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Stacy Y
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:05pm | IP Logged
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Hi, my husband and I and our children just came into the church this past year, and I am interested in setting up a "home altar" for my family. I need a little guidance as to what some of the key statues/pictures I should have, and maybe where to find a reasonably priced source? I don't mind making a bit of an investment, but most catalogs I've seen price statues and prints at astronomical prices! I am starting totally from scratch here, we have one metal crucifix in the living room and a holy water font, so any guidance would be appreciated. Looking forward to adding some Catholic culture to my home... Thanks! Stacy
Mom to Cammi (2/03) Will (9/04) John (8/06) Charlie (8/07) and Anna (2/09)
So Blessed
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mcchatty
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 10:01pm | IP Logged
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I began by decorating the buffet in our dining room. I bought felt in the appropriate colors(I have green, red, purple, white and blue) YOu can get some inexpensive votive holders and get candles in the appropriate colors. You can print out some prayers for each liturgical season and mount them on colored card stock, display them on the little easels made for diplaying dcorative plates. While you search (and save for) the right statues, try framing some holy cards in small stand up frames. As kids do crafts and Saints coloring pages, dislay those. Maybe a basket with the family's rosaries.
I would start by buying a missal, a liturgical calendar and a prayer book(maybe an adult version and a child's edition).
Gods blessings on you as you explore this, it's been a huge blessing for our family.
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ekbell
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| Posted: July 25 2009 at 8:03pm | IP Logged
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When I started with our home altar, it was the top of a short bookcase.
I put a runner on it and our family Bible, my prayer book, a small glazed pot with our rosaries and a pair of candles (vase with flowers during the summer months).
I hung a crucifix and a small icon of Mary and Jesus overhead.
My children enjoy making the projects in Seton Art 1 and displaying them on or over the altar.
I find that the Altar is better with less rather then more. For everything new I put on, I need to take something off.
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JenSpinner
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 11:43am | IP Logged
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Our family came in to the Church this year, too, and our home altar is very simple.
We already had a black shelf on our wall, so we fashioned a covering out of lace and ordered a lovely porcelain crucifix to hang over it, as well as similarly-styled statues of St. Joseph and Our Lady to place on the altar. We have three small votives - alternating clear blue and clear "white" - and a small glass apothecary-style bottle of holy water. Nothing fancy at all! We bought the statues and crucifix through EWTN and the rest was purchased at our local thrift store.
Our challenge has been finding art and other items that blend with our decor. We both love the classic art of the Church but aren't big on gilding and terribly ornate frames. We think it's all beautiful, mind you, but it looks rather out of place in our rather "country" home!
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Stacy Y
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Thanks everyone, for the ideas. Jen, we have a "country" style home too, so I was trying to picture in my mind how to make a home altar work in a prominet location without looking awkward or out of place. I don't feel too overwhelmed anymore! God Bless, Stacy
Mom to Cammi (2/03) Will (9/04) John (8/06) Charlie (8/07) and Anna (2/09)
So Blessed
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JenSpinner
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:01pm | IP Logged
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I hope it's okay to post links - I want to show you the items we purchased. Our altar is in the most prominent place in the home, though it wasn't (initially) by design. The shelf was already there and it just seemed the logical place! When you walk in, it's the first thing you notice... though that could be thanks to the fact that there's lace and statuary... kind of out of place in the average home these days.
Jen
Alabaster Wall Crucifix
St. Joseph Statue
Our Lady of Grace Statue
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 27 2009 at 9:45pm | IP Logged
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Jen,
I fixed your links above...anytime you try to copy code directly into a post, a space is automatically inserted somewhere in that URL that prevents it from being active. To link to an item click on that little square above the text-posting box - it has a globe and a little link in it. Click it. The prompt will ask you for the words you want your link to say, so for your first link I entered, "Alabaster Wall Crucifix" - click ok. Now it will ask you for the actual URL, copy that from the address line of your website into this space and hit ok. You should have an active link now.
Stacy,
I wanted to encourage you to continue exactly as you are right now. A family altar is a very enriching addition in the family spaces, and you are wise to proceed simply and a little at a time because if you try to do/display too much it can feel overwhelming and not natural. Over the years you will find that you will have gathered a nice collection that is able to outfit feast days on your home altar.
A simple table or shelf will do the trick. I remember Rita Munn (CHC) saying that she moved a cedar chest under a living room window and used that.
My favorite items for displaying...
Use what you have - it doesn't have to be large. I think of a crucifix as necessary. I like having a statue of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart, the Holy Family, and St. Joseph. Holy cards fill in nicely as well as art prints and they are less expensive than statuary. Perhaps invest in some special statues, and then use holy cards for the rest of your seasonal displays. Also, I've been able to find some nice but smallish statues of Blessed Kateri, John Paul II, etc - about 4" tall. I like using vibrant silks on our table that coordinate with the liturgical season as well. I picked up a few lovely vases for displaying flowers, especially for feasts of Our Lady. A few blessed candles (plan to have a few blessed in February - Candlemas). The children can add to the family altar. One of my favorite displays was when my children painted the seven sorrows (dolors) of Our Lady - we displayed their art on the Feast Table on Our Lady of Sorrows Feast.
Our family feast table is out in a prominent place as well, but I think that has also translated into a great opportunity for setting the liturgical year front and center of our days.
Good luck! I know your family will be so blessed as you endeavor to provide a small space set aside for the celebration and observation of the liturgical year.
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 28 2009 at 9:59pm | IP Logged
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Oh gosh, I'm sorry I hope I don't sound too foolish but I have to ask: Are there any DON'Ts for a home altar? How exactly would you define a home altar to a non-Catholic?
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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JenPre
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Kathryn wrote:
| Oh gosh, I'm sorry I hope I don't sound too foolish but I have to ask: Are there any DON'Ts for a home altar? How exactly would you define a home altar to a non-Catholic? |
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I don't know about any don'ts for a home altar. But as for explaining it to a non-Catholic (or even to a Catholic who has never seen/thought of doing this at home!) I would say that it's a place to center our prayer when we pray at home either as a family or individually. A little "retreat center" in our homes to pray the Rosary; read Scripture or just to sit to focus our minds on our Lord.
I find that since I set up my "prayer table" I'm better able to focus my prayers at home. Plus it helps me celebrate the Liturgical Year at home.
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Jen
Mommy to Marie-Therese born 12/4/09
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Cay Gibson
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I discovered what-seems-to-be a very nice book today:
Reminders of God: Altars for Personal and Family Devotion by Anne F. Grizzle
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Cay Gibson
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Here was a brief thread on home altars.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Jenny L.
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Thanks for posting all of these wonderful links, ladies. I am in the process of trying to set an altar up in our home and I think my best space right now is our dining room buffet. It is half hidden by the table, but I don't trust my toddler enough for it to be anywhere else.
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florasita
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start simple and eveutally your altar / altars will grow .
I say this because during the yr of my coming into the church I carved my own altar and purchased a statue for it .I had a candle and a prayer book that was about it.
well many yrs aletr . we have my kitchen altar with OLMC painted in a seashell , I put holy cards for certain feast days or like this past month I had a Pic of Thr percious Blood devotinal and a red cord sent to me from a family apostlate .
I have a lily from my garden and a few items from my child hood which were given at my baptism . You see items that remind us of Him or help us come to Him end up on the altar .
I explained it a bit on our blog how I can see to my baptist friend when she came over and saw this pice of a jaw bone sitting there she might assume it was some wacky nutty pagan item . Where as it is just a peice from my childhood where I worked all day at 4yo with Our Lord learning perseverence  it had great signifigance for me during my formation so I placed it there to remind me .
Then I have a childrens prayer table / altar especially for grandson when he vists . This is an old wooden cocacola crate turned sideways with a nice cloth covering it. This acts both as altar and storage for his religious books , rosary blocks,and different plastic statues underneath .
Then each child and myself have our own personal dresser tops with a candle , statue , prayer cards and devotions that we are personally called to . Holy water bottle also in each child's room on thier altar .
Basically if it dosen't have anything to do with Him it shouldn't be on your altar. so my grandsons may have acorns from the cemetary we vist in the fall I have a small mini Karosene lantern and a little native american doll on mine respresents His light and blessed Kateri . a piece of birch bark and a plastic play mobile bunny rabbit . I most often expereince the Grace of Union while in nature so these items are my visual .
Scent can be nice too . real insence or a scented cansle . I burn rose water in a little pot pourri burner this reminds me of Our Lady . I have a little mini of the church in Chimayo also which reminds me of His passion .
You can see the possibilities are endless but just begin from your heart . if in doubt ask Him and it will no doubt be shown which devotion , which statue , which box , or dresser etc. need be used
I'm sure much fruit is going to come
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May I rise & rest with words of Gratitude on my Breath
May I have the Heart & Mind of a Child in my Depth
May I forever remember to be a Light
May Peace Love & Hope be My Sight
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SuzanneG
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Thanks for mentioning this, Cay.....I got this from the library and perused it last night and it's really good! I'm looking forward to reading it entirely.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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molly
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Don't forget thrift stores and yard sales for less expensive route.
And oddly enough, Walmart has garden statues at very reasonable prices. We got a 3' Our Lady of Guadalupe there for 50.00. I know they have smaller St Joseph and various Mary statues as well. Otherwise all my shrines and statues are second hand. I like hunting them down, and honoring them, and praying for the souls who originally honored them.
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Lisbet
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I always scour Goodwill for religious statues and have come up with some pretty good finds. I am more relaxed with my children around them that way also, as they are so inexpensive.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Home Altar Set up and resources
