Consecration and Blessing of the Altar
The Oratory of the Holy Family is named in remembrance of the greatest singular event in all creation! It is a reminder of the eternal joy of Heaven when into the Holy Family through the Fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the “Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14). At the moment of the Annunciation creation was sanctified by the presence of the Child. On Christmas, it became manifest, history was changed, and Salvation entered the world!
At the Last Super, Jesus established the Eucharist so that He would never leave us. It is upon the Altar of Sacrifice in the Oratory of the Holy Family that these two truths are brought into simultaneous focus when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, and the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ once again makes His “dwelling among us” and in us.
Great pillars of our faith come together here in the Oratory of the Holy Family, the Incarnation of Christ, the Eucharist, Sanctifying Grace, and the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity. Here, we believe Heaven is reminding us of these awesome gifts, freely available to ALL. We pray that this Altar of Sacrifice is a fitting table for the Eucharistic Banquette.
In our faith, the altar is significant. In the old testament, Elijah built an altar of 12 stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. At the last supper, Our Lord institutes the Eucharist at the table. In the early Church, the altar was frequently the tomb of a martyr. As formal churches were being built, the altar was being built directly over the burial site of the martyr to whom the church was dedicated.
To this day, we continue this tradition of honoring the Saints by placing their relics permanently into a reliquary constructed into the stone altar top, also called the mensa.
At the Oratory of the Holy Family, we are graced to have been gifted with two certified first-class relics; St. Agnes and St. Gallicanus, both Martyrs. See Our Altar Relics for details.
With great anticipation of the Holy Mass on July 15, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades will consecrate the new Altar in the Oratory of the Holy Family. Here is a little background on how the Altar came about.
In the Fall of 2021, Larry Young and Al Langsenkamp met with architect Phil Breckler. We had asked Phil to help us with a project, guiding us on how the sanctuary of the Oratory of the Holy Family should be outfitted. We had not yet learned of Bishop Kevin Rhoades’ interest in renaming the Chapel.
Phil came to visit us on Saturday morning, and we discussed the history of the Chapel, the devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America, and her call to us to imitate the Holy Family.
He asked for some time to study the chapel and take in the beauty of the stained glass. About an hour later, he came to us and said he had clarity on the direction and design. With a puzzled expression, I asked Phil how he could do that so quickly. With a smile, he pointed to the beautiful stained-glass window to the right of the sanctuary and said, “It’s all right there.” He pointed to the window and drew our attention to the Altar upon which the Priest was offering the Holy Sacrifice. Indeed, it was all there.
We moved forward with the plans asking Phil to design the altar but also to give consideration to how the entire sanctuary would be outfitted in the future when funds permit.
Phil created proof sketches and the construction documents needed to fabricate the altar. We chose local master craftsman Barry Campbell of Te Deum in Laotto, Indiana. Barry has traveled nationwide helping churches with sanctuary furnishings, working in wood and stone. We were extremely pleased to know this could all be done within the Diocese.
It is essential to honor the history at the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center, where so many have been healed. Knowing that much of the building will never again be used in its current state, we have harvested much of the beautiful white oak trim wood and doors. Given the extraordinary quality of this hardwood and its historical significance, we discussed with Barry its use in the altar. After inspecting the wood, he concluded it would be appropriate and proper. The altar uses mainly wood reclaimed from the Center’s east end.
When the altar was commissioned, there needed to be more clarity on what, if any, depictions would be placed upon the altar front. In late May of 2022, we were honored to share lunch with Bishop Rhoades. Then, Bishop made known his thoughts on renaming Mother of Mercy Chapel to the Oratory of the Holy Family. What a gift!
With Bishop Rhoades’s direction in mind, we worked with Phil and Barry to formulate imagery that would depict the Holy Family and recognize devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America, connecting the two.
Through grace, we settled on the imagery you now see on the altar. The three panels on the front depict Jesus, Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary in honor of the Holy Family,
Starting with Jesus, He is depicted as the Lamb of God in the center. This white marble relief was a gift to Larry Young from Ancilla College in 2003. It was part of an outdoor altar near Donaldson Hall. In 2009 Larry gave it to Irv Kloska, who used it in his backyard prayer area. When the Altar was commissioned, Irv donated it to the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center for use therein. It resembles the depiction in the stained glass to the right of the sanctuary. Other than cleaning, no restoration was needed.
On the left is a stylized depiction of Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America. She is represented by her Immaculate Heart, placed upon the shield of the United States of America, with the Lily of Purity presented as a gift to us.
In 1792, the first bishop of the United States, John Carroll, consecrated the nation to Mary under her title, The Immaculate Conception, and in 1846, the United States bishops unanimously chose Mary under that title as Patroness of the United States of America. The Holy Father further ratified this title. Understanding this history is foundational to understanding devotion to Our Lady of America.
And on the right side is the Lily of Purity, showing the gift St Joseph fully embraces as his own! It represents this gift lavished upon him as he was destined to be the Father of Jesus. Also, the carpenter’s square represents the trade through which he provided for the necessities of the Holy Family. Both are placed upon the shield of the United States, representing that he, too, participates in this mission of his Spouse, Our Lady of America, through their marriage.
Together these images depict the Holy Family in a way consistent with the devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America. She wants us to imitate her Fiat to the Will of God and the life of the Holy Family so we can participate in the gift of Purity as received by St. Joseph. It is fruitful for our salvation and for those around us.
Please join us for this historic event. See Bishop’s Mass for details.
Thanks for the info and pictures. A lot of work went into this project. Well done!! God Bless all that saw this project through to completion.