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Church Renovation Committee
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Parish Education BulletinsBuilt of Living Stones, Chapter Two (continued):“The Baptistry” |
This is the third installment of several summaries of the document Built of Living Stones. This document contains the building code established by the Catholic Church for churches and holy places of worship. It was written by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000 as the latest codification for building or renovating worship spaces.
This overview will provide basic information contained in the document from the American Bishops. St. Theresa’s Renovation Committee encourages you to read the entire document Built of Living Stones for the best possible understanding of the guidelines we are following to make informed decisions in the renovation of our worship space. This third summary will highlight elements of the second chapter of the document, specifically, how the rites of baptism require a prominent place for celebration in the Church.
Built of Living Stones states, “Initiation into the Church is entrance into a eucharistic community united in Jesus Christ. Because the rites of initiation of the Church begin with baptism and are completed by the reception of the Eucharist, the baptismal font and its location reflect the Christian’s journey through the waters of baptism to the altar.” (66)
A prominent place is required for the celebration of baptism. The location and design of the font should permit the full celebration of this first sacrament of initiation.
Built of Living Stones proposes certain criteria that should be considered in the design of the baptistry.
The Renovation Committee, after prayerful consideration, thinks that a baptismal font and baptistry area (design yet to be determined) should be located at the entrance of the church. The baptismal space would provide ample room to accommodate the families and friends of the baptized - infants and adults - and the font would be large enough to provide ample water for the baptisms. A private place (changing room) will be provided nearby to allow the newly baptized to be clothed in their white garments. Built of Living Stones states, “Through the waters of baptism the faithful enter the life of Christ. For this reason the font should be visible and accessible to all who enter the church building” (67). Also, in this area, the Holy Oils would be kept in a special place called an ambry.
It is also important to note that the placement of the baptismal font at the entrance of the church will serve as a reminder of our baptism every time we enter the church by the main doors. The moving waters in the font will remind us that we come from the living waters of our baptism and it will also be the place where our remains will pass and be blessed at the celebration of the Liturgy of Christian Burial after our death, “the final stage of the journey begun by the Christian in baptism” (110). Because the faith journey of the deceased began at baptism, it is appropriate that there be a physical association between the baptismal font and the space for the funeral ritual” (111).
We feel that the location of the baptistry at the entrance of our church will add symbolism and richness to the liturgical life of our parish community.
Next: The Reservation of the Eucharist
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