
What is a Sanctuary?

The sanctuary is the high or elevated part of the church where God is present in the most Blessed Sacrament, and where the sacred action takes place: offering the holy Sacrifice of the Mass and offering the prayers of the people to God, and where we receive the answer of God - Jesus, his Beloved Son, who comes to us as food for our souls - Holy Communion. It is like the womb of a mother at the heart of the body of the church, which is the people of God, from which God brings forth new life for eternity out of the Font of Baptism. It is the hill of Calvary, where Jesus was crucified that we might be saved from our sins and be given a share in the eternal life of the Blessed Trinity. It is the open tomb of Easter, from which Jesus emerged victorious over death. It is the rock where Jesus ascended and will return.