2/11/08

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REPLIES

5/11/08 - Fr. David Moore

All sounds very strange to me........I have seen on nave altars clusters of three either end and occasionally a cluster of two at the north end.
I saw recently in a Roman Catholic Convent Chapel one loan thick short candlestick on the south side. The Blessed Sacrament was reserved in an aumbry in the north wall of the apse with a red electric sanctuary lamp. The altar was, of course, free standing. When I see electric sanctuary lights I think of Fr.Treadwell who once said that if a priest and his people couldn't be bothered to light sanctuary lamps then they didn't deserve to have the Blessed Sacrament reserved.

I hope the big High Altar 'six' survive at B.G.'s church as they disappeared for a time and were brought back to life with much else by the last Incumbent, They were made by a well known church artist (Francis Stephens) who designed also the statue of Our Lady in the church.The candlesticks were given in memory of Miss Betts by her descendants...a family who down the years gave much to B.G.'s parish church.

Fr. David Moore.
 

5/11/08 - John

When I was but a young lad (pre Vatican 2), If your church followed the Western Rite there were the “big six” on the high altar, four on the principle side altar, and two on any other altar in the church. Extra sets would be put out for special days, but very definitely put away again after the service. If the church was “Sarum”, there would be two on each altar, with four others on the four posts at each corner of the altar which held up the curtains at the sides and (if no reredos) one at the back (something on the principle of a four poster bed sideways on). May I suggest “the Parson’s Handbook” by Percy Dearmer, and Ceremonies of the Roman Rite, by Fortescue and O’Connell. An older edition of Ritual Notes is a poor substitute for Ritual Notes.

There are several books on the market now which purport to tell one what is the proper thing to do (one by a certain Mgr. Elliot seems to be quite popular at the moment), but in reality most clergy, both Anglican and Roman, do exactly as they please in this matter. Throughout Continental Europe and further afield in Roman Catholic churches it seems that the original high altar is either ripped out altogether, or sadly ignored and unvested. The new “nave” altar invariably has a cluster of candles (wax or electric) gathered at one end. The only mandatory requirement would seem to be that at the opposite end there is either a (usually plastic) poorly arranged bunch of flowers or a potted plant or two.

Best wishes,

John.

7/11/08 - Terry

The Papal Altar in St Peter's Basilica has gone back to the six tall candlesticks from the two clusters of three in either corner of the Altar in John Paul's time!

Regards
Terry
Suffolk

20/1/10 - James Macdonald

Here at St Michael's Barnes (where Fr Treadwell was incumbent until 1986) we have both! The six candles and the two clusters of three at either end of the altar.

Not an electric lamp in sight!

James Macdonald
St Michaels Barnes SW13