body in Christ The Congregation's Area The Sanctuary Area The Altar The Ambo The Chair for the Priest Celebrant The Baptistry The Reservation of the Eucharist The Location of the Tabernacle The Chapel of Reservation The Tabernacle in the Sanctuary Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum The Altar of Reposition The Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday file://C:\U_S_%20Catholic%20Bishops%20-%20Committee%20on%20the%20Liturgy.htm 8/11/03 U.S. Catholic Bishops - Committee on the Liturgy Page 2 of 82 The Blessing of the Fire at the Vigil Service Accommodating the Liturgical Postures of the Congregation Seating The Place for the Pastoral Musicians Other Ritual Furnishings The Cross Candles The Paschal Candle The Gathering Space or Narthex The Area Surrounding the Church Building The Role
    [Show full text]
  • Dictionary of Byzantine Catholic Terms
    ~.~~~~- '! 11 GREEK CATHOLIC -reek DICTIONARY atholic • • By 'Ictionary Rev. Basil Shereghy, S.T.D. and f Rev. Vladimir Vancik, S.T.D. ~. J " Pittsburgh Byzantine Diocesan Press by Rev. Basil Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Shereghy, S.T.D. 1951 • Nihil obstat: To Very Rev. John K. Powell Censor. The Most Reverend Daniel Ivancho, D.D. Imprimatur: t Daniel Ivancho, D.D. Titular Bishop of Europus, Apostolic Exarch. Ordinary of the Pittsburgh Exarchate Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of the Byzantine.•"Slavonic" Rite October 18, 1951 on the occasion of the solemn blessing of the first Byzantine Catholic Seminary in America this DoaRIer is resf1'eCtfUflY .diditateit Copyright 1952 First Printing, March, 1952 Printed by J. S. Paluch Co•• Inc .• Chicago Greek Catholic Dictionary ~ A Ablution-The cleansing of the Because of abuses, the Agape chalice and the fin,ers of the was suppressed in the Fifth cen• PREFACE celebrant at the DiVIne Liturgy tury. after communion in order to re• As an initial attempt to assemble in dictionary form the more move any particles of the Bless• Akathistnik-A Church book con• common words, usages and expressions of the Byzantine Catholic ed Sacrament that may be ad• taining a collection of akathists. Church, this booklet sets forth to explain in a graphic way the termin• hering thereto. The Ablution Akathistos (i.e., hymns)-A Greek ology of Eastern rite and worship. of the Deacon is performed by term designating a service dur• washmg the palm of the right ing which no one is seated. This Across the seas in the natural home setting of the Byzantine• hand, into .••••.hich the Body of service was originally perform• Slavonic Rite, there was no apparent need to explain the whats, whys Jesus Christ was placed by the ed exclusively in honor of and wherefores of rite and custom.
    [Show full text]
  • Rockford Observer
    ISSN: 0029-7739 $ 1.00 per copy THE BSERVER OOfficial Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford Volume 85 | No. 16 http://observer.rockforddiocese.org FRIDAY MARCH 27, 2020 Stay updated For the latest information on how virus, bookmark the diocesan website the Rockford Diocese is responding at https://www.rockforddiocese.org/ the threats of COVID-19 corona- and look for this banner there (left). Holy Week Alone: A Cross We Bear Under the threat of COVID-19 spreading, Bishop Malloy and Pope Francis cancel public Holy Week services. BY OBSERVER STAFF DIOCESE—As orders from the federal and state governments changed al- most daily, Bishop David Malloy of the Rockford Diocese, changed his guid- ance to parishes to comply. Both he and Pope Francis have cancelled public Holy Week services. In a letter he sent March 20 to priests of the diocese he explained changes through Holy Week. It reads, in part: I write to you once more given more guidance that has come to us about how to respond to the coronavirus outbreak and its rapid spread. (Observer screen grab) At this time, health authorities have an- Bishop David Malloy offers Mass for the 4th Sunday of Lent live tinue the practice through the Illinois Stay at Home orders. As of nounced the need for a strict limit of ten online at the diocesan website and on Facebook. He plans to con- this printing, the order extends until April 7. persons maximum for any gathering. ... Given this guidance, all parish ful for the time being. Do not gather an priests except for the cathedral rector ing present.
    [Show full text]
  • Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude
    Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (mavcor.yale.edu) Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude Crispin Paine Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude, ca. 1045. Germany, Lower Saxony? The Cleveland Museum of Art This Christian portable altar, made in Germany, likely lower Saxony ca. 1045, typifies the splendid craftsmanship of Romanesque goldsmiths. A portable altar is a wooden or stone tablet, or a cloth, on which Mass is celebrated.1 It is required in most of the older Christian traditions (the Catholic, Orthodox, and some of the Oriental Orthodox and other Eastern churches) when no permanent altar is available. The portable altar seems to have developed in the missionary world of the seventh century, to meet the Church’s requirement that Mass be celebrated only on a consecrated altar—a requirement that strengthened the position of bishops, who alone could consecrate them. The oldest surviving portable altars are from St Cuthbert’s shrine in Durham (ca. 660) and from Takrit in Iraq (709-10). In all the churches that use them, the portable altar has been considered sacred—in some intensely so. Examining the different ways by which portable altars gain this sanctity helps expose their history, function, and significance. Every portable altar has to be consecrated by a bishop through the application of holy oil. In the Orthodox Church each antimension is signed by the consecrating bishop.2 Through this consecration the portable altar becomes a “sacred place,” and like many Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (mavcor.yale.edu) a sacred place it is often the focus of power-struggles and politics.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY of AMERICA Christ and the Triumphant Victims: Relics and the Altar in the Ordo Dedicationis Ecclesiae E
    THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Christ and the Triumphant Victims: Relics and the Altar in the Ordo dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright All Rights Reserved By Suzanne Sarah Herold Washington, DC 2016 Christ and the Triumphant Victims: Relics and the Altar in the Ordo dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris Suzanne Sarah Herold, Ph.D. Director: Michael G. Witczak, S.L.D. This dissertation examines the use of relics in the Ordo dedicationis ecclesiae et altaris in light of the Second Vatican Council’s liturgical theology. The dissertation utilizes the method described by Kevin Irwin in Context and Text. The dissertation begins with a historical study of the extant rites of dedication of a church. It studies how the rite of dedication developed and how relics became a required element of the ritual, including the translation, vigil and deposition of relics. The work looks at the meanings associated with relics as well as the perceived relationship between relics and the altar. Beginning with the Medieval period, relics were understood to be necessary for dedication, with the celebration of Mass a festive completion of the rite. Rites of dedication include the deposition of relics as a central ritual moment from the fourth century through the middle of the twentieth century. Through historical study, the use of Conciliar documents, and the examination of the role of relics in the schemata of the Consilium, this dissertation presents an analysis of the shifts in the understanding regarding the dedication of a church.
    [Show full text]
  • Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship Issued by NCCB/USCC (Now USCCB), November 16, 2000
    Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship Issued by NCCB/USCC (Now USCCB), November 16, 2000. Copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved. " The Baptistry § 66 § The rites of baptism, the first of the sacraments of initiation, require a prominent place for celebration.89 Initiation into the Church is entrance into a eucharistic community united in Jesus Christ. Because the rites of initiation of the Church begin with baptism and are completed by the reception of the Eucharist, the baptismal font and its location reflect the Christian's journey through the waters of baptism to the altar. This integral relationship between the baptismal font and the altar can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as placing the font and altar on the same architectural axis, using natural or artificial lighting, using the same floor patterns, and using common or similar materials and elements of design. § 67 § The location of the baptismal font, its design, and the materials used for its construction are important considerations in the planning and design of the building. It is customary to locate the baptismal font either in a special area within the main body of the church or in a separate baptistry. Through the waters of baptism the faithful enter the life of Christ.90 For this reason the font should be visible and accessible to all who enter the church building. While the baptistry is proportioned to the building itself and should be able to hold a good number of people, its actual size will be determined by the needs of the local community.
    [Show full text]