The DoR has posted a new Search the Cathedral quiz to its website. The quiz lets area Catholics test their knowledge of Sacred Heart Cathedral and the various items contained within.
Here is an example of one of the questions:
Here is a question not on the quiz that I would have included:
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Tags: Thou Shalt Laugh
|
That is hilarious. Why a question like that first one should even be on a quiz is beyond me. If you can’t figure out where the altar is, you might want to rethink your catechism classes. Unless it’s a trick question and the altar isn’t in there because the old high altar is missing, haha.
where is the bathtub?
Or, “Why does the altar resemble a granite kitchen island?”
I always thought it resembled a Companion Cube more than anything else (From the video game “portal”) I noticed that many questions were just idiotic in their simplicity…and they skipped the Holy Water Spa. I just wish Patrick Swayze were here to critique the renovation…”Nobody puts Baby Jesus in a corner!” (Too much? Sorry!)
Is there no Lenten Cathedral Maze this year?
They certainly haven’t “hidden” Our Lord. The Precious Body is reserved in a place of prominence which is conducive to adoration and prayer, which is exactly what the Church’s liturgical guidelines call for.
You dilute the valuable criticism you provide with stuff like this. Your quarrel on this issue is not with the DoR, but rather it is with the Magisterium, who promulgate the liturgical guidelines.
That said, I did laugh.
Annonymouse: You cannot see the tabernacle from much of the Church proper. That is NOT a place of prominence.
From “The Catholic Sanctuary (and the Second Vatican Council)” by the late Michael Davies:
The author exposes the plot post Vatican II to alter the liturgy to make it more Protestant (I highly recommend this little booklet.)
In 1956 Pope Pius XII warned that the true motivation(for moving the Tabernacle away from the center of the high altar) is to lessen esteem ‘for the presence and action of Christ in the Tabernacle.’ “[Pius XII] insisted, correctly, that ‘To separate tabernacle from altar is to separate two things which by their origin and nature should remain united.”
Davies goes on: “There is not one word…demoting…the tabernacle in any document of the Second Vatican Council…liturgical experts (the group included Protestants!) inserted phrases into the Liturgy Constitution which they could interpret after the Council in a manner that neither Pope John nor the Council Fathers suspected could possibly happen.”
Pope Paul VI…stated: ‘Liturgical laws prescribe that the Blessed Sacrament be kept in churches with the greatest honor and in the most distinguished position…”
Davies continues: “…in a cathedral or church where the tabernacle has always been placed upon the high altar–a practice praised and commended by Pope Pius XII and Pope Paul VI …to move it from this central place of honor can only be seen as a demotion of the Blessed Sacrament.”…. “no priest or bishop is required…to move a single tabernacle.”
A tabernacle placed out of view from most of the congregation is in no way situated prominently. The tabernacle at SHC is located in a tiny nook tucked away in the corner of the church, almost as if it was included as an afterthought.
By the way, when I took the quiz and was asked to identify the altar, I clicked in the sanctuary where it should be located. Got the question wrong. 🙁
It was the 1970(?) General Instruction of the Roman Missal which “strongly recommended” reservation of the sacrament in a special chapel “apart from the nave” or, if the “plan of church or legitimate custom” impeded separate reservation then the Sacrament could be kept “on an altar or elsewhere in the church.” But, Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium itself did not mandate a separate reservation. Wording in Sacrosanctum Concilium allowing for exceptions (really only explaining existing exceptions)was later interpreted in documents like the 1970 GIRM as nearly mandating separate reservation.
Frankly, there was absolutely no good reason for changing the central reservation of the Sacrament in Sacred Heart Cathedral especially considering the strong negative reaction of a significant number of the faithful and the (scandalous) replacement of the Sacrament by an organ.
The current chapel of reservation at the cathedral is very nice in and of itself. But, the controversy stirred up by the change created a dreadful division within the parish and the wider church of the diocese and can only be viewed as a scandalous demotion of the Blessed Sacrament.
What is most discouraging is the total lack of interest in meeting the feelings of the more conservative members of the congregation. The cathedral planning committee could have moved the altar and done everything else they wanted and left the Tabernacle and high altar essentially unaltered. But no, they had to have it all their way. And the liberals can’t understand why we are so pointed in our criticisms. There is room in the Church for all kinds except us and our point of view.
St. Peter’s: In a separate chapel, off the north side of the nave about half way between the altar and front doors.
Abaccio: TOTALLY in agreement about the Companion Cube. (For anyone who needs a visual: http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/26/9800-wcc_large.gif
Took the quiz: It’s terribly repetitive and I still don’t understand the need for a “cantor stand.”
Regarding which churches have a center tabernacle. In 2006 when Fr. Joe Catanise took over St. Leo the Great in Hilton, one of the first things he did was removed the Blessed Sacrament from a side altar toward the rear of the Church to the center of the main altar. I haven’t been there in a long time, put may the Lord’s blessing be on Fr. Joe for having had the courage to so worship the Lord.
As for other churches, besides St. Januarius (about to change) in Naples, there is also St. Theresa in Stanley which has the Blessed Sacrament in the center, behind the altar, and of course the Carmel on Jefferson Rd. Also, St. Joseph’s in Weedsport has the Blessed Sacrament in the center behind the altar.
For a long time, St. Paul’s in Honeoye Falls had a center tabernacle; then one day I walked in and they had moved Jesus lower and to the left, and there was an orange plastic pumpkin where the Tabernacle had been.
Perhaps with a new bishop we could begin a “Bring Jesus Home” Rally.
What is most discouraging is the total lack of interest in meeting the feelings of the more conservative members of the congregation.
Bishop Clark was interviewed by the local media a few years ago, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his elevation if I recall correctly, and asked whether he had any regrets about the way he handled the cathedral renovation, given the amount of acrimony it caused. He couldn’t resist one last put-down and claimed his critics “had problems with the reforms of Vatican II” or some such calumny. The good news is that Clark’s windswept mother church can be and probably will be treated like a blank canvas by his successor.
Sacred Heart is no St. Peter’s. How many tourists does Sacred Heart get a day compared to St. Peter’s?
It is Bishop Clark who has a problem with the reforms of Vatican II. Why isn’t Latin given a place of honor in each and every Mass in our diocese, Bishop? How about Gregorian chant, Bishop? Those are only two of the most obvious things the Council actually MANDATED, Bishop. The fruit of your work, Bishop, are the empty pews, the closed churches, and shuttered schools.
St. Cecilia has the tabernacle in the center too.
To Anonymous who wondered where the Tabernacle is at St. Michael’s….I am thinking you mean St. Michael in Penn Yan. That is a tough one. There is NO Tabernacle in the Church….it is awful. I have had to go to Mass there for funerals and the such, and I find it very disturbing. What are you supposed to do when you go in? Nodding I guess; genuflecting to nothing present seems inappropriate. As you face the altar, to the left is where the space was enlarged for the choir. Behind that area is the sanctuary lamp, and there is a door. Through the door is the daily Mass chapel, and the Tabernacle is in there. The pastor has allowed concerts to be held in the church, and drama presentations among other things.
My apologies on my post above. I should have scanned all the other posting and I would have seen St. Cecilia’s already listed. These damned “rented eyes” of mine 😉
The wreckavation of Sacred Heart Cathedral was Bishop Clark’s largest personal failure. Most of the parishioners never came back to the parish and he shot himself in the foot, when he closed down Sacred Heart School. When you lose the children, say goodbye to the future of the parish.
Sacred Heart Cathedral parish can’t financially support itself. All the parishes in the diocese are “taxed” and forced to help pay the bills for the cathedral.
Sadly, the cathedral has become known as one more inner city parish.
The Blessed Sacrament is not on the main altar of St. Peter’s because of all the tourists coming through the basilica that it would not be an appropriate place in which to pray. The Blessed Sacrament is keep in a very, very large and well-adorned chapel. There are Swiss Guards stationed inside the chapel. For both of the anonymous writers, I hope this helps to inform your ignorance. All the best!
Here is what the Church teaches, through the apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, about the placement of the tabernacle:
69. In considering the importance of eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches. (196) The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, the place where the eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church. It is therefore necessary to take into account the building’s architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it. In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous. Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint. Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal in this regard. (197) In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop.
Sadly, it’s the last sentence that is likely the focus of Bishop Clark’s attention.
I’m not sure if you’re the same anon as the one I warned yesterday about the Pharisee comment, but consider this your final warning as well. Continued posts like this will result in your comments being sent automatically to the moderation queue. There is no guarantee that they’ll ever see the light of day if that happens.
Unless of course you can furnish proof that we consider ourselves holier than God.
Just a gentle reminder – you are here as guests. You have no rights or privileges save those offered to you by my moderators, writers, and me. The Church is not a democracy; neither is this blog. This normally isn’t a problem, unless certain ones among us take it upon themselves to pass judgment on their hosts using the same tired arguments and flawed logic. If you comment anonymously, and you lack any sense of decorum or decency, do not expect your presence to last long here at Cleansing Fire.
I apologize to the vast majority of readers who are subjected to the pre-adolescent mindset and whining of those who would have the Church, not as it is, but as they want it to be. Pray for those whose misplaced enthusiasm has wrought theological, liturgical, and spiritual blindness.
The tabernacle is in the center at Our Lady of the Americas.
Let me get this straight – St. Peter’s Basilica does not reserve the Sacred Body in a center-placed tabernacle, but rather in a place of prominence off the main nave (which can only be seen from its entrance, to be sure), one conducive to prayer (as the good doctor’s photo makes clear), yet folks here are saying that Sacred Heart should be different than that?? It seems to me that our Cathedral is closer in letter and spirit to St. Peters’ placement than what folks here are advocating, and somehow that’s a problem?
If the goal is to encourage Eucharistic adoration (and it is) then how is having a separate (and very beautiful) adoration chapel a bad thing?
Rich L. – thank you for posting Benedict’s exhortation from 2007. That is quite helpful. Still, folks may disagree with me, but I think Sacred Heart’s Eucharistic Chapel complies with the Pope’s words when he refers to “churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel.” Sacred Heart, renovated before the Pope’s exhortation, does now have such a chapel.
You can find the bishop there praying the hours most mornings.