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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Reordering of Church - What was the aim? Matthew Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Question:

I am very concerned about the recent reordering of the Catholic church of a parish a few miles from home, and where many(!) years ago I went to school.

I visited the church today while I was in the area, having not seen it since the interior underwent a major reordering about 18 months ago, and was dismayed by what I saw and wonder what the pastor (who was responsible for initiating and planning the changes) is trying to achieve.

The experience must be very simiar to that of English Catholics in the 16th. century, who saw their familiar churches transformed to suit protestant worship at the Reformation.

The church in question is quite an imposing late Victorian building in a sort of romanesque style. Until recently the interior was in keeping, with a main altar, two side altars, various statues on plinths next to pillars, etc. - very much a typical Catholic parish church. I recall that in the early 1980's, the old high altar was modified to suit post-conciliar usage, the mesa being separated from the old reredos and moved to the centre of the sanctuary as a free-standing altar. This was done very sympathetically, and all the original architectural elements were kept.

In the present reordering, the reredeos has gone, the side altars have been removed completely, seveal statues appear to have vanished, and thaos that remain have been relocated to dark corners where it is literally impossible to see them fro the main body of the church, and, perhaps most worrying, the tabernacle, which used to be part of the old reredos, has been relocated in an obscure former aumbry in a wall at the side of the nave (I wanted to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and took several minutes to actually find where it was!).

In short, it seems to me that deliberate efforts have been made to obscure the distinctive Catholic elements of the building.

Is this an abuse? Should I be concerned? Would the Bishop be able to insist that at least the tabernacle and images be moved back to more prominant places?

Thank you in anticiaption of your reply.

Pax Christi,

Matthew.

Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Matthew,

Well it's entirely possible that deliberate efforts HAVE been made to obscure the Catholic elements, which of course would be horrible.  I believe the bishop would have the authority to insist that the tabernacle and images be moved back since that's where they belong in the first place.  He also could insist that the other changes be undone.

I would express to both the pastor of the parish as well as the bishop how disappointed I would be with the changes.

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.