Over the summer the altar in the St. Jude Chapel was restored, and on Monday, September 25, Archbishop William E. Lori paid a visit to John Carroll to consecrate the new altar.
The old altar stood for 59 years as it was the original in the chapel. After many years of usage and wear and tear, it needed to be replaced.
Director of Mission and Ministry Ken Goedeke said, “Our facilities team took on the undertaking of restoring the beautiful wood to its original beauty while also adding a new marble Menze and the accent of the JC miter to the front façade of the altar.”
The addition of the Menze, or new marble topping, brought the altar into conformity with liturgical norms. The liturgical norms are the altar in a church or chapel should be made of precious stone and consecrated by a bishop.
Consecrating a new altar is a several-step process.
Mr. Goedeke explained, “First, the altar is sprinkled with holy water and blessed by the bishop. Next, the litany of saints was prayed, and the relics of a saint were placed in the altar. Our JC altar contains the relics of Saint Victorian, a fifth-century martyr. Then the prayer of dedication was offered, and the surface of the marble was consecrated with Sacred Chrism by signing the cross in five places, the center and four corners of the surface.”
Deacon Goedeke added that the final step was to place incense on the surface of the alter in ancient biblical tradition and cited Psalm 141:2. “May my prayer rise before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
Many JC departments came together to put on the Mass. This included the technology department who live-streamed the Mass, the facilities crew who physically restored the altar, and the music department who performed.
Four Music Ministry students were in attendance who sang during the Mass, including Maya Millsape, Emily Fabriziani, Zaida Annan, and Caroline Holmes.
Archbishop Lori and the clergy led the Mass through prayer, the altar consecration process, and his homily. During the Mass, Archbishop Lori said, “Dear friends we have come to this chapel to offer the sacrifices of the Mass and to bless and consecrate this new altar, upon which that same sacrifice is offered.”
The archbishop’s homily was centered around those who have lost their faith. “We dedicate this altar as we come into this meeting place between God and humanity, let us pray that like the Israelites of old, those who have wandered from the Lord and from the faith come back home to their true home life which is Christ.”