Church Speak
21/08/05
One in a series. In the Sanctuary: Let's take a quick two-minute tour of the Sanctuary of St. Martha's...
The word sanctuary comes from the Latin "sanctus," meaning "holy." Strictly speaking, the Sanctuary is the area immediately surrounding the altar, set apart from the nave and enclosed by the altar rail.
Mounted on the left wall of the Sanctuary, you see the Sanctuary Candle. The lit Sanctuary Candle (kept lit twenty-four hours a day) indicates the presence of the Reserved Sacrament (blessed bread and wine) in the church. Just below the Sanctuary Candle you can see the Aumbry; the cupboard in the wall of the Sanctuary where the Reserved Sacrament is kept.
The seats inside the Sanctuary, used by clergy and acolytes, are collectively called the Sedilia. The small individual kneeling benches with shelves on either side of the altar are Prie-dieus. At the back of the epistle side of the altar you'll see the Credence Table, which holds the bread, wine and water before consecration. The Altar Cross, the large cross above and behind the altar, is the Reredos.
The book you see on the altar is the Missal. The Missal is not a Bible nor a full Book of Common Prayer; it contains texts (from The Book of Common Prayer) and music the celebrant needs when serving at the altar during the Eucharist and other liturgies.
There you go: 118 seconds... Not bad.
The word sanctuary comes from the Latin "sanctus," meaning "holy." Strictly speaking, the Sanctuary is the area immediately surrounding the altar, set apart from the nave and enclosed by the altar rail.
Mounted on the left wall of the Sanctuary, you see the Sanctuary Candle. The lit Sanctuary Candle (kept lit twenty-four hours a day) indicates the presence of the Reserved Sacrament (blessed bread and wine) in the church. Just below the Sanctuary Candle you can see the Aumbry; the cupboard in the wall of the Sanctuary where the Reserved Sacrament is kept.
The seats inside the Sanctuary, used by clergy and acolytes, are collectively called the Sedilia. The small individual kneeling benches with shelves on either side of the altar are Prie-dieus. At the back of the epistle side of the altar you'll see the Credence Table, which holds the bread, wine and water before consecration. The Altar Cross, the large cross above and behind the altar, is the Reredos.
The book you see on the altar is the Missal. The Missal is not a Bible nor a full Book of Common Prayer; it contains texts (from The Book of Common Prayer) and music the celebrant needs when serving at the altar during the Eucharist and other liturgies.
There you go: 118 seconds... Not bad.