I was touring a few churches with a priest friend of mine today, and he noted how, in every “renovated” “church” even the speakers for the sound system are given more prominence than the Blessed Sacrament. Upon entering one locale he declared, “That’s just obscene.”
I couldn’t agree more. I struggled for a few minutes trying to discern where the tabernacle was. We finally found it, off to the side, deep into what used to be a side altar. We hadn’t looked there before because of the maze of pipes and banners cluttering the area. The wooden tabernacle, which looked more like doodled-on cardboard, was guarded by a sanctuary lamp, which is also called, “the red thing with a candle” according to some of our liberal brethren (sistren?).
So, yes, evidently many Catholics are now forced to worship, not God in His Most Blessed Sacrament, but rather, music and sound coming from mysterious boxes placed prominently in their churches. St. Bose, pray for us.
In response to our question, “Can you hear me now,” I suppose we can. We can hear the prayers. And the folk music. And the chewing/gnawing of the host. And the slurping of the Precious Blood. And the various other digestion noises. And the frenzied, whispered directions to incompetent servers.
Tags: Orthodoxy at Work
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Dear Lord, please tell me that image is not of a real church!
I wish this priest was my pastor.
I've noticed much the same thing in Diocese of Rochester churches, there is more emphasis on the music than on God. Certainly music is a form of prayer, one useful in praising God during the Mass. However, it is not more important than, not equal to, or not close to the greatness of the true presence of the Blessed Sacrament. So when these liturgical "experts" modify our churches to move the tabernacle so that a giant organ can take its place, it makes one question what the motives are of these alleged experts. Are these experts attempting to destroy our church? Are these experts trying to turn Catholicism into Protestantism in some kind of whacked out idea of ecumenism? It has been the Catholic tradition for ages for the Blessed Sacrament to be at the center of our churches and our lives. Vatican II, despite what these people may think, did not in any way change this.
The only problems arise when the council documents are read out of context and with an obvious left wing spin.
Without these sound systems how would we ever clearly hear the homilies of our lay preachers?
~Dr. K
How would Sr. Joan survive without her lavalier microphone?
Our next bishop's first priority should be to move the giant organ out of the SHC sanctuary and restore the tabernacle to where it belongs.
I agree but they won't do it. It will be huge job to get it out of there. Cost more money to take down than it cost them to install it.
shameful
I agree, I don't think much will change at SHC, and that is disappointing. Archbishop Dolan had a chance, albeit a small one, to make changes at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Milwaukee, but he didn't even remove that monstrosity above the floating altar. I think most would agree that he is an orthodox bishop too.
Bishop Clark knew what he was doing. We're stuck with this mess unless we seek out another Cathedral.
~Dr. K
After the old Cathedral closed, St Peter and Paul's was in line to be the next cathedral. They would have had to expand the sanctuary by moving it back. But it wasn't chosen, Sacred Heart was. Proportionately SH is a small cathedral. I liked it (before the wreckovation) but it was small.
Sacred Heart is a tall building, but there really isn't that much seating inside for a Cathedral. Not that many people go there anymore since it was destroyed.
~Dr. K