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Parish Facilities: Church Sanctuary

“This holy people, made one as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, is the Church, that is, the temple of God built of living stones, where the Father is worshiped in spirit and truth” Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar

The Dedication of Our House of Prayer on November 30, 2002 was a milestone in the history of Our Lady of the Lake parish marking the transformation of a dream into reality for the many disciples in the Catholic community of Branson and southwest Missouri who had prayed and worked and sacrificed for their “Vision for the Future”. This is our temple where we join to worship God in spirit and truth and it expresses to the world our faith in God – because the world comes to us here in Branson, Missouri. It is our continued prayer that it will serve as a spiritual home for all who gather here to pray.

When we assemble in community we greet the God who dwells within each and every one of us. It is always in community with one another that we celebrate our faith. Vatican II challenged us to restore the entire Worship Space as the Sanctuary of the Body of Christ in both Eucharist and Assembled Community, without dividers depicting any part of Christ’s Church as more important or sacred than the assembly of His people themselves.

Among the symbols with which liturgy deals, none is more important than this assembly of believers” Environment & Art, #28

The Worship Space at Our Lady of the Lake will accommodate 1300 people, far more than is usually required for a parish of approximately 500 families. The seating capacity and the current schedule of four Masses each weekend are reflective of our parish’s unique place in the Lord's plan to provide an inviting worshipping community for the many people who pass through our doors. The space is designed to encourage an awareness of the sacred and of our experience of the Paschal Mystery of our faith. The pews emanate from the altar in a fan shape, symbolizing the early Christians gathering around the altar, and are handcrafted from grained golden oak.

"I have never worked on such a spiritually and functionally wondrous project as the baptismal font.” Artist Lee Robertson

 

The Baptismal Font is located at the entrance of the church as a symbol of our entrance into a Eucharistic community.  We emerge from the waters of baptism as children of God, united to Jesus Christ to begin our own journey to the altar as a member of the Body of Christ, the Church. On the day of our burial, we will be sprinkled with the water that recalls our beginnings at the font. Each time we enter to worship, we are invited to touch the life-giving water that shapes us.

Water from the upper portion of the font moves in an ever-flowing cascade to the basin below. Our baptismal font is copper clad, matching the sacred art in the rest of the church. The design of the font incorporates the image of a dove, symbolic of the Holy Spirit which comes upon us at baptism. 

The Freestanding Altar is symbolic of the meal of sacrifice, the Eucharist in which Christ shares himself with his people. It is at the Table of the Lord that the Paschal Mystery is celebrated and our community of disciples is called to share in this greatest mystery of our faith.

“The Ambo represents the dignity and uniqueness of the Word of God and the reflection upon that Word.” Environment & Art, #74

The ambo is one of the primary symbols of Christ as the Word of God. The Chair of the Priest Celebrant is special in its representation of the Presider’s role, representing Christ leading the community in the Celebration of the Paschal Mystery.

Our altar and ambo are constructed from vertical straight-grained fir harvested from old growth trees which are knot-free and have hundreds of growth rings, symbolizing our ancestral heritage of faith. The parallel design of the Altar, Ambo and Presider’s Chair  emphasizes the close and harmonious relationship between the Word, the Eucharist, and the Community.

The Great Cross is part of the architectural design of the church and was especially commissioned for this space. Rising behind the altar, it is gold-leafed, warmly accented by red-leaf sizing beneath. The figure of the Crucified Christ upon the cross is a piece of our parish history. Carved by local artist, Pete Engler, it was originally suspended above the altar in our former church. Now, following some restoration and re-coloring, it takes its place in our new House of Prayer as a visual reminder of God’s awesome love and sacrifice for our sins. 

Our Tabernacle is seated between the Worship Space and our Mother Teresa Day Chapel. The base of the pedestal incorporates the deep Church symbolism of shocks of wheat while the top of the pedestal is in the shape of a cross laced with the grapes and leaves of the “Fruit of the Vine.” The sides of the Tabernacle are designed with a basket of bread and a chalice. The unique two-door design of the Tabernacle allows access from both the Worship Space and the Mother Teresa Day Chapel. Both doors are adorned by a gold leaf cross.

A stained-glass sunburst seems to emanate from the Tabernacle, showering the Day Chapel and Worship Space with brilliant golden rays. The sanctuary lamp above the Tabernacle, when lit, signals to us the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Tabernacle in the form of consecrated hosts. The lamp symbolically represents the light of Christ and the light that is inside each one of us as Christians. May it remain eternally lit!

Our Glorious Risen Christ is suspended above us as we go forth from our Celebration. It is the last thing we see as we depart our Worship Space, reminding us that Our Lord did not leave us stranded at the foot of the cross but is with us in the joyful victory of His resurrection. As His disciples, we go forth in that same victory to continue His work on earth, building the Kingdom of God.

This figure is an original wood carving by local artist Pete Engler. It was commissioned for our former Worship Space when that building was dedicated in June, 1972. In the artist's original design, the figures of the Crucified Christ and Risen Christ were interchangeable on the cross which hung behind the altar. The figure displayed varied according to the liturgical season.

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