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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Church Statues and Side Altars Grant Monday, October 4, 2004

Question:

We are members of a rural parish, and our beautiful, traditional Gothic church is over 100 years old. In the 1970's the side altars and Communion Rail were removed. Fortunately, because some parishioners recovered these items from the dumpster and stored them in a grage for 25 years, they were not lost or destroyed. In 1999, with the leadership of an orthodox pastor, our church underwent a substantial restoration and the side altars and Communion Rail were also restored. Now we have a new pastor who claims that it is "sacrilegious" to turn the lights on in the side altars, and objects to them even being referred to as altars. He is making plans to remove them again along with several beautiful statues. I expect that he will cite Vatican II changes as the reason to remove them. My question is, where can I go to find information to refute his reasons for demolishing a $250,000 restoration to our beautiful, historic church? There is a meeting coming up and I am hoping to be able to have some documentation for the discussion. Thank you for your help in this matter!

Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Grant,

I'm sorry I really can't refute his specific reasons without knowing what they are specifically..

Anyway, it simply is NOT sacrilegious to put lights on these altars.  If they are altars, (and they are) then what is wrong with calling them altars?  Nothing!

 

Vatican II only forbid that a priest offer Mass at these "side altars" if there is another priest at the "main" altar at the same time.  It was the custom that visiting priests would offer Mass at the "side" altar before concelebration while the resident pastor said Mass at the "main" altar.  Vatican II did away with this, but did NOT mandate that these altars be removed.

Let me know if I can be of further help,

Mr. Slavek
Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers.

(b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks.

(c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively.