Layout of a church

Layout of a Church with focus on Catholic churches

Plan of Old St Peter's Basilica, showing atrium (courtyard), narthex (vestibule), central nave with double aisles, a bema for the clergy extending into a transept, and an exedra or semi-circular apse.

Cathedral ground plan. The shaded area is the transept; the darker shading at the centre represents the crossing.

see What's in a Catholic church building?

altar

• from Latin altare for "high place for sacrifice"
  • perhaps from combination of adolere for "sacrifice by burning"
  • + altus for "high"
• the altar is in the "sanctuary" and is where the "word of God" is proclaimed

apse

• rounded area at the back of the sanctuary
• placed in the liturgical east end of the church

catacomb

• "Sepulchral vaults" = underground burial tombs
• from Latin cata tumbas "among the graves"
  • cata = among + comb = graves or tombs
    • derived from Latin cumbere "to lie:
  • unrelated to "catechism"

cathedra

• the raised throne, or seat, for the bishop
• from Latin cathedra for "arm chair"
• chancel
  • the enclosed area that marks the sanctuary of a church
  • from Latin cancelli for "grating," "bars"

Crucifix formats

• Cruciform
  • Christ crucified, usually depicted as having suffered and dead
  • may not always be in death
    • the spear or spear wound indicates Christ as dead, since the Roman soldier speared him to ensure that he was dead (water and blood flowed out, like from the temple of Jerusalem)
• Resurrectiform
  • • Christ resurrected and triumphant
• "bare Cross"
  • without Christ
  • not used by the Catholic Church

Church placement

Cruciform (church building)

• a church laid out in the shape of a cross

Liturgical east and west

• regards the orientation of a church
• the alter is traditionally placed at the east end of the church
• when the congregation faces east towards the alter, it is "Liturgical east"
• regardless of the actual orientation of a church, east is the direction towards the alter, and west is the other end
  • thus the "back" is the "west end"

narthex

• the immediate area by the entrance to the Nave
  • might be called a "lobby" in secular terms
• traditionally, the narthex marks the close space between the atrium (front courtyard) and the nave
• may also be referred to as a "vestibule," which in Roman architecture was a lobby and entranceway

nave

• the interior area of a church where the parishioners worship (w/ the pews)
  • as distinct from the "bema", which is the raised area upon which the alter resides
• "nave" = "ship" in Latin
  • from PIE *nau- for "boat" (thus "navy" in English)

niche

• • a recess or built-in area along a wall
    • usually contains a statue
  • is usually dome-shaped at the top like an apse

sanctuary

• • also called presbytery
  • the holy area of a church around the alter and where God resides
  • = the area reserved for the priests
  • it is sometimes marked off by a chancel, which is enclosed by bars or grating

tabernacle

• • "sacred house"
  • the container for the Eucharist (the consecrated communion hosts)
• transept
  • the area of a cruciform church that marks the horizontal bar of the cross