Our Catholic Faith

in Pictures & Diagrams

In the practice of our Catholic Faith we use many material objects in furnishing our Churches for the worship of God and as aids to our own meditations, devotions and prayers. Our Sanctuaries are customarily and by law designed and arranged in a pre-deterimined manner leaving the embellishment and artistic tastes up to the local authorities and congregations. The Sacred Vessels and Vestments and Appurtenences used during the Sacred Liturgy are also standard in form but also left to the personal tastes of the priest and people. The colors used for the vestments and corresponding veils and church hangings is determined by the official church calendar and ordo and is standard throught the Church worldwide.

In our personal prayer life and devotions we use many items which the Church calls "sacramentals". They receive this name because while they are related to the sacramental life of the church, they do not form any of the official Sacraments since they often lack one or more of the qualifications for a Sacrament. They do have outward forms which we recognize; they are aids to obtaining grace but do not of themselves confer it, and while some may have been inspired by Christ, they were not officially instituted by Him, but rather by the Church acting in His Name and for the spiritual benefit of His faithful people...the mystical Body of Christ.

THE SANCTUARY AND THE ALTAR

The Sanctuary of the Catholic Church constitutes the "Holy of Holies" in the the design of the building or sacred space dedicated to the worship of Almighty God. Whenever possible the Church is "oriented", (i.e. it is built to face east). Even if the actual position of the Church cannot face east, the Sanctuary end of the Church is always referred to as the "East End". It is separated from the nave where the congregation of the Faithful gather to participate in the acts of sacred worship, by an Altar Rail which constitutes the "sacred table" at which the communicant receives the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Savior in Holy Communion. The Altar of a Catholic Church is not a "sacred table" where a meal is taken and consumed but rather is an "altar or table of sacrifice" where Christ Jesus, as both Victim and Priest, offers Himself in an unbloody manner, in order to present again today for mankind in this present age, the self-same Sacrifice He offered on Calvary once for all in a bloody holocaust on the Cross. This re-presentation of the Holy Sacrifice enables each and every Catholic Christian throughout each and every day and age, to participate actively and personally in his own life and lifetime, in the Redemptive Sacrifice of Our Lord, and not merely to attend a retelling or dramatization of a story of times past or an historical allegory. It is a making present today the Reality of an ever-present and eternal Reality of Christ's Love and Redemptive Act. It allows every Catholic Christian in his own day and age to be present at the foot of the Cross on Calvary and to receive and to apply to himself, the eternal and fathomless merits of the great and unique act of Redemption which occured on Calvary in the year 33A.D. and which is re-presented each and every time on the Altar during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.   

The Altar is enclosed round about, unlike a table which is most often open-sided with four or more legs visible. It is usually raised above the level of the floor of the Sanctuary by one, three or five steps. The altar bears within itself, either directly or via a small stone called an Altar Stone, the relics of various saints, most often martyrs, upon whose tombs in ancient times the Mass was celebrated when the Christian Faith was outlawed and persecuted and when Christians had to worship Almighty God in secret and undergound. This reminds us and connects us in a living way with our ancestors in the Faith and is a living example of our belief in the Communion of Saints and the three-fold constitution of the Church: The Church Militant, The Church Expectant and The Church Triumphant.

The Altar is clothed with a bright and richly ornamented cloth hanging in the front called an antependium which is to remind us that while this altar is a "Sacred Table of Sacrifice" it is also at the same time, the earthly designation of the Throne of God, where He reigns as Prophet, Priest and King. It is also clothed with three white linen cloths which remind us of the Most Blessed Trinity, the swaddling clothes of His birth in Bethlehem and the winding sheets of His burial in Jerusalem.

Behind the Altar is locate either a wooden or stone wall called a reredos, often decorated, carved or painted with symbols, paintings, statues or other religious imagery to focus our mind on the Kingdom of Heaven and its inhabitants and of their virtuous lives and examples. Occasionally in place of a reredos is a curtain or heavily decorated cloth called a dossal.  At the back of the Altar is often found one or more shelf-like structures called gradines, on which are placed the candlesticks, flowers, relics or statues which are either prescribed or permitted to adorn the Altar. Nothing is permitted to rest upon the mensa or table of the altar which is not absolutely necessary and essential for the celebration of the Divine Mysteries. The number of candles placed upon the Altar or gradines is presecribed by the nature of the solemnity of the celebration. Two are required for a Low or said Mass celebrated by a Priest; four are required when a Bishop celebrates a Low Mass; six are prescribed for a High or Solemn Mass whether celebrated by a Priest or a Bishop; and if the Ordinary of the Diocese (the Diocesan Bishop) celebrates a High or Solemn Mass then a special seventh candle is lit to indicate this.

In the centermost position is placed the crucifix which depicts our Savior in His agony dying upon the Cross for our Redemption. Very often this crucifix is elevated high enough to allow for the tabernacle, a precious receptacle or cabinet-like structure, either cylindrical or box-shaped, in which the Blessed Sacrament (the Sacred Hosts which are the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ) are kept and preserved for distributuon to the faithful in Holy Communion. Whenever the Blessed Sacrament is present in the tabernacle a veil covers the tabernacle either entirely or at least the door of the tabernacle. It is also the ancient and continuous custom to keep at least one, but sometimes three, five or seven candles (called the Sanctuary Lamp/s, always burning to remind us of the Real Presence of our Blessed Lord under the form of the Sacred Host, which is reserved in the tabernacle.

Next to the tabernacle is often kept a small covered vessel of water called the ablution cup, and a small purificator, so that a priest who assists in distributing Holy Communion or a priest who must take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick, can purify his fingers after having touched the Sacred Host.

When the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated, it is customary to place three cards with prayers printed on them, referred to as Altar Cards, in certain positions on the altar. The large center card has many of the prayers the priest will recite when he is standing at the center of the altar. At the right side of the altar is placed a card with prayers the Priest will recite when placing the water and wine in the chalice at the offertory, while he washes his hands at the lavabo and when he pours wine and water into the chalice to purify them after the distributuon of Holy Communion. At the left side of the altar is placed a card on which is printed the Prologue to St John's Gospel, commonly called the Last Gospel.

To the right side of the Altar, on the floor of the Sanctuary, is placed a table called the credence. This table is covered with a white cloth and on it are placed the cruets of wine and water, a small dish for pouring the water into in order to wash the priest's hands at the lavabo, and a small finger towel to dry his fingers with. Also placed there is the communion paten, usually a small circular tray plated in gold and bearing a handle to enable the altar server to hold it under the chin of the commnuicant in order to prevent the Sacred Host from falling to the floor in the event that It should fall from the Priest's hand or the communicant's tongue.

Placed conveniently to the server is a bell which is rung several specific times during the Mass to draw the attention of the Faithful to the Sacred Action which is taking place at the altar and to which they should focus their undivided attention. Between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday this bell is replaced with a wooden clapper as bells are forbidden in church during that sacred time.

THE SACRED VESSELS

THE VESTING OF THE CHALICE

THE SACRED APPURTENANCES

PONTIFICAL ACCOUTREMENTS

THE PRIESTLY VESTMENTS

THE OFFICIAL LITURGICAL BOOKS

THE HOLY ROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

THE LITURGICAL COLORS

THE SACRAMENTALS OF THE CHURCH