Altar Screen

Introduction

The Altar Screen behind the altar at St. John XXIII was installed during the renovation of the worship space that occurred in the summer of 2022. Though it was new to us at that time, it was inherited from the chapel at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe sold the seminary, which had been used as a conference and retreat center in recent years, and St John XXIII parish was fortunate enough to receive the Altar Screen, which had been in the sanctuary of the chapel since the early 1960s, when it was decommissioned.

The artist behind the Altar Screen is a sculptor from Chicago who moved to Santa Fe in 1955, Donna Quasthoff. Gilbert and Son of Albuquerque executed the ironwork from Quasthoff’s panel designs. The original Corpus was Nambeware struck by workmen in Nambe from a cast sculpted by Quasthoff, and the current Corpus is made from her mold of the original in a material that uses both metal and plastic. 

Over the next several weeks, we will explore the individual panels of this Altar Screen and reflect on the symbols and meaning each one holds.

The Incarnation

One of the central images of the Altar Screen is the central tenet of our faith: the incarnation. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born into the world through Mary to save humanity from sin. This depiction of Mary at the Annunciation is the turning point of our salvation. The lilies represent her purity and innocence as well as humanity’s new beginning. Mary’s arms are open in acceptance of her role as “Theotokos,” or “God-bearer.” Through her cooperation, the Word was made flesh. This image stands at the foot of the cross just as this event stood at the foot of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. 

Witness to the Crucifixion

The other central image of the Altar Screen is a depiction of three witnesses to Christ’s crucifixion: Mary, the mother of Jesus, John, the beloved disciple, and Mary of Magdala, who will be the first to proclaim the news of his resurrection. These three witnesses lend us inspiration and provide a model for our own witness to the Paschal Mystery.

Mary is standing. It is undeniable that her suffering would have been second only to Jesus himself, and yet her love, faith, hope, and strength steady her enough to remain standing through her ordeal. The weight of our own suffering can feel oppressive, but there is strength to be found in our witness to the Body and Blood of Christ. 

John is bowed down. Despite his own suffering, he accepts Jesus’ instruction to care for Mary as his own mother and receives the care of Mary in return.  The way his head is inclined also speaks about extending that care to others as he is doing for Mary of Magdala beside him. We, too, received Mary as our Spiritual Mother and have been instructed to reach out with the care and compassion we have received, despite being bowed down by our own circumstances of suffering. 

Mary of Magdala is collapsed and weeping. Though the Gospel depicts her this way at finding the empty tomb and not during the crucifixion itself, it is easy to accept that the weight of suffering can cause us to respond as Mary does. And yet, despite her overwhelming grief, she was present while many of Jesus’ other disciples were not. Her example of witness can inspire us to keep bringing our broken, suffering selves to being present to and with Jesus.

The Evangelists

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the attributed authors of the first four books of the New Testament. Called Gospels, which means “Good News,” these four books tell of Jesus’ life, ministry, teaching, Passion, death, and Resurrection. A prophetic vision by Ezekiel and referential scene in the Book of Revelation are interpreted as including a depiction of the Four Evangelists (from Euangelion, which is the Greek word for Gospel) as winged creatures with books, symbolizing their role as messengers of God’s Word. 



The winged lion is St Mark. Though placed second in the canon of the New Testament, it is widely accepted that Mark’s Gospel was written first among the four. It is the shortest NT Gospel and it begins with John’s preaching in the wilderness and Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. This is one reason Mark is depicted as a Lion since John’s voice is described as a roar. Another reason for the depiction as a Lion is the energy of this Gospel. It races from event to event- identifying Jesus as the Son of God from the outset and taking the reader on a fast-paced journey to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. One more connection of Mark and his Gospel with a lion is a prophetic poem from the Book of Genesis that foretells a Messiah very much like the way Mark portrays Him: the Lion of Judah, showing courage and strength in facing opposition and death. 

The winged ox is St Luke. The Gospel of St Luke, which is written by the same author as the book known as the Acts of the Apostles, is the last of the synoptic Gospels. The creature that represents this Gospel is the winged ox due to the use of oxen as temple sacrifices. This Gospel begins with a story about Zechariah, who had priestly duties at the temple and was the father of John the Baptist. From this beginning, Luke’s Gospel highlights the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ life and ministry and prepares us to understand the significance of his ultimate sacrifice for our sins and our salvation. Oxen are used for their strength and have a role in our service, which is how Luke portrays Jesus: as a servant leader who calls us to play a supportive role in the lives of others. Throughout the gospel, Luke calls upon the Christian disciple to identify with the master Jesus, who is caring and tender toward the poor and lowly, the outcast, the sinner, and the afflicted, toward all those who recognize their dependence on God.

The eagle is St John. The Gospel of St John is quite different in character from the Synoptic Gospels. While the other 3 Gospels are largely focused on the narrative of Jesus in a biographical way, John utilizes his narrative in a theological way. The eagle, then, is attributed to John since it focuses on that which “comes from above” and it attempts to reveal more than what can be readily seen. Also, as the traditional author of the book of Revelation, too, John’s perspective soars “beyond the horizon.” This does not mean that the events in the Gospel of John are less accurate than the Synoptic Gospel, it is just that John develops the significance of those events and is less concerned with their chronological order. When reading and reflecting on the Gospel of John, it is important to remember that his goal was to invite us to encounter Jesus, see his divine nature, and embrace the life He offers through faith. He wanted to report the signs of Jesus so that we “may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief we may have life in his name.” 

One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church

The bottom row of panels on the Altar Screen represents 4 marks of the Church, the same 4 we say when we recite the Nicene Creed: that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. 

The Church is ONE. There were pomegranate decorations on the vestments of Aaron, the first High Priest, and on Solomon’s Temple, an ancient symbol of the creative power of God, the immense variety of His creations, and His many blessings for us.  The Church has also adopted this symbol to represent the unity of the many believers of Christ. Each seed is able to sprout into new life and all those seeds are held together as one fruit, just as the multitude of the faithful are held together as one Church. The Church is one because it is united under one Lord, Jesus Christ, and shares one faith, one baptism, and one Spirit. This unity transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. This “one-ness” is a reflection of the unity of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.