The church building is a home for the church, the people, the parish community. The church building, especially the interior, is a reflection of the Catholic faith as well as an expression of the parish community which worships there.

West Entrance

One of the first things we see at the main entrance of Saint Anne Church is a pool of water. Baptism is the "door" to the Church. It is the way we enter Christ's family. The baptismal pool, or baptismal font, stands at the door of the Church and reminds us that every time we come to the Celebration of the Eucharist, we come through baptism. The flowing water from the upper font to the lower pool has great significance because it is the living water that is the reminder of baptism, not the font itself. The holy water fonts, at the west, south and north entrances of the Church, serve as a reminder of the baptismal pool. Upon entering the church building, we dip our hand in the water and mark ourselves anew with that sign in which we were baptized-the sign of the cross.

Standing by the baptismal pool is a large candle, the paschal candle. At the Paschal Vigil on the eve of Easter Sunday, this candle was plunged into the waters of the baptismal pool as the church prayed that the Holy Spirit unseal this font to become the womb of new life for the church. This prayer takes on special meaning at funerals when this water is sprinkled on the casket as it arrives at the church door.

Also in the baptismal area on the window glass is a small cabinet, the ambry,which contains three vessels of oil: the Oil of Catechumens (OC) which is used to bless and strengthen those preparing for baptism; the Oil of the Sick (OS) with which the priest brings Jesus' strength and healing to those who are joined with the suffering Christ in serious illness; and the Sacred Chrism (SC) which is used in celebrating the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. The word "Christ" means "anointed," and when one is anointed with holy oil it is a sign of a special relationship with Christ, the Anointed One.

On either side of the Baptismal pool/font are the Reconciliation Chapels, small rooms designed for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). The south Reconciliation Chapel features a small tapestry of Christ the Healer; the north Reconciliation Chapel features a small tapestry of Christ the Shepherd. The Reconciliation Chapels are located near the baptismal area because of the historical relation between these two sacraments. The Sacrament of Penance developed from the need to reconcile Christians who were not faithful to their baptismal promises and who had separated themselves from the community by their sins. Each Reconciliation Chapel offers the penitent a choice between speaking face to face with the priest or the anonymity provided by the confessional screen.

Nave of the Church

Leaving the baptismal area, we come into the assembly area, the nave (from the Latin word for "boat"). This area only looks right when there is an actual assembly of God's people at prayer. The pews are angled so as to give people a sense of being "gathered together" as a community and "gathered together" around the altar. The faithful are in a very real way visible and audible to each other. "In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else, for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy).

Accessible from the northwest corner of the assembly area up five stairs is the Children's Chapel of the Guardian Angels. This room is available for infants and young children who may need to express themselves in a place that would not be disturbing to the larger assembly. On the walls of this chapel are six "guardian spirits" of various ethnic backgrounds. Also there is the traditional statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague.

Altar Area

Wherever we stand in the church building, our attention is drawn to the focal area of the liturgical action and to the three significant objects we find there: the presider's chair, the pulpit and the altar. Formally this area was called the sanctuary (Latin sanctus, "holy"), but when "sanctuary" is used we must be careful not to imply that this is the only holy area in the building, for indeed the entire church, the entire assembly area, is a holy place. This sanctuary area is equipped with a ramp for handicapped accessibility.

The presider's chair, along with chairs for other ministers, are arranged so that the presiding and functioning ministers are part of the one assembly, yet conveniently situated for the exercise of their respective offices. Also in the area we see the pulpit (ambo or lectern) from which is proclaimed the Word of God and upon which is placed the lectionary, the book of readings from Sacred Scripture. The pulpit has a motorized adjustable reading desk to accommodate the height of the reader or preacher.

Of prime importance in the church is the altar, the holy table upon which is celebrated the Lord's Supper. The altar functions as both altar of sacrifice and banquet table for the Eucharist, and is both "a memorial of Christ's death and resurrection" and "a paschal banquet 'in which Christ is eaten, the heart is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory given to us'" (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 47, quoting St. Thomas Aquinas). The altar of white carrara marble was solemnly anointed during the Dedication of the renovated Church as were the interior walls, the place of anointing being marked by four wooden crosses imbedded with a small piece of green marble. A wood carving of Eucharistic symbols hangs between the marble posts of the altar.

The relics of Saint Caelestina and Saint Eutropius (early Roman martyrs), first sealed in the top of the altar by Bishop Lawrence B. Casey upon the dedication of the Church on February 10, 1959, have been removed and were placed under the altar, along with relics of the Korean Martyrs (1839-1867), during the Dedication of the renovated Church by Bishop Matthew H. Clark on September 16, 1995. Near the altar is a crucifix, which also serves as a processional cross. The corpus (body) on the cross was hand carved in Switzerland. In the cross we see the basic symbol of any liturgical celebration-the paschal mystery of Christ.

North Transept

In the north transept is located the tabernacle (tabernaculum, Latin for "tent"), the "little house" in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept. The purpose of this reservation is to bring communion to the sick and to be the object of private adoration. The small Eucharistic chapel area with the newly added pillars and refinished tabernacle is specifically designed and separate from the major space so that no confusion can take place between the celebration of the Eucharist and the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. As an indication of Christ's presence and as a mark of reverence, two special candles or sanctuary lamps burn continuously before the tabernacle in which the Eucharist is reserved. Over the entrance arch of the chapel is the ancient symbol of Christ, the ChiRho-the first two letters in Greek for the word "CHRIST." This Eucharistic Chapel allows for private adoration and meditation which gives proper attention to the reserved Sacrament.

The Painting of Saint Anne

What is unique about being Catholic is how we imagine things. The Catholic imagination is analogical. That is, Catholics assume a God who is present in the world, a God who is disclosed in and through creation. The world and all its events, objects and people tend to be somewhat like God.

Dominating the east wall of the church interior is a ten foot high copy, handpainted on canvas, of Bartolome Esteban Murillo's (1618-1682) "Saint Anne Teaching the Child Mary." The original painting is housed in The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.

The beautiful stained glass windows in the nave and transepts honor Saints Anne and Joachim, the Blessed Virgin and her Son. High in the altar area are small windows with the symbols of the Sacraments. One of the historical functions of stainedglass windows, in addition to bathing the assembly area with their beautiful light, was to illustrate the stories of the Bible for those who could not read or afford expensive manuscripts.

On the walls of the nave is the Way of the Cross, pictures of incidents (numbered 1 to 14) in the last journey of Jesus from Pilate's house, where He was condemned to death, to His entombment. From an early date pilgrims to the Holy Land would visit these places (or stations) and follow in the footsteps of Jesus on His way to Calvary. In the later Middle Ages the devotional Way of the Cross was made popular to enable those who could not afford the rigors and expense of a long pilgrimage to the Holy Land to participate in the passion of Jesus in their own villages. Each of the stations provides an opportunity to meditate on an event of the Passion.

On the walls of the north and south transepts are five statues: The Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, Saint Anne with the child Mary, Saint Therese of Lisieux, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These statues, originating from the original woodframe church building, nourish the devotion and piety of individual parishioners while not detracting from the action of the worshipping assembly.

Candles are found in both devotional areas and in the assembly area of the church. Even in our age of electrical lighting, the symbolic function of the candles remains the beautiful quality of candlelight whereby the candle consumes itself in service of the sacred mysteries. Votive candles in front of a statue can serve as a reminder that our prayers continue even after we leave the church.

South Transept

Music is integral to Roman Catholic worship and good liturgical music can help transcend our daily human existence. The cantor, choir and organist in this location are united to the worshipping assembly and they give encouragement to congregational participation. The Pipe Organ is a 29 rank electropneumatic instrument (opus 15) built by James A. Konzelman of Hoboken, New Jersey. Its expanded American classic tonal design is highly compatible with Roman Catholic liturgy as well as being suitable for the performance of all styles of organ literature.

Assembly of people

Having looked at the beauty of the interior of Saint Anne Church, it is important to remember that the principal beauty of any Catholic church is the hospitality of its assembly, the eagerness with which we hear the Word of God, the devotion with which we share the Holy Eucharist and the love which we take forth to transform the earth.

The newly renovated interior of Saint Anne Church provides a beautiful and inspiring environment that supports effectively our worship of God and service to one another.