The Tabernacle
THE HOLY DWELLING PLACE
The tabernacle is the liturgical structure that houses the Eucharist reserved for adoration and to bring to the sick and the dying. The word tabernacle means “dwelling place.” The tent-like sanctuary that the Jewish People used before the Temple was built was called the Tabernacle, because God dwelt there. The tabernacle in Catholic churches is where Jesus dwells in the Eucharist: His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, truly, really, substantially present in the Eucharist. His presence is acknowledged by the candle that always burns near it and by our genuflection to the tabernacle when entering church.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The location of the tabernacle has changed over time. Christianity was illegal in the first two centuries after Jesus and there were no churches. The first Christians gathered in homes to celebrate the Eucharist and so the Eucharist was not reserved. The Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. established religious tolerance in the Roman Empire and decriminalized Christianity. This allowed physical churches to be established.
Slowly, over centuries, the Eucharist was reserved in local churches. But not in the way that we know today. Often the Eucharist was reserved in a cabinet in the sacristy and even in a brass dove (representing the Holy Spirit) suspended from a chain above the altar.
Fast forwarding through several centuries, we find the Eucharist reserved in tabernacles attached to altars or positioned along the back wall of the sanctuary. The renewals initiated by the Second Vatican Council called for the position of a free standing altar (not against the wall) so that Mass could be celebrated facing the people. The law specifically directed the tabernacle not to be positioned on the altar of sacrifice. The law offered options for the tabernacle to be placed on the back wall of the sanctuary or another suitable place off to the side or even in a separate chapel. When Good Shepherd Church was built in 1977, that was the current law and understanding, and so our tabernacle was placed in the side niche.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The last five decades have seen further developments. The most fundamental one being that if the Eucharist is the center of our lives, then that should be expressed by its placement in the center of the sanctuary. More than ever, we need to keep Jesus at the center of our lives. That is strengthened by our celebration of the Eucharist. The placement of the tabernacle as a central focus in our worship space reminds us of that. That is why the design and construction of many churches built in the last 20 years placed the tabernacle in the center, and is why all the other Catholic Churches on the West Shore have moved their tabernacle to the center in the last 10 years.
JESUS AT THE CENTER OF GOOD SHEPHERD
In response to requests from many parishioners and after reviewing the liturgical theology, law, and recent applications, our Parish Pastoral Council voted unanimously in 2022 to ask Bishop Gainer (our bishop at the time) for permission to move our tabernacle to the center. Permission was granted. Bishop Senior has reviewed those plans and approves this change. The decision to bring Jesus to the center initiated other renewal and refurbishment efforts for our church and buildings for us to accomplish together in celebration of the 75th anniversary of our parish and the 50th anniversary of our Trindle Road church and structures that will take place in the summer of 2026.
UP NEXT
Next week, we will take a look at the significance of the altar of sacrifice.