Things of the Church: The Chapel
Beloved in Christ,
You may notice that we celebrate non-Sunday Saint’s Feasts not at the High Altar, but at the “Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
“Why is this space referred to as a chapel, and why do you celebrate mass there rather than the High Altar?” you may be wondering - because of course so many people are curious about this!
We worship there in part because we do not have enough people in attendance to warrant using the main sanctuary. It would feel impersonal, I think, to have 3-5 people in the congregation and use that space.
But also, we have an altar in that space, so why not make use of it?
“Chapel” is a descriptive term which defines a space and its function. Chapel (from Latin capella meaning little cape), within the context of the Church, is a designated, smaller space within a church with an altar where additional services can happen.
It became common, particularly by the end of the first millennium, to dedicate a chapel to Mary - becoming known as Lady Chapels, dedicated to “Our Lady of….” (insert Marian designation therein).
In the case of St. Andrew’s, ours is a Lady Chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Which makes a lot of sense given our geographical and cultural context in the Southern United States.
To celebrate Holy Mass on the altar gives honor to the most holy Theotokos, the God-Bearer, who is Blessed Mary, Mother of God.
To celebrate the Feasts of the Church is to remember and give honor to those who have come before us, paragons of the faith which we profess, bearers of the love of Christ to a broken world desperately - always desperately - in need of the love of Christ.
To celebrate the Feasts of the Church is to proclaim to the world that those who have died here in this world yet live, as we worship and adore Christ, who is alive.
So this is why we call it a chapel, and why we celebrate non-Sunday feasts at the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I pray you will join us at some point for one of those feasts!
Yours in Christ,
Alex+
The Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the night of the Vigil following the Maundy Thursday service