The Altar.

The present altar is actually a gift from St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham. By a fortunate circumstance a remodelling of their sanctuary coincided with a remodelling of ours in prepartion for the consecration of the church. It was decided to replace the old long black altar that had been installed when the church was built in the early 1960s and which, following the reforms in the liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, had been moved from its original position against the back wall into the middle of the sanctuary. This, sadly, left it with an unsightly rear face exposed. When news of an altar going spare, and free apart from transportation costs, in Birmingham came to the attention of the then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Aldo Tapparo, the opportunity was taken to acquire it for the parish.

"He is the living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2: 4-5.

The altar on which the Sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs is also the table of the Lord to which the People of God is called together to participate in the Mass, as well as the centre of the thanksgiving that is accomplished through the Eucharist.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal 296.

During the elebration of the Mass, the whole of the second part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, is carried out with the celebrant(s) standing at the altar. The importance of the altar is stressed in the "General Instruction to the Roman Missal" when it states that nothing other than what is needed for the celebration of the Mass should be placed on it such as the Book of the Gospels, corporal, ciborioum, chalice, paten, purificators and missal (306). Floral decorations, when permitted by the liturgical calendar, should be placed around rather than on the altar. The altar represents the body of Christ. For this reason it is to be reveared and respected at all times. As a mark of that reverence at he start and end of any Mass the celebrating priest(s) and assisting deacon(s) will honour the altar with a kiss. The honour paid to the altar is further enhanced by all who enter and leave the sanctuary, priest, deacon, altar servers, bowing to the altar as well as genuflecting to the Blessed Sacrament at the beginning and end of each Mass. Further, if it is used, the altar will be honoured with incense at the start of the Mass and when the gifts have been prepared at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Carved into the mensa of the altar are five crosses, one at each corner and one at the centre. These represent the wounds on Chirst's body made by the nails, the spear and the crown of thorns at the crucifixion agin stressing the identity of the altar as a great and holy sign of Christ. Set within the centre of the altar is a small metal box containing the relics of St. Clement and St. Severus. These were placed and sealed into the altar by the then Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols, at the Consecration Mass on the 10^th July 2000. This custom can be traced back to the early Christians in ancient Rome. There the Mass was often celebrated in covered cemeteries, often near the tomb of the most famous person buried there. Later, as the cemeteries became the sites of parish churches, permanent altars were positioned directly over the tomb of the most important martyr. Now, although the relics no longer have to be those of a martyr, it is important to make sure that they are authentic and they have to be a recognisable part of the saint’s body.

Relics have, by tradition, been put into three categories: first-class relics cosist of part of the body of the saint. Second-class relics might include anything anthing that the saint might have worn or used during their lifetime while third-class relics might include anything that has been touched by the body of the saint. Church law regarding relics is very strict. The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 forbade relics to be diaplayed outside of their reliquaries or sold while the 1917 Code of Canon Law insisted that all relics must be authenticated by a cardinal or the local bishop. The punishment for the sale, fabrication or unauthorised distribution of them is excommunication.

The candles, which are required at every liturgical service out of reverence and on account of the festiveness of the celebration, are to be appropriately placed on or around the altar in a way suited to the design of the altar and the sanctuary so that the whole may be well balanced and not interfere with the faithful's clear view of what takes place at the altar and what is placed on it.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal 307.

The number of candles used at any Mass reflects the rank and importance of the feast being celebrated on that day. On normal ferias, optional memorials and memorials only two candles are used. On days ranked as feasts four candles are placed on the altar while on solmnities and all Sundays the number rises to six candles as shown. Should the diocesan Bishop celebrate Mass it is customary to use seven candles on the altar reflecting the completeness in him of the Sacrament of Orders and derives rom the ancient custom of the Diocese of Rome. The candles do also have symbolic significance. Their light signifies Christ, the light of the world while their gradual burning down as the wax is consumed by the flame serves as a sign of Christ's self-sacrifice in the service of his mission.