A Guide to Our Catholic Church
A Catholic church is not simply a hall in which Catholics happen to gather. It is a place set apart for the worship of God.
Everything within it has a purpose. The doors, baptismal font, sacred images, confessional, Stations of the Cross, altar, ambo, tabernacle, sanctuary lamp and crucifix all tell us something about the Catholic faith.
Some of these things are so familiar that we may pass them every week without thinking about them. For someone entering a Catholic church for the first time, however, they may seem unfamiliar or even mysterious.
This guide takes us through St Mary’s from the entrance to the sanctuary and explains what the different parts of the church mean.
The Entrance Doors
We begin at the doors because this is where everyone enters.
Our Lord uses the image of a door when he says:
“I am the door.”
We do not enter the life of the Church through our own cleverness or goodness. We enter through Jesus Christ.
The doors of the church also mark a threshold. Outside is the ordinary life of the street. We bring that ordinary life into church with us: our work, our families, our joys and worries, our sins and hopes, and all the responsibilities of daily life.
When we cross the threshold, however, we enter a building which has been set apart particularly for the worship of God.
This does not mean that God is absent from the world outside. God is present everywhere. But a church has a particular sacred purpose. We do not enter it in quite the same way as we enter a shop, theatre or meeting hall.
Above all, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved here.
The doors also remind us that the church does not belong simply to a small group of regular parishioners. It is God’s house, and those who enter should be welcomed with kindness.
Welcome and reverence belong together. To welcome someone into a Catholic church is also to help them recognise that they have entered a place of prayer and the presence of Christ.
This is one reason Catholics ordinarily become quieter when entering church.
One of the first things a Catholic will normally do is bless himself or herself with holy water and make the Sign of the Cross.
That leads us naturally to the baptismal font.
The Baptismal Font
The font stands near the entrance because Baptism is the entrance into Christian life.
We do not become Christians simply by adopting a set of Christian opinions. In Baptism, God acts.
Through Baptism we are washed from sin, given new life in Christ, made members of his Body, the Church, and given the seed of eternal life.
That is why the font belongs near the door. Before approaching the altar for the Eucharist, we pass the place which recalls how our sacramental life began.
When Catholics use holy water and make the Sign of the Cross, we remember that we were baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
It is not simply a Catholic habit. It is a reminder of who we are.
The water of Baptism speaks of cleansing, but Baptism is much more than a symbolic washing. It is a Sacrament instituted by Christ which truly gives grace.
In Baptism we die and rise with Christ. The old life of sin is buried and a new life begins.
Baptism can therefore never be repeated. God places a permanent spiritual mark upon the person who is baptised.
The position of the font gives us a simple lesson every time we enter the church:
You belong to Christ. Live as one who has been baptised.
It is also worth remembering that a Baptism is not merely a private family ceremony. When a child or adult is baptised, a new member is being received into the Church.
Our Lady of Lourdes and St Joseph
Near the font are the images of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Joseph with the boy Jesus.
Sacred images are a familiar part of Catholic churches, but their purpose is sometimes misunderstood.
Catholics do not worship statues.
A statue is made from stone, plaster, wood or some other material. It cannot hear us, save us or answer our prayers.
Rather, the image directs our attention towards the person represented. In a limited sense, it is rather like keeping a photograph of someone we love, although a sacred image has a more explicitly religious purpose.
The honour shown before an image passes to the person represented.
Worship belongs to God alone.
Catholics honour Our Lady and the saints because of what God has done in them. We ask them to pray for us because they are alive in Christ and remain members of his Church.
Our Lady of Lourdes
The statue of Our Lady of Lourdes represents Mary as she appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes in 1858.
The message of Lourdes calls people particularly to prayer, repentance and trust in God.
Lourdes has also become closely associated with care for the sick. Many people travel there seeking healing. Some receive physical healing, while many others receive spiritual strength, peace, courage and a renewed willingness to carry the Cross with Christ.
Authentic devotion to Our Lady never leads us away from Jesus.
At the wedding feast at Cana, Mary says:
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Those words provide a good summary of genuine Marian devotion.
When Catholics pray the Rosary or ask Our Lady’s intercession, they are asking her to help them remain close to her Son.
St Joseph with the Boy Jesus
The Gospels tell us relatively little about St Joseph and record no words spoken by him.
Yet his life speaks very clearly.
Joseph listened to God, protected Our Lady and the Child Jesus, worked faithfully, and accepted a responsibility which he had not originally chosen for himself.
He is the guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the universal Church.
He is also a model for fathers, husbands, workers and all those who serve faithfully without seeking attention.
The image of St Joseph with Jesus also reminds us of something essential about the Incarnation.
The Son of God truly entered human family life.
Jesus was not pretending to be human. He grew, learned, worked and lived within a real human family.
Together, the images of Our Lady and St Joseph remind us of the communion of saints.
The Church on earth does not worship alone. We are united with the saints in heaven, who have already reached the fulfilment towards which we are still travelling.
We do not worship the saints. We honour them and seek their intercession.
Every grace comes from God through Jesus Christ.
The Confessional
Close to the baptismal font is the confessional.
Whether or not its position was originally intended to make a theological point, it gives us a very good one.
At the font we receive new life in Baptism.
In the confessional, the grace of Baptism is restored and renewed when our relationship with God has been wounded by sin.
Baptism does not remove our freedom or make temptation impossible. Christians still sin after Baptism.
For this reason Christ has given his Church the Sacrament of Penance, also called Confession or Reconciliation.
In Confession, we are not merely having a private conversation with another human being.
Christ acts through the ministry of the priest.
The priest hears the confession, gives counsel where appropriate, assigns a penance and grants absolution in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The priest does not forgive sins by his own personal power.
Christ forgives through the Sacrament which he entrusted to his Church.
After his Resurrection, Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The confessional should therefore not be thought of as a place of humiliation.
It is a place of mercy, truth and freedom.
Confession requires honesty. We do not come simply to excuse ourselves, blame others or tell a carefully edited version of events.
We acknowledge our sins, express sorrow, intend to turn away from sin and receive the forgiveness of Christ.
The seal of Confession is absolute. A priest may never reveal what has been confessed to him.
Some people avoid Confession because they feel embarrassed. But the priest is not there to be shocked. He is there to serve the mercy of Christ.
There is also an important connection between Confession and the Eucharist.
A Catholic who is conscious of mortal sin should receive absolution in Confession before receiving Holy Communion.
This is not because the Eucharist is a reward for people who have never sinned.
Holy Communion expresses communion with Christ. Mortal sin seriously wounds that communion; Confession restores it.
We should certainly ask God’s forgiveness privately in prayer, but Christ has also given his Church a Sacrament in which forgiveness is spoken to us personally and objectively.
We hear the words of absolution and receive sacramental grace.
The nearness of the font and the confessional therefore gives us a simple lesson:
God gives us new life, and when we fall, he gives us a way to return.
The Stations of the Cross
Around the church are the Stations of the Cross.
There are traditionally fourteen Stations, beginning with Jesus being condemned to death and following him through the carrying of the Cross, his falls, his encounters along the way, his crucifixion and death, and finally his burial.
Some of the events depicted in the Stations are described directly in the Gospels. Others come from the Church’s ancient devotional tradition.
Together they allow us to accompany Christ along the way of the Cross.
The Stations are not merely pictures telling us what happened long ago.
They are intended to become prayer.
At each Station we stand before a particular moment in the Passion and ask what it reveals about Christ, about sin, about suffering and about our own discipleship.
When we see Christ carrying the Cross, we may think of the crosses we resist.
When Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus, we may ask whether we are willing to help carry another person’s burden.
When Jesus is nailed to the Cross, we see both the terrible seriousness of sin and the still greater love of God.
The Stations are particularly associated with Lent, but they may be prayed at any time of the year.
They can be especially powerful for those carrying suffering.
Christ does not explain suffering from a safe distance.
He enters it.
He knows betrayal, injustice, physical pain, abandonment and death.
At the same time, the Stations are not intended simply to leave us feeling sad. They reveal the love with which Christ freely gives himself for our salvation.
The Cross is not an unfortunate interruption in the Christian story. It stands at the centre of the mystery of salvation.
There is also an important connection between the Stations and the Mass.
At Mass, Calvary is not repeated as though Christ had to die again.
Christ offered himself once for all.
In the Mass, that one sacrifice is made sacramentally present.
The Christ whom we receive in the Eucharist is the crucified and risen Lord.
The final Station is the burial of Jesus.
Humanly speaking, everything appears finished.
But Christian hope waits.
The Stations end at the tomb because they are a meditation upon the Passion, but Christians always pray them in the light of Easter.
The One laid in the tomb will rise.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Near the first Station is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Sacred Heart represents the human and divine love of Christ.
Catholics do not separate the Heart of Jesus from Jesus himself. We worship the person of Christ, whose Heart reveals the depth of his love for the Father and for us.
Images of the Sacred Heart commonly include several symbols.
Fire represents the burning love of Christ.
The Cross represents his sacrifice.
The crown of thorns represents the rejection and suffering accepted by Our Lord.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart reminds us that Christianity is not simply a system of rules.
At its centre is the love of Jesus Christ.
But that love is not sentimental.
The Heart of Jesus is wounded.
Divine love encounters human sin, ingratitude and indifference, yet continues to offer mercy.
For that reason, devotion to the Sacred Heart has traditionally included reparation: responding to the love of Christ with faith, repentance, prayer and works of charity.
The Oratory of Our Lady
St Mary’s also has a small oratory dedicated to Our Lady.
The word oratory comes from a word meaning prayer. It is a place set aside for quieter and more focused devotion.
A Catholic church can contain different devotional spaces without losing its central unity.
All genuine Catholic devotion ultimately leads towards Christ and is nourished by the Sacraments.
Our Lady has a unique place in the Church because she is the Mother of God.
This title does not mean that Mary existed before God or gave existence to the divine nature.
It means that the person whom she conceived and bore is truly God the Son made man.
Mary teaches us to receive the word of God.
At the Annunciation she says:
“Let it be done to me according to your word.”
She also remains faithful at the foot of the Cross and is found praying with the Church.
Someone may come to the oratory to pray the Rosary, seek Our Lady’s intercession, light a candle, give thanks or bring a particular need before God.
Mary never replaces Jesus.
She is united with him more closely than any other creature and prays for the Church as a loving mother.
A church also needs places where people can pray without many words.
Sacred images can help gather the mind and remind us that the Church is a family which includes not only those around us on earth, but the saints in heaven.
The Sacristy
The sacristy is where the priest and servers prepare for Mass and where the vestments, sacred vessels, liturgical books and other objects used in worship are normally kept.
It is not simply a backstage area.
Preparation for the sacred liturgy should itself be prayerful.
Before Mass, the priest puts on the sacred vestments. These cover his ordinary clothing because, at the altar, he is not acting simply as a private individual.
Through Holy Orders, the priest acts in the person of Christ the Head in the Church’s liturgy.
The vestments also connect the Mass celebrated in our parish with the worship of the Church throughout the world and throughout the centuries.
The chalice, paten, ciborium, altar linens, Roman Missal and other sacred objects are prepared carefully because they are used in divine worship.
A great deal of hidden work also takes place in and around the sacristy: caring for altar linens, preparing vessels, arranging books, replacing candles and ensuring that everything is ready.
Parish worship depends upon many quiet acts of service which often go unnoticed.
The sacristy is also ordinarily the place from which the entrance procession begins.
The priest and ministers do not simply wander onto the sanctuary.
They enter in procession because the liturgy is the public worship of the Church.
The Sanctuary
The sanctuary is the raised area containing the altar, ambo and priest’s chair.
Behind the altar stands the tabernacle, and above the sanctuary is the large crucifix.
The sanctuary is set apart because the central actions of the Mass take place here.
“Set apart” does not mean that the priest is more important or more valuable than the congregation, nor does it mean that the people are spectators.
At Mass the whole Church worships.
Different members, however, have different roles, and the arrangement of the church helps those roles to be exercised clearly.
The Altar
The altar is the principal focal point during the celebration of Mass.
It is both the altar of sacrifice and the table of the Lord.
Neither aspect should be forgotten.
It is not merely a dining table, because in the Mass the sacrifice of Christ is made sacramentally present.
Nor is it an altar of sacrifice separated from the sacred meal, because Christ gives his Body and Blood to his people as food and drink.
At the beginning and end of Mass, the priest venerates the altar with a kiss.
On solemn occasions the altar may also be incensed.
The altar represents Christ himself and is treated with reverence because the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered upon it.
The Mass does not repeat Calvary.
Christ offered himself once for all upon the Cross.
In the Mass, that one sacrifice becomes sacramentally present.
We are drawn into the same saving mystery.
Bread and wine are brought to the altar.
By the words of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they become the Body and Blood of Christ.
The outward appearances of bread and wine remain, but their substance is changed.
This is why Catholics speak of transubstantiation.
After the consecration, the Eucharist does not merely represent Jesus or remind us of him.
It is truly his Body and Blood.
This is why the altar and everything connected with the celebration of the Eucharist are treated with such care and reverence.
The Ambo
The ambo is the place from which the word of God is proclaimed.
At Mass we do not begin with our own opinions.
We listen to Sacred Scripture.
The readings are not simply information about the past. God speaks to his Church through his inspired word.
The Old Testament prepares for Christ.
The Psalms teach us the prayer of God’s people.
The apostolic writings instruct the Church.
In the Gospel we hear the words and deeds of Our Lord.
The Gospel receives particular honour.
The congregation stands, makes the small Signs of the Cross and acclaims Christ, who speaks to his people.
The homily should unfold the word of God and apply it to Christian faith and life. It should help the faithful understand what God has revealed and respond to it.
The ambo is therefore not simply an ordinary lectern for announcements or general conversation.
It is associated particularly with the proclamation of God’s word.
We might say that at Mass we are fed from two closely connected places:
at the ambo Christ speaks to us through the Scriptures, and at the altar Christ gives himself to us in the Eucharist.
The Priest’s Chair
The priest’s chair is the place from which the priest leads certain prayers and presides over the liturgical assembly.
It is not intended to be a throne or a mark of personal importance.
The priest does not lead worship because he is the most talented, popular or impressive person present.
He leads because he has been ordained to serve Christ and the Church.
The chair therefore expresses an office of service.
From there the priest addresses the people, invites them to pray and leads the prayer of the Church.
The altar, ambo and chair each have a distinct purpose.
Together they help reveal the ordered character of Catholic worship.
The Tabernacle
Behind the altar is the tabernacle.
The word tabernacle means a dwelling place or tent.
In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was associated with the presence of God dwelling among his people.
In a Catholic church, the tabernacle is the secure and dignified place in which the consecrated Eucharist is reserved.
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved principally so that Holy Communion may be taken to the sick and dying.
Because Christ remains truly present, the tabernacle also becomes a place of prayer and adoration.
When the consecrated Host is reserved in the tabernacle, Jesus Christ is truly present:
Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
This does not mean that Christ is physically enclosed or limited in the way an ordinary body might be contained inside a box.
It means that the whole Christ is sacramentally present under the appearance of bread.
This is why Catholics genuflect towards the tabernacle.
A genuflection, normally made by bending the right knee to the ground, is an act of adoration directed towards Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
We are not genuflecting towards furniture, the wall or the priest.
We are acknowledging the presence of Our Lord.
Those who are physically unable to genuflect may make a reverent bow.
Reverence should never become a test of physical ability.
It is also useful to distinguish between the altar and the tabernacle.
We bow towards the altar because it represents Christ and is the place of sacrifice.
We genuflect towards the tabernacle because the Blessed Sacrament is reserved there.
During Mass, the Church’s liturgical rubrics guide the movements of the priest and ministers.
Outside Mass, when we enter or leave our place, our genuflection is directed towards Christ in the tabernacle.
Even when nobody else is in the church, the church is not empty.
Christ is here.
The Sanctuary Lamp
Near the tabernacle is the sanctuary lamp.
Its purpose is simple but profound.
The sanctuary lamp indicates that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle.
It is not simply a decorative light.
It is a visible sign of Christ’s sacramental presence.
Even when no service is taking place and the church appears empty, Christ remains present in the Blessed Sacrament.
That is why someone can enter the church quietly, kneel and pray without any organised service taking place.
The message of the sanctuary lamp is very simple:
The Lord is here.
The Large Crucifix
Above the sanctuary is the large crucifix.
A crucifix is a cross bearing the figure of Christ crucified.
It places before us not an abstract idea but the saving Death of Our Lord.
Some Christians use an empty cross particularly to emphasise the Resurrection.
Catholics also proclaim the Resurrection, but the crucifix reminds us that the risen Christ is the same Christ who loved us unto death.
The Cross is not a defeat which Jesus narrowly escaped.
It is the place where he freely offered himself in obedience and love.
The crucifix stands close to the altar because the Mass and Calvary cannot be separated.
At every Mass we are drawn into the one sacrifice of Christ.
The crucifix also keeps Catholic worship properly centred.
The priest is not the centre.
The congregation is not the centre.
Our feelings are not the centre.
Jesus Christ crucified and risen is the centre.
The Processional Cross
The processional cross is carried at the head of the entrance procession.
It reminds us that Christ goes before his people.
We do not lead ourselves into worship.
We follow the Cross.
When the processional cross reaches the sanctuary, it may be placed upon its stand.
At other times it may be returned to the sacristy.
Both are perfectly appropriate because the large crucifix already provides the principal cross visible within the sanctuary.
There is no need for a number of competing crosses crowded around the altar.
The processional cross has its particular purpose in the procession.
The large crucifix remains the principal visual focus of the sanctuary.
Drawing the Whole Church Together
We have now travelled from the entrance doors to the sanctuary.
The journey itself tells the story of Christian life.
We entered through the doors, reminding us that Christ is the door.
We passed the font, reminding us that Baptism is the beginning of our life in Christ.
We saw Our Lady and St Joseph, reminding us that we belong to the communion of saints.
We stood near the confessional, where the grace of Baptism is restored when we fall into sin.
We followed the Stations of the Cross, learning that discipleship means accompanying Christ along the way of sacrifice.
We saw the Sacred Heart, the sign of Christ’s wounded and burning love.
We visited the oratory of Our Lady, who teaches us to receive God’s word and remain faithful to her Son.
We passed the sacristy, where hidden preparation and service make the public worship of the Church possible.
We came to the altar, where the sacrifice of Christ is made sacramentally present.
We saw the ambo, from which God’s word is proclaimed.
We saw the chair, from which the priest leads the prayer of the Church.
We came to the tabernacle and sanctuary lamp, which tell us that Jesus Christ remains truly present among us.
And above everything stands the crucifix.
The whole church therefore points towards Christ.
It teaches us where we have come from, how we are to live and where we are going.
Some Common Questions
Why do Catholics have so many sacred images?
Because God became visible in Jesus Christ.
Sacred images help us remember the Incarnation, the events of salvation and the lives of the saints.
Catholics do not worship the material image.
Why do Catholics light candles?
A candle is a sign of prayer, faith and Christ the Light of the world.
The burning candle continues to represent the prayer after the person who lit it has moved away.
It is not magic, and lighting a candle does not make God more likely to hear us.
Why do Catholics kneel?
Kneeling expresses adoration, humility and repentance.
At Mass Catholics kneel particularly during the Eucharistic Prayer because of the mystery taking place upon the altar.
Why is the Eucharist kept in the tabernacle?
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved principally so that Holy Communion may be taken to the sick and dying.
Because Christ remains truly present in the Eucharist, the reserved Sacrament is also adored.
Why does the priest wear vestments?
Vestments show that the priest is taking part in the public worship of the Church rather than acting simply as a private individual.
They also express the dignity and continuity of the sacred liturgy.
May anyone receive Holy Communion?
Holy Communion ordinarily belongs to baptised Catholics who are in full communion with the Catholic Church and properly disposed to receive.
A Catholic who is conscious of mortal sin should first receive absolution in Confession.
Those who are not receiving Holy Communion are nevertheless very welcome at Mass and may remain in their place in prayer.
A Prayer in St Mary’s
Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the door through whom we enter,
the living water in whom we are reborn,
the Good Shepherd who seeks us when we stray,
the Word who speaks to us,
the sacrifice offered for our salvation,
and the Bread of Life given for the life of the world.
Teach us to enter your house with reverence,
to listen faithfully to your word,
to seek your mercy in Confession,
to unite our sufferings with your Cross,
and to receive you worthily in the Holy Eucharist.
Bless all who enter this church.
Welcome those who are searching,
strengthen those who are weak,
console those who are sorrowful,
call sinners to repentance
and draw us all more deeply into the life of your Church.
We ask this in your holy name.
Amen.
Our Lady, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
St Joseph, pray for us.
Behind the Sacristy Door
What are the vestments, vessels, books and other objects used at Mass, and why does the Church use them?
Behind the Sacristy Door: How the Church Prepares for Mass explores the meaning of the things we see in Catholic worship — from the alb, stole, chasuble and biretta to the chalice, ciborium, monstrance, processional canopy, sacred linens, incense, holy oils and liturgical books.
It explains not simply what these things are called, but what they teach us about the Mass, the Sacraments and the reverence due to the Holy Eucharist.
Read: Behind the Sacristy Door – How the Church Prepares for Mass
