A Catholic altar is primarily used for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where Catholics believe a priest consecrates bread and wine into the substance of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
Catholic altars are traditionally made of stone, often marble, or wood. Before Vatican II, regardless of its material, a Catholic altar had to have an altar stone containing the relics of a Catholic martyr, thus making an altar a true altar. This altar stone is usually a flat square tablet, several inches by several inches with five crosses cut into it in an "X" pattern along its top surface; this stone is inset in the front top surface of the altar where the priest would reverence it during Holy Mass with several ceremonial kisses. The altar stone is usually difficult to spot as most altars are covered with linens during ceremonies and covers when not in use. If an altar stone is removed, the altar is desecrated and must be reconsecrated. Tabernacles, the little box-like compartments once found on most altars, were usually made of the same substance and style of the altar, though, according to Canon law, they had to be anchored to the altar so as not able to be moved. In the modern Church, tabernacles are rarely installed or have been allowed to remain on the altar and altar stones are all but discontinued save in traditional or pious channels.
In a pinch, any flat surface can serve as an altar. A Greek corporal - a portable "altar stone" with relics sewn into it - can then be used by the priest. Mass can then be said on anything from a card table in a hotel to an ammunition crate in a war zone, as has been done by missionaries and military chaplains. In a case of emergency, Mass can be said without an altar stone almost anywhere, as the case of Cardinal Mindszenty who said Mass on his own chest while in prison.
The altar in a Catholic church is typically located at the front of the church, where Mass is celebrated. It is considered the focal point of the church and is where the Eucharist is consecrated. The altar represents Christ and the sacrifice he made for humanity.
The Altar is usually front and center- there may be auxiliary altars on the left and right side transepts- usually dedicated to St. Mary ( to Port) or St. Joseph- to Starboard. master altar ( as the French call it) is dead Center. There is no panorama deck around the altar area- as IS the case in Russian Ortho churches which facilitates the ( Three times around the Horn) wedding ceremony. Some big cathedrals have various auxiliary chapels that are used for devotionals, possibly funerary rites- but not regular masses. this is probably in accord with the Biblical line- In my Father"s house... there are Many Mansions! The Front and Center altar, is as the French call it- in French - the Master Altar.
The central part of a church is called the nave. It is usually the main part of the church where the congregation sits during services.
Altar.
When I went to church, I stood at the altar. -xoxo ChristyCarla :)P
The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church is part of the Roman Catholic religion. It is a Christian denomination under the leadership of the Pope in Rome and follows Catholic teachings and practices.
A chancel is typically used as the area near the altar in a church where the clergy and choir gather to conduct worship services. It is considered the most sacred part of the church and is used for rituals such as communion, weddings, and baptisms.
The sanctuary is the part of the church which contains the altar.
.Catholic AnswerNormally stone, at least the actual part of the altar that the sacrifice is celebrated on would be stone. There is often an "altar stone" inserted in the top of a wooden altar.
It is a cloth placed on an altar.
A dedicated Catholic Church has an altar and both the altar and the Church itself have been solemnly consecrated with a lot of Sacred Chrism and incense by a Bishop. There will be a signed declaration somewhere that says that the Bishop has consecrated the Church and when.
the Sanctuary
Roman Catholic AnswerThe altar (and the priest when he is at the altar) are contained in the sanctuary of the Church.
An altar bell is a bell rung in the Roman Catholic church at significant times during the Mass.
Roman Catholic AnswerYes, if you have made your first Holy Communion and want to be an altar boy, you speak to the priest and ask him. He will talk to you and arrange for you to be trained.
It is the table at the front of the church, usually made of wood or marble. It is where the Eucharist is celebrated.
White! The color of Joy!
The opposite of an altar might be a sacrificial table. Also, the altar is in the eastern portion of the church. The portion in the western part opposite to the altar in a church is called the entryway or vestibule.
A Catholic Church has as its main focus a Sanctuary which contains an Altar, Ambo, and the Tabernacle which are all used in the Celebration of the Most Holy Mass.