PLACE OF RESERVATION OF THE EUCHARIST
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Over
the last two millennia, there has been a wide variety of common ways
that the Blessed Sacrament has been reserved. In the
early Christian church, the Blessed Sacrament was
typically brought home for members of the
community unable to participate in the Sunday Eucharist. The Sacrament
was commonly kept in a
small
pyx or wrapped in linen in a small basket. The devotion to the reserved
Eucharist grew over time. Today, we reserve the consecrated bread for
private
adoration and prayer outside of the Eucharistic
liturgy
and to be brought to the sick and the dying.
In
the early basilicas, the Sacrament was kept in a pyx, a cupboard in the
sacristy, or a wall niche. In the fourth century we find the first
account of an
actual tabernacle. Later, in the ninth
century, we find an early example of a tabernacle placed on an altar. In the medieval church, common practices included a small cupboard in the wall near the sanctuary or built into the reredos, a free standing "Sacrament House" or tower, a dove or pyx suspended over the altar, and a tabernacle on the altar table.
After
the Council of Trent, greater uniformity developed.
In
the years following the Vatican II, while there was a great deal of
focus on the renewal of the sacred liturgy and our participation, a
variety of
examples emerged once again. Churches built
before the Council often provided a special challenge.
Finding a worthy place for the tabernacle when
the altar was pulled away from the wall was a difficult
task, especially in small churches.
In new churches, small, intimate prayer chapels were often built. Some of
these separate chapel
spaces
were not connected to the main body of the
church. While they were well suited to private
devotional prayer, they may not have been
prominent enough in the church building.
In
the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM),
we read that "the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a
tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent,
readily visible, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer" (GIRM
no. 314). There is to be only one tabernacle
in the
church, and it should be designed to protect the
reserved Sacrament to the greatest extent possible
(GIRM no. 314).
The
tabernacle may be located "in the sanctuary,
apart from the altar of celebration" in
an appropriate
form and
place (GIRM no. 315). Built of Living
Stones: Art,
Architecture and Worship
(BLS), the U.S. bishops' document on the
building and
renovation
of worship spaces, tells us that when this
is done, sufficient distance, controlled lighting, or some other
architectural device should be used to keep the appropriate focus on the
altar, ambo and presider's chair during the liturgy (BLS no. 80). The
tabernacle may also be located in an
environment or
"chapel
suitable for the faithful's private adoration
and prayer and which is organically connected to the
church and readily visible to the Christian
faithful"
(GIRM no,
315). The GERM reaffirms the authority
of the local bishop in decisions regarding the placement of the tabernacle
(GIRM no. 315). In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, all new churches are
expected to have a reservation chapel, in which the tabernacle will be
placed, and when possible, remodeled or renovated churches will have a
reservation chapel, in which the tabernacle will be
placed.
"Christ
present in the eucharistic species is a treasure
the Church has come to cherish and revere over the
centuries" (BLS no. 70). A careful study and thorough consultation
should be undertaken when a
parish
plans any renovation or new construction that
would impact the placement of the tabernacle. GIRM Bulletin 21E Office for Worship, Archdiocese of Los Angeles Ó 2003, Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM. Used with permission
Main Menu[Home] [Overview of Web Site] [Table Contents] [Story of Parish] [This Week in Parish] [Sacramental Life] [Parish Ministries] [Faith Links] [Resources for Daily Living] [Sponsors] Return to Index of Articles on the Sacred Liturgy
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The tabernacle began
to be placed as a