Sacred vessel chosen to hold the Body of Christ at Eucharistic Congress
Until recently, the exquisite and artistically detailed monstrance kept in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, was known mostly for what was not known about it – its origin.
Found in the back of the parish safe by Father Kevin Keelen shortly after he arrived there as pastor 10 years ago, the monstrance has evolved into something of a mystery as previous pastors and parish staff members could share no knowledge about how it came to be there.
Now that it has been selected as the vessel that will hold the Blessed Sacrament throughout the diocese’s first Eucharistic Congress this October, the monstrance has taken on even greater notoriety. All eyes will be on the monstrance and its precious contents, when thousands of adults, teens and children will gather at the PNC Bank Arts Center for a celebration of Jesus, present among us in the Most Holy Eucharist.
Focal Point
A monstrance, which comes from the Latin word, “monstrare,” which means “to show,” is a selected vessel made from gold or another metal in the shape of a cross. The most important feature is a small see-through glass receptacle in the middle of the cross in which a consecrated host is placed for the purpose of Eucharistic adoration.
The monstrance that will be used for the Eucharistic Congress was selected by planning committee co-chairs Father Pasquale Papalia and Father Brian Woodrow to serve as the sacred vessel used to display the Blessed Sacrament when it is removed from the tabernacle and exposed for adoration by congress-goers. It was the desire of both priests that the monstrance that was chosen be one that would command the attention of the faithful and draw them to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament in quiet prayer and devotion.
According to the schedule released by the Eucharistic Congress planning committee, adoration will be held in an area of the PNC Bank Arts Center designated as a chapel. Eucharistic adoration will not be held round-the-clock and the Blessed Sacrament will be reposed when the PNC venue closes each evening. The Blessed Sacrament will be carried in procession to the main amphitheater for the various prayer services and Masses and will also be carried in procession to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial where Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will lead a special prayer service in honor of all military veterans.
“Being that the entire Eucharistic Congress is centered on the Eucharist and part of the Congress is having the Blessed Sacrament exposed, there will be people praying before the Blessed Sacrament at various hours of the congress,” said Father Michael Hall, parochial vicar of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, and a member of the Eucharistic Congress planning committee.
Work of Art
Msgr. Sam Sirianni, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, said that when a monstrance is designed, it is created to meet the individual piety of the assembly who is coming to worship before the Blessed Sacrament. For Catholics, the host, otherwise, known as the Blessed Sacrament, is the actual physical presence of Christ on earth. When the wafers of unleavened bread and the wine are consecrated at the celebration of Mass, they transform into the Body and Blood of Christ himself. This practice originates from the Last Supper, when Jesus took bread and wine, describing it as his Body and Blood, and told his disciples to eat and drink. The host is placed in the monstrance which is put upon the altar during the celebration of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Saintly Devotion
Amid the extremely detailed piece of art work with its brilliant metalwork and colorful gemstones that adorn the monstrance are significant inspirational images that lovingly surround the Body of Christ — the Blessed Mother, Joseph, the foster father of Jesus; the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and three popular Franciscan saints – Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi and Anthony of Padua, and angels.
Speculating as to the reason for the Franciscan saints’ inclusion, Msgr. Sirianni suggested that either the monstrance had been created for a Franciscan community or that the artist who made the monstrance had a great devotion to the Franciscan saints.
There are many saints with great devotion to the Eucharist, and there are stories and legends that have been told about the devotion that Francis, Clare and Anthony of Padua had to the Eucharist.
During the observance of the Year for Priests in 2009-2010, Pope Benedict XVI gave a special address in which he spoke about St. Francis of Assisi’s desire to follow Jesus and how he expressed his love for Jesus through adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
The many images that show St. Clare of Assisi carrying a monstrance signifies when an army of Saracens, who were enemies of the Church, set out to destroy the city and enter St. Damian convent where St. Clare and her sisters lived. St. Clare took Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who was exposed in a gold monstrance and carried him outside of the convent to the city walls. When the invaders saw St. Clare raising Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, they fled in fear.
Many times, St. Anthony of Padua is depicted carrying the Christ Child. According to one version of a legend, there was a Count Tiso who had a castle about 11 miles from Padua, Italy. One the grounds of the castle the count had provided a chapel and a hermitage for the friars. Anthony often went there toward the end of his life and spent time praying in one of the hermit cells. One night, his little cell suddenly filled up with light. Jesus appeared to Anthony in the form of a tiny child. Passing by the hermitage, the count saw the light shining from the room and St. Anthony holding and communicating with the infant. The count fell to his knees upon seeing this wondrous sight. And when the vision ended, Anthony saw the count kneeling at the open door. Anthony begged Count Tiso not to reveal what he had seen until after his death.
Whether this story is legend or fact, the image of Anthony with the Child Jesus serves as an important teaching tool of faith.
Sharing some insight about the of the origins of the monstrance, Whittier Hamers of Adrian Hamers, Inc., a family-owned, New York-based company that specializes in liturgical art, estimates that the monstrance was made in France between 1900 and 1920 and, based on some of its intricate design, could very well be the work of renowned silversmith Joseph Thomas Armand-Caillet of Lyon, France.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Father Stanley P. Lukaszewski, current pastor of St. Barnabas Parish, said as he quietly admired the magnificent monstrance.
“It’s a great honor that the monstrance from our parish will have a prominent role to have in the Eucharistic Congress,” he said.
Father Albert Tamayo fondly recalled that, when he was parochial vicar of St. Barnabas Parish, he would use the monstrance for such special liturgical occasions as Forty Hour devotions and the candlelight vigil that’s held on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in December.
“When you look at the monstrance, you see the whole hosts of heaven, the angels and the saints and all of us – the Church on earth are gathered around Christ,” said Father Tamayo, who now serves as diocesan vice chancellor and priest-secretary to Bishop O’Connell.
“What is most important is at the center of the monstrance which actually holds Christ. The luna is made of glass and glass is something you can see through. So when people come to worship in adoration, they will see the host, but it will be through the eyes of faith that they will see the Body of Christ,” he said. “And on the other side will be Christ, who will be looking upon all of us with love.”
To see the schedule of events at the diocese’s first Eucharistic Congress, visit http://www.eucharisticcongress.net/press-releases/eucharistic-congress-basic-schedule-for-main-events/.