The musings and meandering thoughts of a crotchety old man as he observes life in the world and in a small, rural town in South East Nebraska. I hope to help people get to Heaven by sharing prayers, meditations, the lives of the Saints, and news of Church happenings. My Pledge: Nulla dies sine linea ~ Not a day without a line.
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13 November 2018
The Art of Portable Altars
An interesting article on an item of which many Catholics have probably never heard. Father Hardon describes a portable Altar thus, 'PORTABLE ALTAR. A movable altar consisting of a solid piece of natural stone, generally of a size large enough to hold the Sacred Host and the greater part of the base of a chalice. It bears on its upper surface five crosses cut into the stone, where the anointings are made when it is liturgically consecrated. Near the edge is a sepulcher or cavity that contains the relics of two martyr-saints, and sealed with a cemented stone lid'. The stone may then be set in a larger platform as illustrated. Here is a picture of one in use during the Korean War. The article is by an old internet friend of mine from the time of my former blog.
Many portable altars date from the time of the First World War when their creation gained an impetus from the urgent needs of military chaplains who were on the front lines or in military camps. One of the travesties of the First World War was that it involved Christians slaughtering Christians en masse on the Christian continent par excellence. All nations involved had enormous chaplain corps Often times Catholics were fighting Catholics, such as the battles between the French and Italians, all for naught. Custom made portable altars were plentiful and numerous examples survive. The example depicted in the photo dates from that period, from the Jesuits in Mexico, seen today in the truly wonderful Miguel Pro museum at the church of the Holy Family in Mexico City. Fr. Miguel Pro, a Jesuit, celebrated clandestine Masses in Mexico City on this altar while he was under surveillance by the government, a government which was operating under Masonic influences. Fr. Pro was captured at age 36 and killed on November 23, 1927 by direct order of the President of Mexico, Plutarco Calles, an avowed Mason.
St. Joseph's Apprentice, a US-based supplier offers quality portable altars for a reasonable price that are sturdy and of heirloom quality. For information and photos see here.
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV as the Vicar of Christ, the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.
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Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV as the Vicar of Christ, the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.