The Church Building - An Introduction

These lines from an old nursery rhyme are familiar to many - “Here’s the church and here’s the steeple”, or in the case of the Basilica the spires, “open the door and see all the people.” But how well do we know or remember the other parts of the building by name and purpose, especially as we progress the redecorating project, For Such a Time as This?

As we enter the church from the sidewalk from the west, the first section is the Vestibule. A Vestibule is a passage, hall, or room between the outer door and the interior of a building. At Sacred Heart this is a functional area to welcome those attending mass or other functions, and provides access to the lower level, O’Hagan Hall and upper level gallery where the organ and choir loft are located. In addition the Baptismal font is temporarily located in this area awaiting the completion of the its new home in the Baptistry.

The next set of doors serve as the entry to the Nave. The Nave is the central part of the church stretching from those doors to the steps and railings that define the Sanctuary. In a broad sense, the Nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles, and is distinct from the area reserved for the celebration of the Mass. During Phase One A of the redecorating project, new marble flooring and a medallion crest of the Basilica will be installed the central aisle of the Nave and transition area to the Sanctuary. Shown here at a workshop in Italy:

The Sanctuary is the elevated area where the clergy perform their duties and where the service takes place. The sanctuary is considered the holiest part of the church. The elevated platform or predella, is where the altar is placed. The predella is important because it helps the altar stand out in the sanctuary.

New marble flooring is being installed in the Sanctuary, including medallions in the floor near the chapels of Our Lady on the left and St. Joseph on the right. This medallion honoring the Marist history of the parish in workshop in Italy, note progress.

Below is the Sanctuary floor with the marble outline where the Altar will be installed.

There is an aisle or passage on the right and left sides of the Altar in the Sanctuary that extends to the east end of the church building; this is called the Ambulatory and is characteristic of Romanesque churches like Sacred Heart. 

Above this area, is the Apse. Architecturally, an Apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault, or semi dome the exedra, and again is typical of Romanesque church buildings. At Sacred Heart the front wall or face of the Apse contains the Triumphal Arch. The redecoration of the Apse and Triumphal Arch will be in the next phase of the project sometime after the Lent/Easter season 2025.

Originally the two rooms near the Altar were to the right (south), the Bishops Chapel, and to the left (north), the Sacristy which is an area dedicated to the storage of sacred items such as vestments and vessels. In a later remodeling, a new, larger Sacristy was added to the back, east wall of the original church, and the old one converted into a flower room. The room to the south is being converted into the Marist Chapel of St. Peter Chanel. 

The redecorating is being done in Phases intended to maximize the use of the main parts of the church during the Advent/Christmas and Lenten/Easter liturgical seasons and to minimize disruption to parishioners. During Phase One A, the new flooring and furnishings in the Sanctuary, the Baptistry, the Adoration Chapel, and much of the new lighting and sound system are all scheduled to be completed around the first week of Advent. As referenced before, the painting of the Nave, the Apse, the Triumphal Arch, the completion of the lighting, and other minor projects are scheduled for later in 2025.

Our goal is to create a welcoming environment that supports the various liturgies that occur within it, is balanced and appropriate for a Basilica, follows current liturgical guidelines, and respects the history of Sacred Heart.