Sacred Heart Parish 125th
Anniversary Current Church & Artifacts | 1111
THE CURRENT CHURCHTHE CURRENT CHURCHTHE CURRENT CHURCHTHE CURRENT CHURCH
[from “Description of the New Sacred Heart Church” by Robert Kraft, Architect from
parish archives]:
The [building] committee selected the Madison firm of Architects-Engineers, Inc.
[to build the new church]. . . . The seating capacity of 600 persons is arranged in
four fan sections of pews of 15 rows each all seats within 60 feet of the altar.
Total area of the church approximates 9,000 square feet.
Initial attention focused on the solid stone church walls. The Minnesota stone,
split-faced, is laid in a random ashlar pattern suiting the contemporary nature of
the church. The natural tones of the stone include pinks, rusts, yellows and
tans. . . . the walls were topped with heavy laminated wood beams and wood
ducking to form the roof structure and ceiling. All wood is finished in natural
stains and tones. A single opening in the roof holds a large sky dome directly
above the altar. Walls are 14 feet high at the entrance to the church and rise to a
point of 30 feet above the sanctuary. The interior of the church was completed
during the winter months. Nave flooring is terrazzo, pews are solid oak to match
the overall wood appointments of the narthex, sacristy cabinet work ,
confessionals, etc.
[The basic heating and electrical equipment is placed] in the rectory garage, some
30 feet distant from the church proper. The remote location of these utilities adds
to the fire-resistive qualities of the new church. Utilities serve the rectory and
church and can be inspected and serviced without disruptions. The church is air
conditioned and mechanically ventilated.
WHAT’S WHAT IN CHURCHWHAT’S WHAT IN CHURCHWHAT’S WHAT IN CHURCHWHAT’S WHAT IN CHURCH
One of the first things we see when we enter Sacred Heart
Church is our baptismal font. Baptism is our “door” to
the Church. It is the way we enter Christ’s family.
Originally our baptismal font was next to the sanctuary,
used only once a month at the allotted time for Baptisms.
The small space there limited the number of people who
could be present. Now the font greets us when we enter
church and bless ourselves. It also allows Baptisms to be
celebrated during the Liturgy as well as any other time.
And there is room for everyone around the font.
2222 | Current Church & Artifacts 125th
Anniversary Sacred Heart Parish
Next to the font is the Easter Candle. The Easter Candle is lit
directly from the new fire at the Easter Vigil. It remains in the
sanctuary during the Easter Season. It is lit at baptisms and funerals
to remind us of Christ’s resurrection and our own resurrection some
day. Notice the holder for the Easter candle. It is constructed of
satin finish brass and walnut as are other appointments about the
church in keeping with the entire decor. The satin finish brass strip
around the candle holder has the same design as the Tabernacle.
Notice the candle holders in the sanctuary. They too have the same
satin finish brass and walnut design. The
sanctuary candle above the Tabernacle has
the same satin finish brass and walnut wood
design.
The Baptismal font, ambo, and altar are
made of white tippo cremo marble. We
move from the Baptismal font directly to the sanctuary with its
marble ambo and altar, representing the two principal parts of
our Liturgy.
From the beginning, the weekly Christian assembly revolved
around the two cores. The first was a Ritual of the Word
originally celebrated separately, probably on Sabbath morning.
This ritual of scripture, prayers and chant was borrowed from the Jewish Sabbath
synagogue services. It is important to keep
in mind that Jesus and his immediate
followers were Jews and faithfully
practiced their Hebrew religious traditions.
The Ritual of Eucharist evolved from
Jewish practices, too. There is a special
blessing of the bread and cup of wine at
the Jewish Sabbath meal. The Christian
Eucharist also echoes the annual Seder
Meal during Passover, the Last Supper.
Almost from the beginning this ritual
emphasized a thanksgiving or
remembering theme, faithful to the words
of Jesus: “Do this in memory of me.”
Along with the Ambo and Altar, one sees the Presider’s
Chair in the sanctuary. We get the word “president”
from presider or one who leads the assembly.
Sacred Heart Parish 125th
Anniversary Current Church & Artifacts | 3333
Off to one side of the sanctuary is the
Tabernacle with its sanctuary lamp
above it. Notice the Tabernacle of
satin finish brass and the Sanctuary
Lamp has the satin finish brass and
the dark wood holder.
Once the Tabernacle, the “little
house” in which the Blessed
Sacrament is kept, sat on the altar,
visible to all who entered the church.
Now it is placed to one side, often in
its own Eucharistic Chapel. The
Bishops’ statement on the environment for worship explained that “the celebration of the
Eucharist is the focus of the normal Sunday assembly. As such, the major space of a
church - the sanctuary - is designed for this action.” Incidentally, the word, tabernacle
comes from the Latin word for “tent.”
Along the side walls you will find the fourteen
Stations of the Cross. They are hand carved in
picturesque half-relief set against the stone
perimeter walls of the church. Early pilgrims to
the Holy Land would walk in the footsteps of
Jesus to Calvary. A substitute pilgrimage, the
Stations of the Cross, became a popular outdoor
devotion throughout Europe during the Middle
Ages. They represented critical events of Jesus’
journey from Scripture or tradition and varied in number from five to 20. In the 18th
century the stations were brought inside the churches and the number was set as fourteen.
In the late 1960s, the 15th
Station was added representing
the end of the journey: Resurrection, the core of our
belief.
The Ambry, the wood/glass cabinet which hangs on the
wall to the right of the sanctuary, displays the sacred oils:
Chrism used in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders;
the Oil of Catechumens; and the Oil of the Sick.
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