Holy Water Fonts are in this area as well as at the other entrances of the Church. By using this Baptismal Water to bless ourselves (and our small children), we remind ourselves of our Baptismal Promises and renew them. We do so, especially as we enter, but many do so as they leave, too. Notice that the granite used to make these fonts is the same as the altar and the original baptismal font.

Social Ministry Donation Boxes are located here and near all the entrances to the church. This is to remind us that God is generous to us and we in turn must be willing to give to those in need.

Portraits of the Pope and Bishop hang in most Catholic Churches. Not so much to honor the person, but for us to always realize that we are part of a larger Church Community – the Diocese and in unity with the entire Church. Our Pope is Benedict XVI. Our Bishop is Kevin Vann.

The Parish Book of Intentions is left out on a podium in the front vestibule so that any parishioner can write in prayer petitions. The petitions are collectively mentioned during most Masses, at the Prayer of the Faithful.

Dorothy Kassel, a parishioner, made the tapestry of the Pieta. It won international acclaim when it received an award by Princess Grace of Monaco.

Giftbearers, those who take the gifts of bread, wine, and the monetary collection forward to the altar, may sign-up in the book on the other podium in the vestibule. This is a wonderful way for individuals, groups or families to celebrate a special time during the year such as a birthday or anniversary. On weekends when we do Baptisms, First Holy Communion or Confirmation, members of the particular group will normally take up the gifts.

An Information Rack is located here and at the other entrances of the Church. Check here for pamphlets, bulletins, etc.

This room is designed for the Bride and her bridesmaids to use as they dress and prepare for the wedding. This room was renovated using money donated for that purpose.
This is also where the Hospitality Ministers keep all of their supplies such as: name badges, “reserved” signs, pencils, etc. Note also their bulletin board that is a means of communicating with each other and the Liturgy Department about what is happening at the Masses.

Not all Catholic Churches have a choir loft. With the directives of Vatican II and the Liturgical reforms, the thought was that the faithful needed to participate in the singing and not just listen to a choir. If the choirs were closer to the Assembly, it was thought this goal would be more easily realized. Our Traditional Choir at the 10:30 AM Mass and the adult bell choir use the loft. Most of the other choirs lead the assembly from downstairs.

The organ was installed when the original church was built. In 2003, the existing pipes were restored and a portion of the organ became digital. It is now considered a combination organ – part digital, part pipe. It is tuned at least once a year. The sound chambers on either side of the choir loft hide the pipes to the organ.

Evaline Sellars, who was a parishioner here, created the statues of Mary, the Mother of God and St. Joseph. The votive candles are lit when someone wants to pray for a special intention. There is a small money box in the wall for donations to help offset the cost of the candles and supplies.

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Ms. Sellers also created the Stations of the Cross that hang around the back of the main church, along the sound chambers. The stations were designed to hang in the Chapel but the bishop at the time, Bishop Cassata, wanted all of the stations to be in the Church. That is why they may appear out of scale.

The nave is the body of the church building where the faithful assemble. For many centuries, this area and that of the Sanctuary were separated by a railing, through which only the priest and ministers at the altar passed.

The sanctuary is composed of 3 main parts – the ambo, the altar, and the presider’s chair. The ambo is the podium from where the Scripture readings and the Gospel are proclaimed by the Lectors and the Presider, respectively. The altar is the place where the sacrifice of the Mass takes place. Our altar does not have relics in it, like many altars made prior to 1960. Our altar is made of polished granite from Oklahoma. The original baptismal font in the chapel is made of the same stone. The chair is where the Bishop or his designate (the presiding priest) sits. All three should all have equal prominence. Each of them represent Christ, in that from the ambo (table of the Word) we hear Christ’s words, at the altar we join Jesus at the table of the Last Supper, and, though the Bishop or Priest is the visible leader of our gathering (hence his own chair), it is Jesus who presides over all our prayer.

• During the month of November, you will notice another podium placed near the Baptismal Font. This is referred to as the Book of the Dead or All Souls. It is the custom of Catholics to write in the names of their loved ones, and in this month which begins with the Feast Days of All Saints and All Souls, we collectively pray for all of them. The Body of Christ, which is the Church, in Heaven, on earth and those who await their entrance into God’s glory are joined in prayer.

The tabernacle in the chapel is the place where the Blessed Sacrament (consecrated hosts), is kept in reserve for distribution to the sick, for use at the Communion Services each day at 6:3O AM and for the faithful to come before the Lord to pray in adoration. A candle burns 24 hours a day on both sides of the tabernacle indicating that the Blessed Sacrament is present. In the early 1990’s the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops requested that churches make an effort to reserve a place outside of the area where Masses were celebrated in which to keep the Blessed Sacrament. This was done so that during Mass the focus and participation of both the priest and the assembly would be on the sacrifice of Christ occurring during the consecration of the hosts and wine at the altar. In our church we decided to make our chapel the Chapel of Reservation for the Blessed Sacrament. However, since there is no place for parents to bring their young children who are getting fussy, our Blessed Sacrament Chapel is essentially a “cry room” during weekend Masses.

The original baptismal font, made of the same granite as the altar in the main church, is in this chapel. We do not use it because we try to have as many baptisms celebrated with Mass as possible, and, the drain for the font is no longer working. A large Paschal Candle made by the adult RCIA group some years ago is kept here in the Chapel next to the font.

The figure of The Risen Christ above the tabernacle was made by Evaline Sellers, the same artist who designed the statues of Joseph and Mary for the main church and did the tapestry of the Pieta. Seeing it hung in its current location, she felt it was the wrong scale.

The Stations of the Cross in the chapel were made by Gene Owens. He also did the bronze statue of Mary with the Child Jesus, a copy of the one inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit religious order. Mr. Owen also made the figures of the events in the life of Mary which are hung near the statue of Mary.

The ambry holds the holy oils we receive from the Bishop each year during Lent. These oils are used for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation (& Holy Orders), and the Anointing of the Sick. The Chrism, used for Confirmation and Holy Orders, is also the oil that is used when a Church building is consecrated by the Bishop. Notice the safe-like box built into the wall; this was the original ambry.

The statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was donated and dedicated about 2000. There is also a statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the chapel, next to the Confessional.

The Confessionals are located in the chapel too. One is designed to allow for face-to-face or screened reconciliation. The other is strictly screened.

The altar in this chapel is used for communion services, Eucharistic Adoration and on rare occasions when Mass is celebrated in the Chapel. The seating capacity is too limited to make the chapel usable for most of our Masses. Notice there is an ambo and a presider’s chair in the chapel for when Mass is celebrated here.

Vesting Sacristy – this is the place where the priests and altar servers get vested for Mass (show where the vestments are kept, show the white pall placed on the casket at a funeral reminding us of baptism, the altar cloths, the altar server albs, the chalices, ciboria, Lectionary, Book of Gospels, Sacramentary, sacrarium, electronic bells, etc. Show the bulletin board with the altar servers’ and lectors’ schedules as well as the white board used for special services. Incense and candle snuffers are kept in the hallway between the 2 sacristies.

Work Sacristy – this is where all the supplies are kept to keep the church clean and functioning. Point out where various liturgical ministers’ schedules are kept. Also show where the extra votive candles, Mass sign-in books, etc. are kept.

‘Parish Library’ – at one time this room held a collection of books for the use of anyone in the parish. Now it is mainly used for Children’s Liturgy of the Word, for Grooms to use to dress in and as a meeting room.