Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary
Catholic Church

Continuing our series on the furnishings of our church, this week we turn our attention to the Ambo. This is the place from which the Word of God is proclaimed through the reading of Sacred Scripture. Like the altar, it is set aside for a sacred purpose—to proclaim God's Word and to invite us to hear, reflect upon, and respond to it. This is why you will rarely see it used for other purposes. The origins of the ambo can be traced to the raised platforms found in Jewish synagogues from which the Scriptures were proclaimed. The word ambo comes from Greek and refers to an elevated place. I also like the connection to Jesus ascending the hillside to proclaim the Sermon on the Mount. As Christianity became more established, the ambo developed into a raised structure that improved both visibility and acoustics, allowing the faithful to better hear the Scriptures. These structures varied considerably over the centuries, partly because different ministers—including readers, subdeacons, and deacons—had distinct liturgical roles. At St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, for example, the historic ambos are especially unique, with two distinct levels serving different liturgical functions. READ MORE

This week we begin a new series exploring the liturgical furniture found in our church—the history, symbolism, and purpose of the furnishings that support our worship. We begin with the heart of every Catholic church: the altar. The altar is the most important piece of furniture in the church because it is the place where Christ becomes sacramentally present in the Eucharist. Altars have been central to Judeo-Christian worship since the time of Abraham, and even in Genesis God provides the first sacrifice by clothing Adam and Eve after the Fall. From the earliest days of Christianity, the Eucharist was celebrated on simple tables in homes and later on altars built over the tombs of martyrs. As churches became permanent, so did their altars. Before the Second Vatican Council, many altars were attached to the back wall of the sanctuary and richly adorned with carvings, statues, candles, and the tabernacle. The priest ordinarily celebrated Mass facing the altar (ad orientem), with the congregation facing the same direction. Many older churches still retain these historic "high altars." READ MORE

LITURGY CORNER Music Resources at Mass When our church was renovated in 2020, one of the decisions we made was not to reinstall racks in the pews for hymnals and missals. This choice was made for several reasons. We wanted to reduce our environmental impact by moving away from disposable worship aids, make better use of our projection screens, and simplify the care and upkeep of our worship space. Overall, these efforts have been a great success. We have reduced waste and costs while also encouraging greater participation through our digital resources. READ MORE