Last year I wrote an eight-part series for my parish about the Catholic Mass. For the Catholics in my audience, or anyone who wants to know more about why Catholics do what they do, these articles and videos are a great resource!
This video, Why Churches Look Like They Do, explains the shape and content of churches.
When you walk into our beautiful church every Sunday have you ever looked around and wondered why the church looks like it does? The Book of Wisdom (13:5) tells us “For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator”. The church building invites us into a sacred encounter with God. What is architectural is ultimately theological.
Over the centuries churches have developed into buildings that are both symbolic and practical, and powerful expressions of theological realities. The new St. Wenceslaus church was intentionally built with more traditional architecture to better draw our minds, hearts, and souls toward the majesty and power of God.
Here are just a few of the hundreds of significant items in the church:
Cruciform shape: The next time you walk into the church, look around at its overall shape. You will see that it is built in the shape of a cross.
Baptismal font: Have you noticed the octagonal shape of the baptismal font? In Genesis 17:12 we see that male Jews were circumcised eight days after birth as a sign of their covenant with God. This prefigures the sacrament of baptism in the New Covenant. So baptismal fonts have eight sides to harken back to the eighth day in the Old Covenant. The symbolic “eighth day” of the week also signifies the day of the resurrection.
Altar and tabernacle: The altar is on the centerline of the church. This is symbolic of the centrality of Christ’s sacrifice to the Christian faith. As you approach it you get a sense of reverence and can feel how it represents the sacrifice of Christ and the Eucharist. As you look to the right, you see the tabernacle where Christ is truly present. It is His presence that inspires us to remain quiet inside this holy place.
Statues: Statues are reminders of the communion of saints and inspire our devotion to them. Most Catholic churches have statues of Mary and Joseph. Have you noticed that Mary is on the right side of the altar as the priest looks out on the congregation? It is traditional that secular Queens sit to the right of the King. So, it is fitting that the statue of Mary is placed to the right of the altar where Christ the King is made present during the Mass. For more on the symbolism in the church building, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1150 and 1179-1186. The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home by Donald Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina also explains much more about the symbolism of the church building.
The other videos in the series:
#2 – Why Churches Look Like They Do
#3 – The Structure of the Mass