What to Expect
​When I Come to a Catholic Church

Why is church so tall?

Churches were traditionally built not only to draw the eyes of congregants up, but also to draw their minds toward the divine. Divine comes from the Latin for 'of God.'

Vatican Flag

Some Catholic churches have a Vatican City flag in their entryways. The Swiss and Vatican flags are the only square national flags.

The bands of yellow and white are the same colors of the ribbon on the top of the hats worn by the Noble Guard (disbanded in 1970). 

Within the coat of arms, the two keys, symbolizing dominion over spiritual and temporal matters, represent the keys given to Peter, the first pope, by Jesus. "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)" Over the keys rests the papal tiara; it dates back to the eighth century.

Baptismal Font

The first sacrament received by Catholics is Baptism. The baptismal font is used when baptizing babies and small children. The font is filled with Holy Water. Holy Water is water that has been blessed; it is a 'sacramental,' or a sacred sign resembling the sacraments. Catholics dip their hands into the font in order to bless themselves and recall their baptismal promises.

Ambry

The ambry in the church is used to store oils that are used in anointing. There are three different oils there
Oil of the Sick This oil is used in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This practice is mentioned in the Bible in Mark 6:13 and James 5:14 as well as paragraphs 1499-1525 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Oil of Catechumens This oil is used at Baptism to purify and to strengthen. 'Catechumen' comes from the Greek for 'instruction' and refers to those preparing for Baptism.
Holy Chrism This oil is used in anointing at Baptism, Confirmation, and the Ordination of Priests. It was also used to anoint new monarchs during coronations.