Church architecture and furnishings have developed through the ages with numerous styles and designs. The churches I grew up with all had the altar in a section of the church that was set apart from the congregational seating. I later learned it is called the apse and is usually semicircular and domed at the top. The altar was placed in front of an ornamental screen or elaborately carved backdrop called a reredos. (There will not be a test of these architectural terms). This backdrop often had niches for statues, art depicting Biblical scenes, and in the center, on the altar, was the tabernacle.
I was taught that the priest stood at the altar with his back to the people so everyone was facing east (toward the sunrise) for the Eucharistic Prayer. The Second Vatican Council’s call for deeper participation of the faithful led to turning the altar around so that the priest faced the people, and so that people could see what he was doing during the prayer. I felt more connected to the Eucharist when this change happened in my parish. I was part of the action rather than a spectator.
In most cases, you couldn’t turn the existing altar around as it was attached to the reredos. In my parish, an informal table was brought out and covered with an altar cloth. In the years since, most of these temporary altars have been replaced with altars that are works of art, worthy furnishings for worship.
Vatican II documents emphasized the centrality of the liturgy, in particular the Mass. My memory from that time was that there was a desire to downplay other types of devotional practices in order to give greater prominence to the Mass. In retrospect, we may have “thrown out the baby with the bathwater.” Education was sketchy, guidelines were slow, and people were experimenting. These factors contributed to people ripping out beloved statues and shrines. Changes in how communion was distributed led to altar railings disappearing, sometimes without offering a rationale to people. It was a time of confusion and anger for many Catholics. I was fortunate in hearing explanations. The changes made sense to me, and I welcomed them.
As I recall what happened, how I felt, and what I have learned since the 1960s and 70s, I am realizing that this recent history is as complex as looking at the 2,000 years since Christianity began. Mistakes were made in the implementation of liturgical reform, but the basics of our worship remain unchanged. We are still telling the story and participating in the Paschal Mystery through the Body and Blood of Christ. We are still sent into the world to be Christ to all we meet.
More on Vatican II and what we SEE in our churches next time.