Altar Dedication Highlights Bishop's First Mass In Bloomfield

Parishioners of Holy Name Parish in Bloomfield, Ind., gathered to celebrate something old and something new on Sunday, April 21.

The “old” was represented by a return to the church’s original, more traditional layout, a change that was completed late last year. As a result, the altar is once more at the front of the long, rectangular church building and all pews now face in the same direction.

As for the “new,” there were actually several things to celebrate during the early morning Mass - most notably Bishop Charles C. Thompson’s first official visit to the parish.  Bishop Thompson presided over the inauguration of a new recessed tabernacle behind the altar, the blessing of a new presidential chair (which served as his seat during the Mass) and the dedication of a rebuilt and expanded altar, which now features a larger “mensa” or surface.

“Our Church teaches us that when we gather around the altar, we gather in the communion of saints, meaning all of those who have gone before us are joining with us in praising God,” Bishop Thompson told the congregation during his homily. “As we bless this altar today, remember that it is something very precious and special for us.”

 The altar, Bishop Thompson explained, is the center of a parish because it is where the Liturgy of the Eucharist takes place. “It’s where we find our strength and nourishment to be the people of faith God is calling us to be,” he said.

 An altar dedication mirrors, in some ways, a human baptism, explained Diocesan Director of the Office of Worship Matt Miller who was on hand to assist Bishop Thompson with the ceremony. The new or renovated altar is first blessed with water, then anointed with Holy Chrism, and finally dressed with an altar cloth. The ceremony culminates in the celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The surface of the renovated altar was expanded by eight inches to allow more space for the Liturgy, said Father Michael Madden, pastor of Holy Name parish and also pastor of St. Peter Parish in neighboring Linton. Father Madden was concelebrant at the Mass.

Father Madden explained that a renovation in the early 1980s resulted in the altar being moved onto a small platform and placed against the side wall of the church with benches on three sides. As a result of this change, some of the pews were at odd angles with no kneelers available for many seats.

“This return to the more traditional layout restores the original focal point of the building and also makes the shrine areas and stations of the cross visible,” said Father Madden.

The process of returning the church to its original orientation began in November 2012 and was completed by Christmas, said Father Madden. The visit and altar dedication by Bishop Thompson served to punctuate the restoration project.

Charter members of Holy Name Parish Martha Wright and Mary Ann Crabb – who together placed the altar cloth on the newly dedicated altar during the April 21 service – both said they are pleased to see a return to the more traditional church layout.

“I love it; I like it very well,” said Crabb.

“I love it too,” added Wright. “I feel back at home.”

Holy Name choir director Lora Burris called the renovations “a blessing” and said she thinks the changes will “bolster the church.”

“We’re going back to our roots, and a lot of people are feeling much more comfortable about that,” Burris said. “Modern is good, progressive is good, but tradition is where we’re from.”

Holy Name Church was founded in 1959 under the guidance of Father Eugene Heerdink, who retired in 2008 but is still active in the Hispanic ministry within the diocese. The church was dedicated in 1960 by then-bishop Henry J. Grimmelsman.

An adjacent parish hall was added in 1996.

Located in Greene County, Holy Name Parish is part of the Vincennes Deanery. It is one of the northern-most parishes in the Diocese of Evansville.