Reflecting Heaven Notes on the OLMC Sanctuary Renovation, Part 3

Part 3: The Narthex & Nave of the passage through God’s great Mercy into the Kingdom of Heaven. Last week we looked at the idea of the Lest we get stuck at the door, let’s move church building being a reflection of Heaven on to the narthex, “a place of welcome” (BLS on earth. That “form within a Form” begins §95). The Church describes this gathering on the outside, with the roof peak reaching to space as a transition from the outside world heaven, bells ringing out joy (and sometimes to the mystical realities of the Mass, and then tolling sorrow) in the community, and all again it provides the passage back to the topped off by the ultimate Christian symbol of outside world to witness after having Christ’s victory, the cross. But the image of received the Sacraments. It is a place of Heaven on earth reaches its fullest fellowship and gathering, and that extends to expression on the inside, where the Church the rooms of the lower level, where so often (the living people of God, the “living stones” Christ’s Kingdom is built up through of St. Peter’s letter) gathers in the church fellowship, faith formation, prayer, meetings building. to plan service to the poor and troubled, The church building itself includes diverse Bible study, etc. areas, used for diverse purposes. Each We walk through the narthex and pass the space has both a functional and a symbolic Baptismal font. It is significant that the purpose in the Christian life. Let’s take a Baptistry is walk through Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to situated near explore: the main We start, of course, by going through the doors into the door. Simple enough, but rich in meaning. nave. Ideally, The USCCB document Built of Living Stones: each and Art, Architecture, and Worship (BLS) remind every one of us that the church doors “function as the us would dip Baptismal font made of re-purposed secure, steady symbol of Christ, ‘the Good our hand into marble from old St. Vincent Hospital Shepherd,’” (BLS §97). Particularly for some this one Chapel Communion rail who have fallen away from the Catholic Baptismal font before entering the nave, to Church or for non-Catholics, passing over remind us of our death to self and new life in that Christ at our own Baptism. In practical threshold terms, we may use smaller fonts of baptismal can be a water, located near each entrance to the very, very nave, but the symbolism should never be big deal forgotten: our entrance into the Mysteries of indeed. We the Mass are by virtue of our Baptism. Near have just the Baptismal font is the Paschal Candle or ended the Pope Francis opens Holy Doors at St. “Christ Candle,” which is used to light the Jubilee Peter's in Rome to start Year of Mercy baptismal candle of every new initiate in the Year of Mercy, in which we were invited to faith, and also to burn at each one’s funeral. make pilgrimage to Holy Doors to remind us Also next to the font is the ambry, a case in which the sacred oils used in the Sacraments will extend “through” the back wall to are housed. This connection among surround the Baptismal font, to show that Baptism, Eucharist, and the Sacramental oils only through Baptism do we make our is strong. At OLMC, one way this is shown is approach to the Sanctuary, the “Holy of in the materials that make up the font, candle holies” and “Heaven on earth” where the stand, and ambry Eucharist will be celebrated. pedestal – it’s all On our way up the center aisle to the white marble. Sanctuary, we pass through the “nave” of the What’s the church. This word “nave” is underused and connection? Well, little understood. The nave is the area in the decorative which the Assembly, the lay people, worship. marble that makes The Latin root of up the sides of our “nave” is the baptismal font was Latin “navis,” or saved years ago “ship.” The from the chapel of image of the Old St. Vincent’s Hospital, where it served as Church as a the Communion rail. That same marble was safe ship (the used as the core material of our altar of “Barque of The Barque of Peter Window. Trinity sacrifice, ambo, and tabernacle base. The Peter”) in which Catholic Church, Trinity, Indiana upcoming renovation stays true to this spirit we navigate the waters of chaos is an of repurposing the noble materials of local ancient one. We may tend to the right side Catholic history. And when you see the of the boat (“conservative”) or to the left shining white marble at the font, candle, oils, (“liberal”) but as long as we remain truly altar, ambo, and tabernacle, the connection faithful to Christ our Captain and the Holy among the Sacraments shines forth. In the Spirit, the wind in our sail, we’re on our way same way, every effort will be made to re- to our destination. purpose materials taken from the present BLS has this to say about the nave: church. “[The nave] is critical in the overall plan Another way this connection among the because it accommodates a variety of ritual Sacraments will be shown is in re-tiling the actions: processions during the Eucharist, center aisle of the church. At present, the the singing of the prayers, movement during baptismal rites, the sprinkling of the congregation with blessed water, the rites during the wedding and funeral liturgies, and personal devotion. This area is not comparable to the audience's space in a theater or public arena because in the liturgical assembly, there is no audience. Rather, the entire congregation acts.” (BLS §51) Look again at those last two sentences. center aisle has the same plain tile that In Catholic liturgy, there is no audience – covers the rest of the nave. But we now no spectators. We are all called to take part have an opportunity to surface the center “fully, actively, and consciously.” That’s what aisle, instead, with the same material that will we do in the nave, and our renovation will adorn the sanctuary. Furthermore, that tile help us do just that; more next week!