The sanctuary, from the Latin word
sanctus for holy or sacred, refers specifically to the raised platform around the Lord’s table where the Eucharistic is consecrated.
When you enter our new church, what will you see in our sanctuary?
As you enter through the narthex, the first thing you will notice is the tabernacle in the wall and the wooden crucifix, which is made by the same studio that made the Mary and Infant statue. That statue will be moved over from the current church. The altar will be situated in the center of the white porcelain-tiled sanctuary and will have a first-class relic of St. Francis de Sales sealed inside.
Both the ambo and presider’s chair will be in front of the altar instead of behind as in the current church, bringing the presider and readers closer to the congregation. On the front of the ambo, where the Lector proclaims the reading, will be a wooden circle inscribed with the words “In the beginning was the Word” in both English and Greek. The celebrant’s and server’s chairs, the altar and the ambo are custom made by Dixon Studios.
Behind the sanctuary is an ambulatory so that those who cannot climb stairs can access the sanctuary. Looking at the back wall of the church, a bank of windows called a
clerestory bathes the sanctuary in outside light.