Layout of a church

From Rejoice in the Catholic Faith

Layout of a Church with focus on Catholic churches

  • See "Where is the Liturgy Celebrated" starting CCC 1179

What is a Catholic Church?

Christian worship is not dependent upon a building or place of worship. 

The worship "in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the "living stones," gathered to be "built into a spiritual house." For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, "we are the temple of the living God." (CCC 1179)

Still, "Christians construct buildings for divine worship", which we call "churches". A church is "the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ", and thus a "house of prayer," a place of gathering, and a "house of God." (CCC 1180-1181)

The Catechism importantly defines the Church as a "threshold" with "eschatalogical significance" -- i.e., the Church is an entranceway to God's realm: 

Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called. The visible church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father "will wipe every tear from their eyes." Also for this reason, the Church is the house of all God's children, open and welcoming. (CCC 1186)

Parts of a Catholic Church

Plan of Old St Peter's Basilica, showing atrium (courtyard), narthex (vestibule), central nave with double aisles, a bema for the clergy extending into a transept, and an exedra or semi-circular apse.
Cathedral ground plan. The shaded area is the transept; the darker shading at the centre represents the crossing.

see What's in a Catholic church building?

altar

  • from Latin altare for "high place for sacrifice"
    • perhaps from combination of adolere for "sacrifice by burning"
    • + altus for "high"
  • the altar is in the "sanctuary" and is where the "word of God" is proclaimed

ambo

  • or "ambon"
  • commonly called "lecturn"
  • the raised platform from which the Liturgy of the Word readings and the homily are spoken

apse

  • rounded area at the back of the sanctuary
  • placed in the liturgical east end of the church

catacomb

  • "Sepulchral vaults" = underground burial tombs
  • from Latin cata tumbas "among the graves"
    • cata = among + comb = graves or tombs
      • derived from Latin cumbere "to lie:
    • unrelated to "catechism"

bema

  • the raised area that encloses the sanctuary
  • sometimes used interchangeably with "sanctuary"

cathedra

  • the raised throne, or seat, for the bishop
  • from Latin cathedra for "arm chair"

chancel

  • the enclosed area that marks the sanctuary of a church
  • from Latin cancelli for "grating," "bars"

ciborium

  • canopy, or tent-like structure, over the altar
    • supported by four columns
  • fist significant use was in the Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)
  • most modern churches do not have a ciborium
    • note that in Italian, "ciborium" refers to the tabernacle (the container to store consecrated hosts)
  • the use of ciborium may have originated from a dome-like structure that stood over Jesus' tomb at what became the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
    • major churches in Rome and Constantinople built under Emperor Constantine used this structure to cover the altar
    • they were often covered with plaques or other decorations made of silver or gold
  • see Ciborium (architecture) - Wikipedia

narthex

  • the immediate area by the entrance to the Nave
    • might be called a "lobby" in secular terms
  • traditionally, the narthex marks the close space between the atrium (front courtyard) and the nave
  • may also be referred to as a "vestibule," which in Roman architecture was a lobby and entranceway

nave

  • the interior area of a church where the parishioners worship (w/ the pews)
    • as distinct from the "bema", which is the raised area upon which the alter resides
  • "nave" = "ship" in Latin
    • from PIE *nau- for "boat" (thus "navy" in English)

niche

  • a recess or built-in area along a wall
    • usually contains a statue
    • is usually dome-shaped at the top like an apse

prie-dieu

  • a kneeler placed before the altar

sanctuary

  • also called presbytery
  • the holy area of a church around the alter and where God resides
    • = the area reserved for the priests
    • it is sometimes marked off by a chancel, which is enclosed by bars or grating

tabernacle

  • "sacred house"
  • the container for the Eucharist (the consecrated communion hosts)

transept

  • the horizontal cross portion of the church
  • the area of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church that marks the horizontal bar of the cross
    • i.e., if the church is laid out like a Cross, the transept is its horizontal bar
  • seating in the transepts is on either side of the sanctuary
    • referred to as the "left" and "right" transepts


Church orientation

Cruciform church (church building)

  • a church laid out in the shape of a cross
    • see "transept", which represents the horizontal bar of the cross

Liturgical east and west

  • regards the orientation of a church
  • the alter is traditionally placed at the east end of the church
  • when the congregation faces east towards the alter, it is "Liturgical east"
  • regardless of the actual orientation of a church, east is the direction towards the alter, and west is the other end
    • thus the "back" is the "west end"

Crucifix formats

Cruciform

    • Christ crucified, usually depicted as having suffered and dead
    • may not always be in death
      • the spear or spear wound indicates Christ as dead, since the Roman soldier speared him to ensure that he was dead (water and blood flowed out, like from the temple of Jerusalem

Resurrectiform

  • Christ resurrected and triumphant

"bare Cross"

  • without Christ
  • not used by the Catholic Church

Holy Instruments of the Mass

Thurible

  • the instrument on a chain that holds burning incense for special blessings
  • it is carried and swung by a "thurible bearer"

Holy Water

  • water that has been blessed by a priest
  • small containers of Holy Water will be placed at the entrance to the Nave
  • the faithful will dip a finger into it and make a Sign of the Cross with it
    • reminding of baptism and its promises
  • Holy Water will be used for other occasions:
    • Baptism
    • Rite of Sprinkling, in which the priest or deacon "sprinkles" Holy Water upon the faithful to bless them
      • Easter Sunday, especially
      • the Sprinkling of Holy Water recollects Jesus' own baptism in the Jordan River

aspersorium

  • the "aspersion" is the ceremony of sprinkling of holy water
    • from Latin aspergere "to sprinkle"
  • it is sprinkled with an "aspergill" or aspergillum
    • a brush or branch that sprinkles or spreads the holy water

Incense

  • recollects prayers and indicates reverence
  • made from the resin of certain trees
    • it burns slowly and emits sweet-smelling smoke
  • incense is dispensed in a "thurible"
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