Of holy things

A chance visit to a parish church in the Loughboy area of Kilkenny City provided an interesting insight for me into church layout and symbolism. The church of St Fiacre is located beside a busy shopping area and access road on the outskirts of the city in the parish of StPatrick’s. The church building is in what might be styled avant-garde design typical of many Catholic churches constructed in the 1970-1980s. It appears, from online sources, that this church was opened around 1991.  It is arranged in a theatre or fan style with the focus on the  light coming from the sanctuary area.  The sanctuary area feels very open and accessible with minimal clutter. Still, some important and holy things are kept there including the Altar, an imposing and very large wooden cross, the Tabernacle, the lectern, the presider’s chair, the baptism font and, unusually, a box (or Ambry) containing three types of holy oil:

Oil for the Catechumens – OC - (Oleum Catechumenorum) used on the chest of the person in Baptism and in other rites,

Oil for the anointing of the sick – OI - (Oleum Infirmorum); and

Oil of Chrism – SC – used in confirmation as well as on the head of the person in baptism (Sanctum Chrisma). 

At first, I thought that it might be some important relic.  As the photo, above shows, it was a display of three glass containers for the holy oil.  The oils prepare, heal and dedicate God's people through different sacraments and rites of the Church.  Oil is a sign of Christ’s presence and strength together with the conferring of union with him in a special and sacramental way at key points on life’s journey. It also indicates that we share in the royal priesthood of Christ as baptised Christians.

On the sacramental journey the Church makes use of material signs – water, oil, bread and wine.  Now, while the bread and wine are – according to Catholic tradition - changed into the body and blood of Christ they belong to the same pattern of outward signs through which inner grace flows. The Eucharist completes the sacraments of initiation by uniting the believer to Christ’s body and blood.  The oils help prepare, heal and dedicate in baptism, confirmation, ordination and the sacrament of the sick while the Eucharist nourishes, cleanses and sustains. The water of baptism is a powerful sign of God’s action and forgiveness.  There is a complementarity between the Ambry and the Tabernacle.  In the case of the latter it is the housing of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  The key difference is that bread and wine are consecrated and thereby become the Body and Blood of Christ while the holy oils are blessed usually at the annual Chrism Mass held in the diocese every Holy Week. The oils remind us of the link between this church and all the churches and people of the diocese including its bishop.

We may note that in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Baptism and Chrismation (Confirmation, which is normally administered immediately after Baptism) form a single sacramental celebration. The rite is richly sensory, involving water, oil, light and prayer. The newly baptised person is anointed with Holy Chrism on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, chest, hands and feet as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The use of blessed oil in baptism is common to the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and many Anglican traditions, although in the Church of Ireland its use is optional rather than universal.

In considering these wonderful signs of God’s grace – blessed water and oil, consecrated bread and wine – we should never forget that the people worshiping together are the Body of Christ and the sacrament of God’s loving presence in a parish and in a locality.  This is what is carried out into the world after every Mass.

When I got home, I checked some photographs from the parish website and compared with some photos I took while visiting St Fiacre’s.  Interestingly, the position of the Tabernacle has changed a number of times before settling in its present location just to the left of the altar. Location matters liturgically and theologically!