Last Year
Today
I spent part of my day off taking some pictures. Thirty eight (38) of them can be found here. When I became pastor, the parish did not have a crucifix. The new GIRM requires a cross with a corpus and the Risen Christ figure added two pastors ago does not seem to qualify. It is not forbidden, it is just that a crucifix is required. Ours has been installed next to the ambo. It is quite beautiful and so I have taken several pictures of it. The corpus came from Italy, and the wooden cross was fashioned out of Blood wood here by Ken and Cruz who did a beautiful job putting it together. If you look at the old picture of the sanctuary you will notice that the new picture has new statues, ambry, font, easter candle and credence table and including the new crucifix.
Lovely.
This is a question, not a challange:
Is there something authoritative that says those ubiquitous Risen Christ crucifixes don't qualify?
I don't care for them myself, but I thought that was just a personal prejudice, as they seemed most common at parishes and institutions that were otherwise careless with rubrics and reverence (I know the two are not joined at the hip, but in my experience they often hang together.)
Pax et bonum.
GIRM, page 41, article(?) 117, "...Also, on or close to the altar, there is to be a cross with a figure of Christ crucified....." So, as Fr. Jeff put it, it's not forbidden, it's just not, um, sufficient. Having both is a well-made compromise with the parish as many of us love the Risen Christ. But now we love them both. The crucified Christ figure and the Blood wood cross are way more beautiful than the pictures can portray!
GIRM, page 41, article(?) 117,
"...Also, on or close to the
altar, there is to be a cross
with a figure of Christ
crucified....."
Thanks for the cite. I had thought it said something to the effect of "with a corpus."
I'm not about to get into it with the PTB at
my parish, but I knew our Easter decor (which
removes a gorgeous crucifix and replaces it
with a Risen Christ,) was lacking in some way,
(though admittedly gorgeous.)
When I was visiting St. Edward I saw the crucifix and it's really beautiful.
Father, thanks for allowing comments on the photos, all of which were very interesting.
I think it is great that you all placed a statue of St. Edward; so many times little thought is given to the patron, the First Parishioner, as it were, of a parish. But the two new (or "new") statues look a little small in these shots. Would there be a way to raise them a little (without making them seem more prominent than the crucifix) and move them in front of the banners (or move the banners in back of them)?
Just a suggestion from an Internet visitor.
I was also very interested to see the organ. It looks really small, maybe three ranks if that, so I can certainly imagine that the church needs a bigger one, as you had mentioned. The good thing is that apparently someone had the foresight years ago to install an older pipe organ rather than spend the money on a contemporary (Baldwin?) electric, which certainly would have been considered awful and disposable in 2005. This organ is not only in use but can still be used in future to the glory of God in a chapel, another church, or as part of the new instrument.
Again, thanks for the opportunity to comment.
hi, Father Jeff,
what is the role of the processional cross in this?
does it stay out during the Mass, so we have miltipication of images?
and does an icon of the crucifixion count, or does it have to be a statue with a wooden (?) cross and a sculpted body of the dead Christ?
thanks for the photos, Maureen
The acolytes put the processional cross in the sacristy during mass.
I think a icon crucifix would qualify for a sanctuary
Beautiful, indeed. I always appreciate some acknowledgment of the Saint for which the parish is named, so kudos are definitely in order here.
For the longest time, ours didn't, but that has happily been rectified.