Besides the palms this past Sunday you may have noticed something different in the Church behind the altar. There is a “new” crucifix hanging there. In this blog post I will attempt to answer a few questions that you might have about this change.
Where did this “new” crucifix come from?
Well technically, it’s not a new crucifix, the crucifix was carved by Charles Kublois for the new church when it was first opened and has been in the Holy Family Chapel at the back of the Church ever since. Interestingly enough Charles Kublois also carved the great statue of St. Joseph that is also in the Holy Family Chapel.
Why was the crucifix moved to this new position?
To answer this question I consulted our Pastor Fr. John. He let me know about a document called the General Instruction of The Roman Missal. Basically this document lays out all of the regulations and guidelines for everything from the Structure of the Mass to the flowers used for decoration in the Church. On the subject of a Crucifix near the altar the General Instruction of the Roman Missal has this to say:
308. Likewise, either on the altar or near it, there is to be a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon it, a cross clearly visible to the assembled people. It is desirable that such a cross should remain near the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations, so as to call to mind for the faithful the saving Passion of the Lord.
Father John felt that we needed a more prominent, fixed, crucifix that we could look upon and reflect on Christ’s great love for us.
What was put in the spot where the Crucifix was previously?
Fr. John commissioned a local artist and parishioner Haley Weisenburger to paint a beautiful picture of the Holy Family for that location (pictured below).
In the painting the Holy Family is surrounded by the three arch angels including our name sake St. Michael. I would encourage you to stop by the the chapel area sometime and pray in front of the wonderful images of the Holy Family that are located there.
Whatever the reasons for the move I have to say the timing couldn't have been better. As we enter this Holy Week the new positioning of the Crucifix seems to be a final push for our attention. Now is the time. Now is the time to refocus our minds, our hearts, and our lives on Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for us.
God Bless,
Peter Garcia
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