| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Altar Cloths on side-altars | Michael | Saturday, July 28, 2007 |
Question: The sanctuary in my Church was recently renovated, and during the renovation the liturgist in charge was insistant that the altar cloths that had remained on the High Altar and sigle side altar be removed. These altars are still consecrated, though no one celebrates Mass on them, eventhough they could. I think the liturgist really wanted there to be just one altar in the Church, so she turned the others into plant stands. The tabernacle which always sat on the back of the High Altar was unbolted and moved forward, so that now it isn't fixed and sits in the center of the altar. But these altars remain consecrated, and once had Mass celebated on them daily. The relics are still enclosed. Putting potted plants on these altars and not covering them feels wrong to me, since the altars were never deconsecrated (the relics are still intact), and they're being left to collect dust and dead flower petals. The side altar is pretty much used as a plant stand and is covered with loose soil, with potted flowers being placed right on top of the sepulchre containing the relics of St. Philomena where the corporal and host used to be placed. All of this feels terribly sacreligious, but there's nothing I can do unless I somehow convince my pastor that there MUST be a cloth on these altars, not just that the SHOULD be covered. Can you tell me if this is a requirement? Is there a specific way I should go about cleaning the dirt off the altar stones before I cover them? |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear Michael, I wouldn't worry about it too much. The altars must have a cloth only when Mass is being celebrated on it. There is nothing wrong with placing flowers on an altar, but I'm a little concerned that it has become a "plant stand". Hopefully there aren't so many plants that someone sitting in the church is not able to see that it is indeed an altar and not just a plant stand. No, there is no specific way that an altar must be cleaned. 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. |
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