Our Church is a holy place. It is holy because we come here for worship, to be nourished in faith through the Gospel and preaching, to open our hearts and minds to God in prayers of praise, thanksgiving and petition, to celebrate the mystery of our salvation in Jesus Christ and to dedicate ourselves to a life of holiness and service to the Lord. The church building itself reflects this faith and calls us to enter into communion with God. We invite you to share our faith in Jesus Christ, to experience our worship, and to live a life dedicated to the service of God and one another in Jesus' name.

The altar is placed in the center of the sanctuary and is the most sacred object in the church. It is called the holy table, because it represents the holy table of the upper room where the Lord shared His Mystical Supper with His disciples. It is seen as the throne of God for it rests on the Holy Gospels, the Word of God. The altar is clothed in majesty and glory because it is a sign of God's glory and majesty. On the altar are kept: the Gospel Book as a sign of the Living Word dwelling in our midst, the cross as a sign of Jesus' sacrifice, and the Eucharist, kept in the tabernacle, as the sign of the Eternal covenant with God in Jesus Christ. Also kept on the altar is the antimension, a small cloth which depicts the Lord Jesus being placed in the tomb. Sewn into the antimension is a relic of a saint as a sign of our own pledge to die with Christ into new life. The antimension is blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday. The antimension was given to the parish from Bishop Michael Dudick, Byzantine Catholic Diocese of Passiac, N.J. as the sign of his jurisdiction over the celebration of the Eucharist in the parish.

Behind the altar is the crucifix as a constant reminder of Jesus' life-giving death. The three-bar cross is an identifying symbol of the Byzantine Slav tradition. The center bar represents the cross bar where Jesus' hands were nailed, the top bar the sign placed above Jesus' head "King of the Jews" and the bottom bar the footrest.

At the base of the altar are the Greek letters IC XC NIKA placed within a cross, which means "Jesus Christ conquers". Through His passion, death and resurrection, He has won salvation for us. At the altar we remember and celebrate His Victory and share in His most precious Body and Blood.

The Icon Screen is characteristic of all Byzantine Churches. An icon is a stylized religious depiction of any sacred person or event. The word "Icon" comes from the Greek EIKWN - which means to see. It is an attempt for us, here and now, to visualize the sacred persons and events of our faith, to see in them the divine presence and recognize that presence in our midst. Since God became man in Jesus Christ, we are able to look upon His image. "What the word transmits through the ear, the painting shows silently through the icon, and by these two means mutually accompanying one another, we receive knowledge of one and the same thing." (St. Basil the Great, On the Forty Martyrs ).

In order to show the transforming relationship which happens to one who enters into union with God a highly stylized technique is used. The eyes are always large, almost penetrating. They look at us directly and invite us to enter into the divine world. The nose is long and extended, a sign of the just man who is slow to anger (Jonah 4:2). All the senses are marked by a sign of God's transformation.

The Icon Screen serves as a visible sign of the union between heaven and earth; of the union with God and mankind. In the center of the Icon Screen are the royal doors. The filigree work is in the form of a grapevine. Jesus Himself is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:1-2). The Icons of the Evangelists are placed in the order in which they are found in the New Testament: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. Each evangelist is shown with the book he wrote. Through the Gospels Christ speaks to us. Through Christ the kingdom of God is opened to us. The royal doors are symbols of the Gates of Paradise. They are opened as an invitation for us to share in the Kingdom of God. The priest enters through the doors only when he acts in Christ's name.

The Icon of Jesus Christ is always placed to the right of the royal doors. He sits at the right hand of the Father and constantly intercedes with the Father for us. He is our high priest. The halo over Jesus asserts His divinity. Within the halo is a cruciform shape, the sign of His victory over death. The letters O W V are Greek. "He who is," the name of God given to Moses. On either side of the halo are the letters IC and XC which are the Greek abbreviations for Jesus Christ. The right hand of Jesus is raised in blessing and is also in the form of letters IC XC. In His left hand, Jesus holds an open Gospel Book with the text: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," (John 14:6). Jesus is the only person who holds an open book, because He Himself is the revelation of the Father. The deep reds of His garments signify the intensity of His love and purity, His love was so great as to shed His blood for us. The brown in the garments is the color of the earth, the gold the sign of divinity. In every way possible the Icon of Christ declares our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God and true man.

The Icon of the Mother of God is placed to the left of the royal doors. Her title, "Mother of God" is identified by the Greek letters MP OU, the abbreviation for Mother of God. Every icon of the Virgin Mary includes her son, Jesus Christ. She stands upright, straight and majestic and looks directly at the viewer. She is in the gesture of presentation. she indicates Jesus her Son, the Way, by pointing with her right arm. The Mother of God gives to all mankind the Son of God, who has come into the world through her. Her perpetual virginity is symbolized by three stars. The red in her garments symbolize her virginity while the blue is the color of greatest dignity. The child Jesus is presented look directly at the viewer. He is the Emmanuel, full of wisdom despite His tender years. The Mother of God becomes for us a model of faith and acceptance of God's word. Like her, we as Christians are called to present Christ to the world.

The Icon of St. Thomas is at the far right of the Icon Screen. St. Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles and is best known for doubting the Resurrection of Christ. St. Thomas is said to have preached the Gospel as far as India, and the orange-gold garment is in imitation of the robes worn by Indian monks. The green suggests growth in relation to his mission of preaching. He is shown holding the Gospel in his bare hand, a sign of his authority as an apostle. His right hand is in the form of a blessing to us. As patron of the Church he is shown interceding on our behalf.

The icon to the far left is that of St. Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of Byzantine Catholics, sailors, travelers, widows, orphans and children. St. Nicholas lived in the fourth century and is seen by the church as a model of faith. He is shown as an older mature man and is clothed in the vestments of a bishop. St. Nicholas holds the Gospel Book with his vestment, with his right hand raised in blessing in the form of IC XC, in the name of Jesus Christ. He is also in the position of intercession for us.

Icons of the Angels St. Michael and St. Gabriel are placed on the deacon doors. They are dressed in the robes of messengers and each holds a disc with a seal. St. Michael means one who is like God. St. Gabriel is the messenger of God who announced the plan of salvation to the Virgin Mary.

In the dome is an Icon of Jesus Christ the Almighty (Pantocrator), Jesus Christ is in the Glory of the Father and He will come to judge the living and the dead. He is the Lord Jesus, the One to whom we look in hope and to whom we must give an account for our lives. Jesus Christ is central to the life of believers. "Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations" ( Constitution on the Liturgy, Second Vatican Council). The Epistle to the Colossians tells us "The Head of this body is Christ. He is the image of the invisible God and in Him all things came into being. He has priority over everyone and in Him all things hold together. He is the Head of that body which is the Church" (1:15-18). Again St. Paul says "All the members ought to be molded into Christ's image until He is formed in them" (Gal. 4:19). The Icon of the Pantocrator expresses this faith.

There are three stained glass windows in the nave. On the right is the Last Supper. Judas is on the left, looking away from Christ. St. John the Evangelist leans against the breast of Jesus.

On the opposite side the window shows the appearance of Jesus to St. Thomas and the Eleven after His Resurrection. St. Thomas indicates the wounds with his hands.

The last window shows the Mother of God, our hope, enthroned in heaven, interceding by her constant prayers for us here on earth.

Our church visualizes our faith in Jesus Christ. Through the presence of the Icon Screen we see that salvation is for us here and now. We stand in this holy presence when we come together for worship. In His presence we listen to the Holy Gospel and celebrate the sacred mysteries of our faith. In Jesus Christ we are formed into a holy People of God and are called to live a life of Christian witness. We are created in the image and likeness of God. May we grow as living icons of our Lord God and Savior. May we walk in the path of the saints and grow in faith, life and spiritual understanding.

Text by Fr. John Bertha and Fr. John Zeyack

last updated 13 February 2000 Copyright © 1999-2001, St. Thomas the Apostle Church