In a rare and magnificent rite rich in symbolism, Bishop Ronald Gainer consecrated the new altar of sacrifice at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Mount Joy on Sunday, April 6.
The consecration of an altar is a solemn ritual replete with holy water, Sacred Chrism, incense and candles, and is a rare opportunity to witness in the life of a parish.
Parishioners filled their church for the occasion during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Gainer and concelebrated by Father Edward Keating, pastor, on the fifth Sunday of Lent.
“The altar is venerated in many different ways,” Bishop Gainer said in his homily. “The altar is kissed. We bow to the altar. The altar is incensed. The altar is wrapped in special cloths. Candles are placed on the altar and flowers are placed around it.”
“But why is that?” he asked. “Why does this piece of sanctuary furniture receive such reverence?”
“The rite that we’re about to celebrate explains it,” the bishop said. “In the sanctuary, we have the Real Presence of Jesus Christ – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, the living, presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. But after His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, the altar is the most important symbol of Jesus Christ.”
The new altar is the focus of recent renovations to the church. The furnishing was crafted by parishioners Bob Jerman, John Gaudlip and Mark Torborg and stained by Cindi Jerman. Its front features a handsomely detailed image of the Last Supper.
“In minutes, this beautiful woodwork worked on by several parishioners will become a consecrated, sacred altar,” Bishop Gainer said in his homily. “Incense will rise from it, just as the prayers of the faithful gathered here in the parish church will rise before God, joined to the very prayers and sacrifice of Jesus that is commemorated in every Eucharist; they will rise before the Father in heaven.”
During the rite, the bishop then prayed the Prayer of Dedication, asking God to “bless this altar built in the house of the Church, that it may ever be reserved for the sacrifice of Christ, and stand forever as the Lord’s table, where your people will find nourishment and strength.”
Pouring Sacred Chrism onto the altar’s center and four corners, the bishop smeared the holy oil across the entire altar to anoint it as a visible sign of the Mystery of Christ. Incense was then burned from the altar, its smoke a symbol of the prayers of the faithful ascending to heaven.
At the conclusion of the rite, Deacon Joseph Cingle, pastoral associate, and Deacon Tom Lang, master of ceremonies, cleaned the top of the altar and covered it with linens before adorning it with candles and a Crucifix.
“The altar is the symbol of Jesus in our midst, where the very sacrifice of Christ is re-presented to us here and now, where His Death and Resurrection become present to us in every moment as each Mass is celebrated,” Bishop Gainer said.
“On this sacred banquet table, we are fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus and it’s this altar where the sacrifice of Jesus is re-presented for us in every Mass. Heaven and earth are joined on this sacred altar,” he said.
After the Mass, many parishioners came forth for a closer look at the beautiful altar and its intricate details.
It’s a result of renovations that began with a practical need and culminated in drawing parishioners’ focus as they enter the church, said Father Keating.
“We needed new pews and new tile. I said, if we’re going to get new pews and new flooring, then we certainly need a center aisle, which is not something the church previously had,” he told The Witness. “The altar we had was from another church years ago, and so we thought it would be wonderful to have an altar that was our own.”
“When parishioners come to church, there needs to be a focal point. That’s the purpose of the center aisle directing the line of sight of the altar and tabernacle. This directs their focus to the altar, the crucifix, the Mater Ecclesiae painting and the tabernacle,” he said.
Additional renovations include a light-blue swath of paint behind the altar, replacing the former red and gold scheme, and new paintings of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to honor the former churches in Mount Joy and Marietta that formed Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in 1995.
“They are a beautiful reflection of our parish’s history,” Father Keating said. “With those paintings, the Mater Ecclesiae behind the altar and blue paint, we have a Marian church.”
“Parishioner involvement has been nothing short of incredible,” Father Keating said of the efforts. “When you take on a project like this, you need a network of people from those who crafted the altar to those who selected color schemes and designs. So many people put a lot of work into this, and it brings the community together.”
“We all carry a lot of things in our lives. We have burdens, we have pains, we have issues. When we redirect our focus to God for a certain period of time, those troubles dissipate. That’s what our church does now with the central focal point. And it’s what a church should do – give the people a sense of focus, peace and hope so they leave in a better frame of mind than when they came in.”
A livestream of the Mass can be viewed at this link.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
