Tour of St. Peter's

Within the sanctuary are three liturgical furnishings that represent three aspects of the presence of Christ in the liturgy, the presence that makes the liturgy so important for Catholics.

The first, located in the center of the sanctuary, is the altar. Its shape and decoration suggests both a table and an altar of sacrifice. That is because it “represents two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, [hereafter, CCC] #1384) The prayers of the Church refer to the altar as “a table of joy,” “a place of communion and peace,” “a source of unity and friendship,” and “the center of praise and thanksgiving.”

The altar at St. Peter’s is made of Brazilian rosewood with a green granite mensa, or table top. In accordance with a custom as old as the catacombs, relics of the saints are imbedded in the altar. Our altar contains relics of Saint Timothy, the youthful disciple of St. Paul (see 1 Timothy 4:12), and also of Saint Perpetua, an early third century noblewoman and mother, who suffered a martyr’s death during Roman persecution.

Also in the sanctuary are Sanctuary Candelabra, holding wax candles that are lit during liturgical services. Their number increases depending on the solemnity of the occasion, and their location in the sanctuary varies. Candles are an ancient symbol of Christ: they give light even as they are consumed. By the fourth century, candles and lamps were lit near the tombs of Christian martyrs; by the Middle Ages, candles were placed on the altar for the celebration of Mass.

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