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St. Mary's Church Spirit Lake at 1005 Hill Ave., Spirit Lake, IA 51360 US - The New Saint Mary's Note: THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY BEING REVISED. PLEASE BE PATIENT. THANK YOU. Your Website Administrator
The New Saint Mary's
Note: THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY BEING REVISED. PLEASE BE PATIENT. THANK YOU. Your Website Administrator
Tour of Our Church
Gathering Space
This part of the church is called the gathering space. It is the space between the outside of the church and the main section where Mass is celebrated. When people enter the church, they prepare themselves to receive Jesus at Mass. As the faithful leave Mass, they prepare to bring the light of Christ to others. For these reasons, the gathering space is very important.
This part of the church is called the gathering space. It is the space between the outside of the church and the main section where Mass is celebrated. When people enter the church, they prepare themselves to receive Jesus at Mass. As the faithful leave Mass, they prepare to bring the light of Christ to others. For these reasons, the gathering space is very important.
Baptistry
Have you ever attended a baptism for a baby or for an adult? Adults are baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (or RCIA). They are baptized usually on Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil Mass. The large pool of water is called the baptismal font. Water is used as a sign of new life.
In Jesus’ time and for a period after that, people were baptized in rivers, lakes and pools. They were totally immersed in the water. Today, some churches still do baptism by immersion and others pour water on the head of the person. The large candle beside the font is the Easter candle (Paschal candle). It reminds us of the light of Christ.
As you look at the baptismal area, you will notice that it is lined up with the altar. This shows that Baptism and Eucharist are closely related.
Holy Water Fonts
The holy water fonts are placed at the entrances to the church. By these pictures, you can see where ours are placed. People bless themselves with holy water when they enter and leave the church as a sign of their baptism. We all belong to God’s family because of our own baptism.
Assembly Area
This is the main section of the church where the assembly gathers for Mass. The assembly of the faithful is the group of people who gather to worship God. At the end of the aisle, you can see the sanctuary and the altar.
Cross or Crucifix?
Do you know the difference between a cross and a crucifix?
A cross shows just the two logs attached like a “plus sign” or the letter “t”. A crucifix is a cross that shows Jesus’ body on it.
Here you can see the crucifix that hangs above our altar. It shows Jesus dying on the cross. It reminds us of Jesus’ great sacrifice for us. Other crucifixes may show Jesus after he risen from the dead. This cross is called the “Cross of the Resurrection”.
We have come from Mass being celebrated in a local house to a church holding more than four hundred people. Read more about the history of St. Mary's by clicking on the box with that title on the right.
The following is a Tour of Our New Church developed by Sue Durbala, the Director of Religion Education for our parish.
