The following catechetical tool, "Gathering
The Assembly," is intended to assist communities that are
embarking on a new building project. As a follow-up to a six-week
homily series that examined the requirements of the liturgy and
the needs of the community, this series of reflection/questions
focuses on the fundamental starting point. What shape will this
space for worship take? "Gathering The Assembly" combines
the theoretical principles from the document on Environment and
Art in Catholic Worship with the practical requirements of the
church's liturgy. Through a series of questions, those involved
in design decisions can look ahead to the way the space will
be used. They can opt for an arrangement of space that will provide
the assembly with an appropriate and adequate environment for
worship.
The document on Environment and Art in
Catholic Worship states: "The norm for designing liturgical
space is the assembly and its liturgies. The building or cover
w enclosing the architectural space is a shelter or skin for
a liturgical action. It does not have to look like anything else,
past or present."(#42) With this principle in mind, a series
of seating configurations for worship are presented so that a
committee can have a "hands-on" experience of exploring
options. (These design options are drawn from sketches suggested
by Bill Beard in "Seating for Catholic Worship: A Primer"
in Environment and Art Letter: A Forum on Architecture and the
Arts for the Parish, Vol.1, No.1, March, 1988. Chicago: Liturgy
Training Publications).
A suggested outline for use is given, including
ways that a renovation project can benefit from the tool. The
designs are intended to stimulate the imagination and move participants
away from the typical response: "But a church should look
like...." Too many communities have entered their new worship
spa ce only to discover that something essential was overlooked
-- inadequate room for the music ministry, inflexible seating
that hampers mobility, insufficient space for hospitality and
gathering. No building project can be airtight and free from
oversight. However, taking time to ask pertinent questions and
explore creative options can move a community more closely toward
shaping a liturgical space that will "have a good feeling
in terms of human scale, hospitality and graciousness."
(#52)
(Editor's note: the diagrams
referenced below will be added to this page shortly.)
GATHERING THE ASSEMBLY
Seating for Catholic Worship
The following design drawings offer alternatives
to the seating arrangement of the long, narrow church with which
most Catholics are familiar. These alternatives allow the ritual
activity of the liturgy to be carried out according to the renewed
vision of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred
Liturgy and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' document
on Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. "As common prayer
and ecclesial experience, liturgy flourishes in a climate of
hospitality: a situation in which people are comfortable with
one another, either knowing or being introduced to one another;
a space in which people are seated together, with mobility, in
view of one another as well as the focal points of the rite,
involved as participants and not as spectators"(EACW,#11).
These configurations accommodate the most important symbol with
which the liturgy deals -- the assembly of believers.
PRIMARY SYMBOLS:
Examine the following configurations of
seating for worship in light of the guidelines proposed by the
document on Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. In each
arrangement of the space, where would you envision the place
for the central symbols of worship?
· The table:
"It stands free, approachable from
every side, capable of being encircled."(#71); "The
holy table, therefore, should not be elongated, but square or
slightly rectangular..."(#72); "The location of the
altar will be central in any eucharistic celebration, but this
does not mean it must be spatially in the center or on a central
axis. In fact, an off-center location may be a good solution
in many cases."(#73).
· The ambo:
"The ambo or lectern is a standing
desk for reading and preaching (although preaching can be done
from the chair or elsewhere). One main ambo should be reserved
for these functions and therefore not used by commentators, song
leaders, etc."(#74).
· The font:
"New baptismal fonts, therefore, should
be constructed to allow for the immersion of infants, at least,
and to allow for the pouring of water over the entire body of
a child or adult."(#76); The place of the font, whether
it is an area near the main entrance of the liturgical space
or one in the midst of the congregation, should facilitat e full
congregational participation, regularly in the Easter Vigil."(#77).
LITURGICAL MINISTRIES:
Consider the various ministry roles that
are carried out within the liturgy. In each seating arrangement,
where would you envision the placement of the minister(s)?
· Assembly:
"One of the primary requirements of
the space is visibility of all in the assembly: others in the
congregation as well as the principal focal point of the ritual
action."(#49)
· Presider:
"Chairs or benches for the presiding
minister and other ministers, should be so constructed and arranged
that they too are clearly a part of the one assembly, yet conveniently
situated for the exercise of their respective offices."(#70);
"The area of presiding should allow that person to be attentive
to and present to the entire congregation, the other ministers,
and each part of the liturgical action..."(#60).
· Ministers of Music:
"Benches or chairs for the seating
of those engaged in the ministry of music, instrumental or choral,
should be so constructed and arranged that they have the advantages
described above for congregational seating and also that they
are clearly part of the assembly."(#69).
· Cantor:
"Yet, the ministers of music should
be able to sing and play facing the rest of the assembly in order
to elicit the participation of the community without distracting
from the central action of the liturgy. The same should be said
of an individual cantor or song leader."(#69); "A very
simple lectern, in no way competing or conflicting with the main
ambo, and placed for the necessary visibility and audibility,
can be used by a cantor, song leader, commentator, and reader
of the announcements. It should be located for easy communication
with both musicians and congregation" (#75).
(It is assumed here that the other ministers
-- lector, eucharistic minister, usher, greeter, altar server,
ministers of movement -- would be seated with the assembly except
when they are req uired to carry out the particular functions
of that ministry.
The deacon would be seated with or near
the presider, unless the deacon were presiding, at which time
he would occupy the presider's chair.This can apply to any non-ordained
minister leading the assembly's prayer, for instance, at morning
or evening prayer or at a communion service.)
ORDER OF THE MASS
Consider the order of the Sunday Eucharist
and its spatial requirements. In each seating arrangement, how
would you envision the ritual action of the liturgy being carried
out?
Introductory Rites:
· Does this arrangement allow people
to be seated together in view of one another as well as the focal
points of the rite?
· What path would the entrance procession
follow?
· How would this arrangement enhance
or inhibit a sense of gathering together at the beginning of
the rite?
· How would the blessing and sprinkling
of water take place in this pattern?
· Where would the presider stand
for the opening prayer?
Liturgy of the Word:
· How would the lector approach
the ambo?
· From what location would the cantor
lead the psalm?
· If there were a procession to
welcome the gospel book, what path might it follow?
· If the gospel or another scripture
passage were proclaimed in dialogue, by more than one reader,
where could they stand?
· What location would the homilist
take for effective communication?
· Who would intone the general intercessions
and from what location?
Liturgy of the Eucharist:
· How would the collection be taken
up and what route would the presentation with the bread and wine
follow?
· How would the breaking of the
bread take place and where would the ministers be positioned
for the distribution of holy communion?
· What processional pattern could
the assembly follow in this arrangement for the reception of
communion?
Concluding Rite:
· In each configuration, where would
the presider stand for the final blessing? If there were a recessional,
what route might it follow?
· What problems or shortcomings
does this seating arrangement present? How could they be overcome?
· What advantages and benefits does
it provide?
SPECIAL NEEDS AND CONCERNS
"Those who suffer from handicaps of
one sort or another, must be carefully planned for so that they
can participate in the liturgy without unnecessary strain or
burden."(#57)
· In each arrangement, where would
handicap have easy access to the liturgy?
· Can this arrangement provide a
space to give special attention and visibility to children during
the liturgy?
· Can comfortable provision be made
for the elderly and people in wheelchairs?
"In planning construction, renovation
or refurnishing of liturgical spaces, baptism and other sacraments,
morning and evening prayer, services of the word, prayer meetings
and other community events should be kept in mind."(#64)
· Could this spatial arrangement
allow flexibil ity for other communal celebrations?
· What location would the bride
and groom take at a wedding ceremony? during the liturgy? during
the exchange of vows?
· What route would the wedding procession
follow?
· At the Mass of Christian Burial,
where would the coffin be placed during the liturgy?
· How would morning or evening prayer
be carried out in this space?
· Is there allowance for overflow
crowds at Christmas and Easter?
· What accommodations can be made
for smaller gatherings at Mass or other celebrations?
· Can construction of the space
allow for future expansion?
· How will this particular seating
arrangement accommodate the celebration of the Triduum -- the
washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, the veneration of the cross
on Good Friday, the baptism of adults at the Easter Vigil?
· What special needs (social, cultural,
ethnic, demographic) does our local community have that this
spatial arrangement must accommodate?
GATHERING THE AS SEMBLY
Suggestions for Use
The experience of building a new worship
space affects everyone in the community. It is an event which
involves a large number of people, personnel and financial resources.
The end product gives shape not only to a building, but also
to the direction and spirit of a community for many generations.The
building process itself can be an act of faith and a grace-filled
time of community growth. The scope of the task requires teamwork,
collaboration, shared decision-making and a realistic assessment
of inherent limitations. The document on Environment and Art
in Catholic Worship (#44-48) speaks at length about the teamwork
and preparation that is essential for a creative building project.
"The congregation's work is to acquaint the architect and
consultant with its own self-image as Church and its sense of
the larger community in which it exists"(#45). "The
architect will look to the congregation and clergy for an understanding
of the character and p urpose of the liturgical assembly"(#47).
Studying the basic seating pattern options and arrangement of
the liturgical space is a prerequisite for the other decisions
that will eventually be made. The following suggestions provide
ways that all those concerned with the project can enter into
the essential area of dialogue about the shape of the space.
Personal Reflection
Pastoral staff, clergy, building or renovation
committee members, liturgy committee members, environment and
art committee members, architects, liturgical consultants and
parishioners can study the design options and reflection questions
before they dialogue and make decisions about building a new
worship space. After personal reflection, individuals can bring
their responses and further questions to the group process.
Design Review Committee
Members of the staff and committee entrusted
with the task of exploring options and presenting parish insight
to the architect can use the designs in a number of ways:
· With the use of overhead transparencies
or copies of the designs, a working session could sketch various
locations for the primary symbols and liturgical ministers, trace
processional patterns and examine how the order of worship would
unfold in each configuration. As the specific requirements, goals
and limitations of the local community are taken into account,
adaptations and revisions of the designs can be proposed.
· Committee members could divide
into smaller groups, each working on the questions for a different
design option (antiphonal, radial, central) or a different topic
as it would be carried out in each design (primary symbols, liturgical
ministries, order of the Mass, special needs and concerns). The
results of the small group research would then be brought to
the large group for reporting and questions.
Large Group Presentation
Based on their research and dialogue, the
building committee could prepare a presentation for parishioners.
With the use of overhead transparencies or handouts, the committee
could explore with the community at large some of the possibilities
that exist for a creative building design. It is important for
parishioners and professionals to be exposed to these options,
since most will have limited experience outside the traditional
'lecture hall' or Gothic church design. Here, the question sheets
for "Gathering The Assembly" and the text of Environment
and Art in Catholic Worship would benefit the community by helping
them to understand how "form follows function" in the
arrangement of space for worship.
Use for Renovation Projects
In the renovation of space designed and
built in a former period, certain constraints are already present
and limit a community's options. In many older spaces, a "hybrid"
or juxtaposed seating pattern must be developed which will "respect
both the best qualities of the origin al structure and the requirements
of contemporary worship."(EACW,#43) The following design
drawings are intended for new worship spaces. However, depending
on the style and design of the original building, an examination
of these seating options may stimulate creative alternatives
for an older structure. Once again, the questions for reflection
on how the liturgy functions and what requirements it places
on the space are indispensable for assessing the problems and
developing workable solutions. A simple line drawing of the original
floor plan can assist a committee to see whether the present
structure can accommodate any of these seating configurations
(antiphonal, radial, central) or if some combination or juxtaposed
pattern should be explored. With the guidance of a competent
architect, the possibility of removing walls or realigning and
expanding space can be studied even further. "A good architect
will possess both the willing ness to learn from the congregation
and sufficient integrity not to allow the community's design
taste or preference to limit the freedom necessary for a creative
design."(EACW,#47)
For further information on aspects of seating
design, see Bill Beard, "Seating for Catholic Worship: A
Primer" in Environment and Art Letter: A Forum on Architecture
and the Arts for the Parish, Volume 1, Number 1, March, 1988.
(Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications).
ANTIPHONAL
This style of seating, reminiscent of the
monastic tradition or "choir seating," allows the assembly
to be in full view of each other. Within this arrangement, worship
is clearly an interactive experience.
CENTRAL
This arrangement most clearly creates a
sense of "gathering around" the table of the Word and
the table of the Eucharist. The strong central focus generates
a feeling of common purpose and identity. It requires a sense
of ease with the community and comfort with interactive ritual.
RADIAL
This seating configuration has been introduced
in many post-Vatican II worship spaces. While it provides less
of a sense of the assembly focusing on one another, it allows
for clear attention to ambo and altar.
PROCESSIONAL
This pattern has shaped the experience
of Catholic worship in the majority of church buildings for many
centuries. While it allowed for the triumphant procession, it
placed the assembly behind one another and further from the altar
and ambo than other seating patterns, specially with the use
of pews or fixed seating. In the renovation of older spaces,
this is the most common configuration which must be renewed and
re-ordered. It challenges a community to be creative in shaping
a new seating pattern and sensitive in respecting the old structure.
JUXTAPOSED
In reshaping space within an older structure,
seating arrangement has to be adapted in a way that accommodates
the pre Eexisting form. The design decision must be informed
by the needs of the community, the requirements of the liturgical
ritual and the limitations inherent in the space itself. As in
new structures, flexible seating allows for creative options
in the arrangement and use of the space, as opposed to pews or
fixed seating.
