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Architect's
Explanation of the Symbols of
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
As written for the dedication mass on January
13, 1985
The Façade & Entry
Approaching the
main façade and entry of the church, we view two
sculptured reliefs of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, right
-the founder of the Redemptorists, and Saint John
Neumann, left - the first American Redemptorist. The
tiered crosses inscribed within the entrance doors
reminds us of the crucifixion of our Lord and is
indicative of medieval Christian churches and
cathedrals, where the main portals or doors always
illustrated biblical characters and symbols of the
church. It was also a practice to position churches
to face east, the sunrise, to greet the Lord upon
the second coming. The Narthex Foyer of the church
not only serves as the entry into the Nave, but
provides access to the sacristy and ministry rooms.
This also buffers sound from the exterior traffic
and serves as an overflow room for the congregation.
As we enter the Nave of the church, we enter the
House of God for worship in a sanctuary together
with the people of God as a community. It was the
intended expression of the architecture to provide,
within the atmosphere of spaciousness, the mystery
of the presence of Christ. Whether as an individual
or as a community, we enter into a setting for the
Eucharistic Action: a place for celebration in song,
speech and meditation.
The Main Church
The Skylight:
Representing the words of God, "let there be
light". At the base of the skylight the stained
glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in
dedication of this parish and church. At the apex of
the skylight and roof, a tower rises to support all
else: The Cross, extending 75 feet into the air, is
the emblem of Christianity and the symbol of our
faith.
The Sanctuary:
Above the main sanctuary, a prominent reredos is
flanked by two stone piers which symbolize the Old
and New Testament, framing a graphic representation
of the Redemption and Resurrection. The Altar is a
marble table set upon stones and is the center of
our Eucharistic celebration. The Ambo is the
principal point from which the proclamation of God's
Words takes place. It rises as a stone column near
the
people.
The Tabernacle: south of the Altar and Ambo
is accentuated and set within a niche of faceted
stained glass depicting in illustration The Holy
Spirit.
The Baptistry:
Located before a niche of faceted stained glass
depicting the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the
Baptist at the river Jordan. Notice the baptismal
font, candle stands, crucifix and ambo are all in
the same shape, the shape of the church itself. The
baptismal font contains a sacrarium to which the holy water passes directly into the earth.
The Wall
Surrounding the Nave:
The stained glass windows
encircling the nave depict scenes from the life of
Christ. Beginning at the south end with the Nativity, the scenes are as follows; the Nativity of
our Lord, Jesus in the Temple, The Wedding Feast of
Cana, The Call of the Disciples, The Sermon on the
Mount, The Last Supper, The Death of our Lord, the Resurrection. Along the Lower Portion of the walls
beginning at the north, we are reminded of the Passion of our Lord in
the Stations of the Cross;
Pilate condemns Jesus to die, Jesus accepts His
cross, Jesus falls for the first time, Jesus meets
His afflicted Mother, Simon helps carry the cross,
Veronica offers her veil to Jesus, Jesus falls the second time, Jesus speaks to
the women, Jesus falls
the third time, Jesus is stripped of His garments,
Jesus is nailed to the cross, Jesus dies on the cross, Jesus is taken down from
the cross, Jesus is
placed in the Sepulcher.
The Shrines:
There are two additional
shrines located in the Nave of the church. The first
is to the north and it is the shrine to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help, the icon entrusted to the
Redemptorists. The second is to the south and is in
honor of the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph and the Child
Jesus. This shrine and the risen Christ above the
altar are carved of olive wood from the Holy Land.
The Church Seating Capacity: 700
The Eucharistic
Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The Stained
Glass Windows: The large window to the rear is
Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The windows to the south
are clerestory windows symbolizing the Litany of Our
Lady. The Crown of Thorns (Mary, Mother of Christ, A
Lily (Mary Most Pure), A Candle (Mary Most
Merciful), Scales of Justice (Mary Mirror of
Justice), Moon and Stars (the Seat of Wisdom), Tower
(the Tower of David), Cattails (Mary the Mother of
Hope). To the North, these windows symbolize the Ark
of the Covenant (Ark), the Gate of Heaven (Gate),
Morning Star (Star), Comforter of the Afflicted
(Hands Touching), Queen of the Holy Rosary (Rosary
and Cross), Queen of Peace (Dove and Olive
Branches), Lamb of God (Lamb). The Chapel Seating
Capacity: 90
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