The church building is a home for the church, the people, the parish community. The church building, especially the interior, is a reflection of the Catholic faith as well as an expression of the parish community which worships there.

Atrium (Narthex)

One of the first things we see in the Atrium of Holy Eucharist Church is a pool of water. Baptism is the "door" to the Church. It is the way we enter Christ's family. The baptismal pool, or baptismal font, stands at the door of the Church and reminds us that every time we come to the Celebration of the Eucharist, we come through baptism. The flowing water from the upper font to the lower pool has great significance because it is the living water that is the reminder of baptism, not the font itself.  Upon entering the church building, we dip our hand in the water and mark ourselves anew with that sign in which we were baptized-the sign of the cross.

Standing by the baptismal pool is a large candle, the paschal candle. At the Paschal Vigil on the eve of Easter Sunday, this candle was plunged into the waters of the baptismal pool as the church prayed that the Holy Spirit unseal this font to become the womb of new life for the church. This prayer takes on special meaning at funerals when this water is sprinkled on the casket as it arrives at the church door.

Also in the baptismal area on the window glass is a small cabinet, the ambry,which contains three vessels of oil: the Oil of Catechumens (OC) which is used to bless and strengthen those preparing for baptism; the Oil of the Sick (OS) with which the priest brings Jesus' strength and healing to those who are joined with the suffering Christ in serious illness; and the Sacred Chrism (SC) which is used in celebrating the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. The word "Christ" means "anointed," and when one is anointed with holy oil it is a sign of a special relationship with Christ, the Anointed One.

On the side of the Baptismal pool/font are the Reconciliation Chapels, small rooms designed for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). The south Reconciliation Chapel features one stained glass window . The Reconciliation Chapels are located near the baptismal area because of the historical relation between these two sacraments. The Sacrament of Penance developed from the need to reconcile Christians who were not faithful to their baptismal promises and who had separated themselves from the community by their sins. Each Reconciliation Chapel offers the penitent a choice between speaking face to face with the priest or the anonymity provided by the confessional screen.
 

Nave of the Church

Leaving the baptismal area, we come into the assembly area, the nave (from the Latin word for "boat"). This area only looks right when there is an actual assembly of God's people at prayer. The chairs are angled so as to give people a sense of being "gathered together" as a community and "gathered together" around the altar. The faithful are in a very real way visible and audible to each other. "In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else, for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy).

Altar Area

The presider's chair, along with chairs for other ministers, are arranged so that the presiding and functioning ministers are part of the one assembly, yet conveniently situated for the exercise of their respective offices. Also in the area we see the ambo (pulpit or lectern) from which is proclaimed the Word of God and upon which is placed the lectionary, the book of readings from Sacred Scripture.

Of prime importance in the church is the altar, the holy table upon which is celebrated the Lord's Supper. The altar functions as both altar of sacrifice and banquet table for the Eucharist, and is both "a memorial of Christ's death and resurrection" and "a paschal banquet 'in which Christ is eaten, the heart is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory given to us'" (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 47, quoting St. Thomas Aquinas).

Music is integral to Roman Catholic worship and good liturgical music can help transcend our daily human existence. The cantor, choir and organist in this location are united to the worshipping assembly and they give encouragement to congregational participation. Donated by Stephen Lee and the Lee Family, Holy Eucharist’s organ is a Rodger’s Model 890 “pipe augmented organ” – installed before Christmas, 1989.   There are 407 pipes and an electronic augmentation system for the lower notes. Its expanded American classic tonal design is highly compatible with Roman Catholic liturgy as well as being suitable for the performance of all styles of organ literature.

Assembly of People

Having looked at the beauty of the interior of Holy Eucharist Church, it is important to remember that the principal beauty of any Catholic church is the hospitality of its assembly, the eagerness with which we hear the Word of God, the devotion with which we share the Holy Eucharist and the love which we take forth to transform the earth.

Holy Eucharist Church provides a beautiful and inspiring environment that supports effectively our worship of God and service to one another.

Daily Chapel

Holy Eucharist Daily Chapel is a place where people could have close contact with Our Lord and which would be near their workplace. It is ideal for small assemblies. Morning Mass or a  Communion Service is offered daily Monday thru Friday at 9:00 am . The chapel is frequently utilized for religious education,  prayer meetings and devotions.

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Eucharistic Chapel

In the Eucharistic Chapel is located the tabernacle (tabernaculum, Latin for "tent"), the "little house" in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept. The purpose of this reservation is to bring communion to the sick and to be the object of private adoration. This small Eucharistic chapel  with carved wall decorations and adoration kneelers is specifically designed and separate from the major space so that no confusion can take place between the celebration of the Eucharist and the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. As an indication of Christ's presence and as a mark of reverence, a special candle or sanctuary lamp burn continuously before the tabernacle in which the Eucharist is reserved. On the wall of the chapel is the ancient monogram for the name  of Christ: " IHS." This Eucharistic Chapel allows for private adoration and meditation which gives proper attention to the reserved Sacrament.

The Sacristy dressing area is the area where the priest prepares for Mass. It houses the  liturgical vestments, sacred vessels and  incense burners.

Stations, Statues and Stained Glass

 What is unique about being Catholic is how we imagine things. The Catholic imagination is analogical. That is, Catholics assume a God who is present in the world, a God who is disclosed in and through creation. The world and all its events, objects and people tend to be somewhat like God. In the front of the Nave is a crucifix carved out of wood The Corpus was added to the cross in 1989. It was created by Robert K. Carsten of  Springfield, Vermont.

On the walls of the nave is the Way of the Cross, pictures of incidents (numbered 1 to 14) in the last journey of Jesus from Pilate's house, where He was condemned to death, to His entombment. From an early date pilgrims to the Holy Land would visit these places (or stations) and follow in the footsteps of Jesus on His way to Calvary. In the later Middle Ages the devotional Way of the Cross was made popular to enable those who could not afford the rigors and expense of a long pilgrimage to the Holy Land to participate in the passion of Jesus in their own villages. Each of the stations provides an opportunity to meditate on an event of the Passion. On March 1, 1996, the stations of the cross were added; they were sculpted by Holy Eucharist parishioner Joseph Palecki. The designs of the stations were taken from the original drawings of Henry Jung, the architect who designed Holy Eucharist Church. 

Faith Formation Center

Here are our meeting rooms that we use to educate our children in our faith and the Faith Formation Room where our RCIA candidates receive religious education. The children meet in the weekday evening with approximately 800 students. The RCIA candidates meet on Sunday mornings to discuss and learn about the faith. Each room is named for a holy person and a short biography of that person is located near the room entrance.

Hoffman Hall

This is a large room that can accommodate 298 people. It has a kitchen attached and this area is used for Hospitality after mass, for the showing of films, and for various dinner affairs. The room is named after Flora and George Hoffman who provided for a major part of the funding in their will.