Church Interior

Altar

The photograph shows the main altar in the santuary with the newly restored white frontal. The altar is central to the Church. It is a symbol of sacrifice. Christian writers, starting with St Paul spoke of Jesus as having been like a sacrificial lamb in his crucifixion and death. The altar helps us to remember, and in a sense repeats that ultimate sacrific that Jesus made on our behalf. The altar is also a table for a communal meal, again remembering and repeating the Last Supper, when Jesus shared a meal with his disciples the night before he died. The combining of the sacrifice and a shared meal are brought together when we celerate the Eucharist.

Resurrection Cross

The Resurrection cross decorated for Easter. Constructed of wood, the cross displays a risen and glorified Christ at its centre, with the symbols of the four Evangelists around. The symbols are, an angel for St Matthew (left), an eagle for St John (top), a bull for St Luke (right) and a lion with wings for St Mark (bottom).

There are two sources for the symbols, both of them visionary, one from each of the Old and New Testaments.  In Ezekiel 1 & 10, the prophet describes a vision of a divine chariot, ridden by Cherubim (angels) with four faces: one face is that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion and the fourth the face of an eagle. In the Book of Revelation, St John descibes the throne of God being surrounded by four living creatures: the first like a lion, the second like an ox, the third like a man and the fourth like a flying eagle.

The clues to which creature is ascribed to which Evangelist are in the Gospels themselves. St Matthew is symbolised by an angel or man because his Gospel emphasises Jesus' humanity and opens with the genealogy of Jesus. St Mark is depicted by a lion, king of the beasts, because his Gospel emphasises Jesus' kingship. The bull is a symbol of sacrifice and St Luke's Gospel pays particular attention to the sacrificial aspects of Jesus' ministry. St Luke's Gospel also opens with Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, making an offering in the temple to God. St John is ascribed the eagle because his Gospel is thought to be the most soaring and revelatory, and the eagle in mythology is the only bird that can look directly at the sun.    

Tabernacle

Standing to the left of the sanctuary, is the tabernacle, where the reserved sacrament is kept. Bread which has been consecrated during the Sunday Eucharist is carried to the tabernacle and kept in reservation, during the week it is taken to the sick and house-bound. The tabernacle is perpetually lit by a sanctuary lamp. The light symbolises God’s presence on the earth and the resurrection of Jesus, the Light of Hope.