BLOG POST | Hey Deacon!

This past week Bishop Rice consecrated a new tabernacle for Our Lady of the Cove in Kimberling City. I was honored to be asked by Fr. William Hennecke to assist during this beautiful and special Mass. Every tabernacle has its own radiant aura, but the location of the tabernacle seems to vary from church to church. Our Lady of the Cove has their tabernacle behind the altar. Our Lady of the Ozarks is the same, but at one time it was off to the side. Our Lady of the Lake has theirs off to the side? Why is that?

The placement of tabernacles in churches has evolved over time. The first norms governing tabernacles were promulgated in the Middle Ages. Until that time, no uniform custom existed regarding where a tabernacle should be located. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) decreed that the Blessed Sacrament should be kept in a secure receptacle and placed in a clean, conspicuous place. Various ways of reserving the Blessed Sacrament emerged, including locked cabinets in sacristies, suspended “dove” receptacles, wall cabinets in choir lofts, and tabernacles on high altars or in “reredos” (a decorative altarpiece behind the altar). By the sixteenth century, it became the norm to place tabernacles on the altar or part of the reredos.

The liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council prompted a “rethinking” of the placement of the tabernacle in the Church stressing two important points. First, reverence for the Holy Eucharist must be preserved and promoted. The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, and a bond of charity. Its presence must be honored. Secondly, the significance of the Mass where the Holy Eucharist is confected (made real) must be emphasized as well. The Church asserts that the faithful are to participate in the eucharistic sacrifice. We offer the divine victim (and ourselves) to God during Mass.

Accordingly, Vatican II’s norms on “tabernacles”, which have been incorporated into the Code of Canon Law (cc 934-944), provide these guidelines: The Holy Eucharist may be reserved in only one place in a church. A vigil lamp must burn continuously to honor the Eucharistic presence. The tabernacle must be immovable, made of solid and opaque material, and locked to prevent theft or desecration of the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, the tabernacle “should be placed in a part of the Church that is prominent, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.” This statement causes confusion.

In order to promote prayer and devotion, the Church norms state, “It is therefore recommended that, as far as possible, the tabernacle be placed in a chapel distinct from the middle or central part of the church, above all in those churches where marriages and funerals take place frequently, and in places which are much visited for their artistic or historical treasures.” Notice the key word “recommended.” Many people grew up remembering their parish tabernacle being located behind the altar. And it is still okay to have it centered, but it is also okay to have it placed off to side connected to a chapel.

The ultimate decision for the placement of a tabernacle is left to the local bishop. The main objective is to balance reverence for the Eucharist with the centrality of the Mass. Whether the tabernacle is located behind the altar or to the side, the placement should always keep the Eucharist’s sacredness in mind. And don’t forget -- we bow to the altar and genuflect to Jesus in the tabernacle.

Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn