The old high altar of St Patrick cathedral

Started by CamelliaSinensis, January 17, 2013, 09:21:08 PM

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CamelliaSinensis

From Rorate Caeli's posting about a history channel piece on St Patrick's
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/01/saint-patricks-cathedral-in-new-york.html

The old altar we always hear about from St Patrick's but no photos are ever available of. I'll admit the freestanding altar (ad orientem one) fits the gothic arrangement better, but this was still a beautiful altar.

Spellman altar in the back. It is said Fordham University got the old high altar. However, the reredos in the old photo is no longer with it. Just the altar itself with a different reredos.

The altar without the old reredos

Kaesekopf

The old altar is lovely, yes, but it doesn't much fit the architecture of the church, now does it?
Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

CamelliaSinensis

Quote from: Kaesekopf on January 17, 2013, 09:23:03 PM
The old altar is lovely, yes, but it doesn't much fit the architecture of the church, now does it?
No. Still would have looked better if the whole thing was moved elsewhere. I know quite a few places that you could have put it.

Kaesekopf

Oh, indeed.  Retaining the altar in its entirety would have been lovely had it gone somewhere else.

That said, Fordham seems to have done a good job accommodating it.
Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

CamelliaSinensis

Quote from: Kaesekopf on January 17, 2013, 09:30:15 PM
Oh, indeed.  Retaining the altar in its entirety would have been lovely had it gone somewhere else.

That said, Fordham seems to have done a good job accommodating it.
agreed

The Harlequin King

Very nice. I highly prefer the baldachin, though. A cathedral of this scope ought to have a freestanding altar under a fixed canopy.

Der Kaiser

I agree. I actually like the new Altar better.
"If a Pope changes the rites of the sacraments he puts himself outside the Church and is Anathema"-Pope Innocent III

"Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of Anti-Christ"-Our Lady of La Sallette

The hebrews have not recognized the lord, therefore we can not recognize the hebrews.-St Pius X

Kaesekopf

A grander baldachin, I think, would better fit St. Patrick's Cathedral, though. 

Seems too small.
Wie dein Sonntag, so dein Sterbetag.

I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side.  ~Treebeard, LOTR

Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.

Bonaventure

Quote from: The Harlequin King on January 17, 2013, 10:08:49 PM
Very nice. I highly prefer the baldachin, though. A cathedral of this scope ought to have a freestanding altar under a fixed canopy.

Don't all altars have to have some kind of baldachin or canopy?
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The Harlequin King

Quote from: Bonaventure on January 18, 2013, 01:33:59 PMDon't all altars have to have some kind of baldachin or canopy?

Yes, high altars ought to. They also ought to be freestanding so that the bishop may walk around the entire structure when consecrating it for its first use. These sorts of rules were frequently ignored even in the pre-conciliar era, though.

Bonaventure

The freestanding part applies only to cathedrals, right? Not ordinary parishes?
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The Harlequin King

Quote from: Bonaventure on January 18, 2013, 10:08:43 PMThe freestanding part applies only to cathedrals, right? Not ordinary parishes?

No distinction between the two.

Quote from: Catholic Encyclopedia, Altar (in liturgy)From the words of the Pontifical we infer that the high altar must stand free on all sides (Pontifex circuit septies tabulam altaris), but the back part of smaller altars may be built against the wall.

Quote from: Catholic Encyclopedia, High AltarThe high altar in a church that is to be consecrated should be a fixed altar (see FORM OF THE ALTAR), which according to the prescriptions of the Roman Pontifical (h.l.) is itself to be consecrated simultaneously with the solemn dedication of the church edifice. Hence it must stand free on all sides, allowing ample room for the consecrator to move around it. As its name indicates, the high altar, being the chief place for the enactment of the sacrificial function, is to be prominent not only by its position but also by the richness of its material and ornamentation.

Bonaventure

Interesting. I'll have to look into this further.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."