Thus, I kind of like this church but below the picture are my modest suggestions for improving it:
1. Replace the "Risen Lord statue with a beautiful crucifix. Put the Risen Lord in the narthex or some other devotional area or in the school or office narthex.
2. Place the statues of Mary and Joseph in designed and balanced niches apart from the sanctuary.
3. Have six candlesticks flanking the Tabernacle.
4. Don't place flowers on the floor in front of the altar and get a nicer altar clothes.
5. Get a better ambo and place it closer to the railing.
6. Get nicer celebrant chairs and don't have a podium in front of it.
I think that's enough in a church like this.
5 comments:
Maybe the intention is to match the interior design with the "youthful" congregation in attendence. It would be interesting to see what this sanctuary actually looked like when the church was originally constructed.
Why not?
TJM - My suspicion is that at dedication, the sanctuary looked much similar to this. The color palette/style etc. is of a different era. The railing is '60s vintage, along with the chandeliers, probably early '60s. That altar was likely closer to the dwarf wall with mosaic with the tabernacle sitting right on the altar. That seemed to be the style at that time. Space limitations seems to have resulted in the table altar sitting right on the edge of teh top step of the predella.
All things considered, this isn't bad; however, this "recipe" regarding furnishings and adornments is, to me, almost cliche. It's just tiresome and unsatisfying. Agree on the Resurrection representation vs a Crucifix. I'd move the AMBO now. The plants....just too much art/environment committee going wild just to leave their imprint. Too much stuff in there. There must be a way to simplify all that seating, plants, off center statues. Space is so limited. Shame the altar of repose isn't longer to put more candles upon it. I absolutely hate the book stand in front of the presiders chair. Why is this necessary to announce the pancake breakfast next weekend? The server is to hold the book otherwise. The flowing water carpeting from the steps into the nave I do not care for. If I were there personally, as pastor, I'd insist on some change to re-enchant that space at minimal cost.
ByzRus,
You may be right other than the statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph were likely on their own individual, small altar on either side of the main altar or were on some type of decorative shelf (my parish had a decorative shelf due to space limitations)
The altar is so close to the top step you might as sell leave the flowers there until it’s moved back. It also looks so large that it couldn’t support both versus populem and ad orientem.
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