Last March in introducing the 2009 Annual Catholic Appeal, I and the priests announced that the parish would use the monies-over-goal that are returned to the parish to commission a new altar for our Church. I subsequently asked a liturgical designer, Mr. Willy Malarcher, to design an altar specifically for St. Anastasia's. He rendered various designs and I and the parish staff selected one. It is almost complete and will be delivered shortly. We have announced that Bishop DiMarzio will dedicate it at the 12:00 Noon Mass on December 13th. We hope many of you will be present.

Some may ask if the designer of an altar has any guidelines to follow? The answer is ...YES. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a publication prepared by the Bishop's Committee on Liturgy entitled Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. It provides principles for those involved in preparing liturgical space for the worship of the Christian assembly. I wish now to quote from sections of that document dealing with altars. I hope it gives you a deeper understanding of why the altar was so crafted.

The altar is designed and constructed for the action of the community and the functioning of a single priestnot for concelebrants. The holy table, therefore, should not be elongated but square or slightly rectangular, an attractive, impressive, dignified, noble table, constructed with solid and beautiful materials, in pure and simple proportions.

It is the common table of the assembly, a symbol of the Lord, at which the presiding minister stands and upon which are placed the bread and wine and their vessels and the book. It is holy and sacred to this assembly's action and sharing, so it is never used as a table of convenience or as a resting place for papers, notes, cruets or anything else. It stands free, approachable from every side, capable of being encircled. It is desirable that candles, cross, any flowers or other decorations in the area should not be so close to the altar as to constitute impediments to anyone's approach or movement around the common table.

This document then makes clear that the altar is the primary physical object in the Church. It is a symbol of Christ who is the cornerstone and spiritual rock of the Church. On some festive occasions we show our respect to this holy table through the use of incense since it is from the altar that prayer ascends like incense before God. It is also why we encourage people to bow to the altar before they enter their pew. It is reverence to the altar as the symbol of Christ.

When the altar arrives and is in place, please come up into the sanctuary after the Masses and inspect it more closely. As a member of St. Anastasia, it is your table.