We are thrilled to reveal our new door for the tabernacle in the Little Church! The Year of the Eucharist is a wonderful opportunity for us to develop our devotion to Christ and to the Church through prayer and adoration. We wanted very much to expand our offering of time for adoration in the parish, and we knew that the Little Church is a wonderful place for prayer and contemplation. But we also wanted to build a new door that would allow us to expose the Blessed Sacrament safely and easily, helping us to build up our culture of adoration at Sacred Heart.

So, we contacted a good friend from the parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Libertytown and asked him to help us with our project. Lawrence is an expert woodworker, and he immediately recommended the construction of a new door that would draw together and focus attention on the tabernacle as the very center of the sanctuary. Read his description of the project here (it’s detailed, and it is fascinating!). On Lawrence's recommendation, we determined to use a wood and stain that matched pews and furniture in the Little Church, and to integrate the arches and patterns carved into the ambo and presider’s chair. The whole project came together beautifully!

As for the design of the door, Fr. Jerry very much wanted to incorporate an "IHS" into the tabernacle. IHS is an ancient abbreviation of Christ's name as it is written in Greek. And directly below the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle door is a wood-burned image of a pelican feeding its young. This is one of the very oldest Christian images for Christ in the history of our Church. Christians of the time believed that in times of starvation, an adult pelican would tear flesh from its chest to keep its children alive. Of course, we know better now, but the image is very much a part of our Christian tradition and a beautiful testament to the saving and sacrificial nature of the Eucharist.