Dear Fellow Parishioners,

From time to time a visitor will ask me a question about the church building, the Mass or the Catholic faith. More often than not, those questions lead me to do a bit of research to dig a bit deeper.

Two days ago I celebrated a funeral which drew people from around the Bay Area and beyond. One of the congregants emailed me a question last night: “I have a question for you: to the left of the altar, mounted on the wall, there is a display cabinet with three crystal decanters. Is that sacramental wine from a special set of Masses there?” If he had that question, others surely wondered the same thing.

The display cabinet is called an “ambry,” and is used to store and display the three sacred oils consecrated for sacramental use by the bishop on Holy Thursday: the Sacred Chrism (for Ordination, Confirmation and Baptism), the Oil of the Sick (for Anointing of the Sick, what we used to call Last Rites or Extreme Unction) and Oil of the Catechumens (for Baptism and receiving adults into the Church).

A little more research reveals more interesting details. “Ambry” comes from the Latin “armarium,” and originally referred to a closet, cupboard or even bookshelf. In fact, “armarium” is a cognate with the French “armoire,” those free-standing closets still used in old houses lacking built-in closets.

In the past, the ambry was used to reserve the Blessed Sacrament, a practice which is now forbidden in favor of proper locked tabernacles. Former guidelines required that the oil vessels be covered with violet cloth (for the Oil of the Sick) or white cloth (for the Sacred Chrism). Since olive oil degrades when exposed to light – that’s why it’s generally sold in cans or green glass bottles – Christian tradition and science once again go hand in hand.

Finally, a note on a sensitive topic – noise at Mass. I approach this matter with utmost care, as I rejoice in the size and diverse nature of our parish community. And while one is rightly skeptical of self-testimonials on this subject, I love children. Even better, according to our annual October Mass counts over the past several years, Mass attendance at SV is up 70% since 2018, distributed over 6 Masses. Some children, despite their parents’ best efforts, get fussy – even loudly so – during Mass. That’s just what kids do, and has nothing to do with being naughty or misbehaving. (I don’t intend to be crude, but we spend the beginning of our lives in diapers, and end our lives in much the same way, and there’s not much we can do about either…)

At the same time, there are some people – I among them – who have age-related hearing loss. If there is sustained loud noise at Mass, two things happen: Some wearing hearing aids have that sound painfully amplified, and I cannot speak, because I must hear my own voice in order to continue speaking. (Side point: If I briefly pause preaching when there is a lot of ambient noise in the church, it is only because I cannot hear myself speak. My only humble request is that, in order for us all to share the same worship space, we all be reasonable. Reasonably accommodating of parents with fussy children, and reasonably accommodating of those with hearing issues. A quick trip to the vestibule with a fussy child is usually all it takes. For those with hearing issues, sitting closer to the front can usually help as well.

Happy Super Bowl, and happy (early) Valentine’s Day!

Fr Bill Donahue