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Just as a house reflects the life of the
family within, the cathedral represents the unity of
the
diocesan Church with the bishop.
A
cathedral
is the principal church where the bishop presides over a
diocese and celebrates worship with and for the Christian
community. As such, the diocesan cathedral is the mother Church
of the entire diocese. The word cathedral is derived from the
fact that this church houses the bishop’s chair - the
cathedra -
the symbol of the bishop’s teaching authority in the
diocese.
The new
Co-Cathedral of Galveston-Houston is dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, symbolizing the invitation to experience His
love through the mystery of His death and resurrection. To all,
His invitation is to enter into a personal relationship with
Him, to be nourished with holy presence.
In the
architectural design of our new co-cathedral, one can find great
meaning and inspiration. The height of the structure is a
powerful image of transcendence – a reminder for us to fix our
gaze on heaven, where our spirits can rise above their earthly
existence and be nourished in the hope of God’s love for
humanity. The ascending height of the Co-Cathedral answers our
human longing to be in communion with God who from on high
showers His love and peace upon us. The anchoring weight of
stone and marble signifies God’s imminence, His presence and
work here on earth.
From the moment one enters the doors of the
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the mysteries of our life in
Christ are made present through architecture and symbols
which
evoke a noble simplicity.
Through color, form and
composition, there evolves a constant
theme of the
Sacred Heart of Christ.
Entering into
the interior space of the co-cathedral proper, one is
immediately enshrouded with symbols and images that reflect the
cherished tradition of our faith. The
narthex serves as a
transition space for entrance, and is also a liturgical space
where the community greets those to be baptized, those who come
to the Church for marriage and those whom we will bury. First
in the narthex, we encounter the
holy water fonts.
Dipping our hand into the
blessed water taken from the baptismal font, we sign ourselves
with the sign of Christ’s victory – the Sign of the Cross.
Procession to the sanctuary takes place
through an expansive section of the church called the nave,
which has a special function. The root of the word “church” is
found in the Greek word ecclesia which is an assembly
called together for a purpose. As Catholics, we gather in
assembly to offer praise and worship to God the Father, through
the Son in unity with the Holy Spirit. The
nave is the space for the assembly - that is,
the faithful - to be gathered together by Christ from east to
west - from the rising sun to its setting.
The cathedral will be most complete only when
filled with the assembly, a community of the faithful, who
offers assistance and witness to those who are
led to Christ through baptism.
As one proceeds
toward the sanctuary, the
Baptismal font,
is encountered. It images the altar in its
construction and in its use of materials. Along with its
design, the location of the baptismal font signifies that
through the waters of baptism, we are immersed in the Body of
Christ.
By sharing a life with Christ through baptism,
we believe we shall share in His resurrection.
From here, we
continue, drawn to the twelve foot
Crucifix which presides over
the sanctuary. Behind the Crucifix is a backdrop of brightly
gilded textured wood which represents the hope of Christ’s
resurrection and the joy that He will come again. The artist,
Professor Edmund Rabanser, carved this wooden image of Christ in
such a way that His gaze is upon the action of the altar, where
His saving death and resurrection are re-presented in
celebration of the Mass.
The altar is a primary symbol of
Christ’s presence in the church.
Soon the
altar will be consecrated by the archbishop. He will
declare, “The altar is Christ.” Thus the altar will take its
place as the centerpiece of our co-cathedral, reflecting this
truth in both its strength and appearance. The altar becomes the
most important element in the entire Church building, and is
truly the center of thanksgiving that the Eucharist
accomplishes.
The
mensa
is the table of the altar upon which the
Eucharist is prepared. It is of rosso diaspro, a deeply veined
marble, reminiscent of the constant theme of the Sacred Heart of
Christ. The mensa is based on twelve columns of contrasting
rosso impero marble, surmounted by textured bronze accents,
emblematic of the twelve apostles. In its color and might, the
altar represents Jesus Christ as the rock, resting on the solid
foundation of our apostolic tradition.
In the center of
the rosso impero base, a small sepulcher, or
reliquary, will contain relics - the remains of the
martyrs whose death imitates and participates in the Paschal
Sacrifice of Christ.
At the side of
the altar stands the
ambo. Just as we are sustained
from the altar with the Body of Christ, the bread of angels, so
too are we sustained by God’s Word proclaimed from the ambo.
Finally, above the sanctuary hangs a beautiful rose window of
Christ present at Eucharist. This stained glass image reminds
us it is Christ who is present to us in every Mass, feeding and
nourishing our souls with His sacred presence.
Thus the
co-cathedral’s theme of the Sacred Heart of Christ is revealed.
The crucifix, the altar and the baptismal font are all in
relation to one another by way of their color, form and
composition. But their relationship to one another has greater
meaning by the way it reveals our life in Christ…
We come to the Church through our baptism.
Overseen by Christ on the Cross, we are nourished at the
table
by His Body, by His Blood and by His Word. Our faith
is
strengthened through His saving death and resurrection,
and we
are comforted in the promise that
He will come again.
To the left side
of the sanctuary is the
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
where the
tabernacle is located. Once again,
the chapel is in relationship to the other sanctuary furnishings
through its design. From the ceiling of the chapel, a shower of
manna descends over the Blessed Sacrament, a symbol of the
ancient food from heaven that sustained God’s people of Israel.
So too today, God feeds His people with the living manna, which
is the sacramental Body and Blood of Christ. His Eucharistic
presence remains in the tabernacle for our adoration and
worship.
On each side of
the sanctuary, the nave opens to the east and west
transepts, wings which intersect the sanctuary to
give the co-cathedral its cruciform shape. To the west is the
Shrine to our Blessed Mother, under the title of the Immaculate
Conception. She is the Patroness of the Archdiocese of
Galveston-Houston. To the east is the
Shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, the namesake of our co-cathedral.
At the
conclusion of Mass, the presider announces, “Our Mass is now
ended. Let us now go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” It
is now that we would turn our attention to the doors of the
co-cathedral to leave the church. However, the experience of
the Sacred Heart does not end here. Proceeding down the side
aisles, one encounters six shrines dedicated to the honor of
particular
Saints – men and women who have special
significance for the local church. They are placed here for our
veneration and for our prayer, and to inspire us to live a holy
life as they did, rooted in Christ.
The presence of the Saints reminds us that in
our prayer and worship we are not alone, for we belong to a
Communion of Saints who are still connected to us through
Christ in the Holy Spirit.
The final symbol
- the final message of the Sacred Heart - is found in the 40’
stained glass image of the risen Christ glowing over the city,
dominant over the front doors to the co-cathedral. One is now
sent forth to make Christ present in the world.
This powerful image of the Resurrected Lord invites those
who
have celebrated the mysteries of salvation to now go into
the
world and to proclaim the good news of their faith.
Outside passers-by will see the same image, illuminated from
within, also inviting them to enter into the Sacred Heart of
Christ, where He watches over this great City.
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