IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK THAT IN NEWLY BUILT, TRADITIONAL CHURCHES, THAT THERE ONLY BE ONE MAIN ALTAR IN THE MAIN SANCTUARY RATHER THAN TWO ALTARS, ALA, THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF VATICAN II AND PLACING ALTARS IN FRONT OF OLD ALTARS?????

First of all, I want to congratulate Saint Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, Virginia. Their new Church is splendid. Their pastor and the laity there, as well as their bishop, are to be congratulated and praised for this marvelous post-Vatican II architecture and interior embellishments. It is splendid.

EXCEPT!

There are two altar in the main sanctuary. The one where the tabernacle is appears to me to be a pre-Vatican II altar under the baldacchino, with a new altar placed in front of it so the Mass can be said facing the nave, as was done in the immediate aftermath of Vatican II in almost every church in the USA and elsewhere.

Why, oh, why couldn’t they have made sure the tabernacle wasn’t placed on an altar-looking “altar”and so much higher than the Altar of Sacrifice????? It over powers the very beautiful Altar of Sacrifice, over powers it, I say. 

And if one is going to have a baldacchino, it should be over the altar of sacrifice even if the altar is free-standing as at Saint Peter’s Basilica. The tabernacle could behind it at the apse’s back wall, elevated but not overpowering the altar. 

While the tabernacle should be in the dead center of the church, I think the best solution is that directly behind the altar of sacrifice there should be a nice small chapel, similar to the lovely side chapels, visible from the nave of the church, to place the tabernacle. There is something to be said about the tabernacle not being so prominent during the celebration of the Mass facing the nave, so the focus is on the current celebration of the One Eternal Sacrifice, but now in time and no focus on a previous celebration in time, of the One Eternal Sacfifce at a previous Mass with Hosts in the tabernacle from that or those celebrations. 

I believe that the rubric for the celebration of Mass by a bishop prior to Vatican II mandated that the tabernacle in the main sanctuary, be empty. 

Just my two cents worth, although that term, sadly, very sadly, is now out of date! 

Press title from the Liturgical Arts Journal’s article for the story and more photos:

New Church Architecture: St. Mary of Sorrows in Fairfax, Virginia

by Shawn Tribeon November 25, 2025