The Council of Trent (1545-1563) decreed that the Blessed Sacrament be reserved in the churches (Sess. XIII, Cap. VI, Can. VII)
From our 1699 edition of the Council of Trent in the book collection in the Luck Room of Bishop’s House
THE RESERVATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND TAKING IT TO THE SICK
The custom of reserving the Holy Eucharist in a sacred place is so ancient[29] that even the period of the Nicene Council recognized that usage.[30] Moreover, the practice of carrying the Sacred Eucharist to the sick and of carefully reserving it for this purpose in churches, besides being exceedingly reasonable and appropriate, is also found enjoined in numerous councils[31] and is a very ancient observance of the Catholic Church.
Wherefore, this holy council decrees that this salutary and necessary custom be by all means retained.
(Sess. XIII, Cap. VI, Can. VII)
The tabernacle is a liturgical furnishing used to house the Eucharist outside of Mass. This provides a location where the Eucharist can be kept for the adoration of the faithful and for later use (e.g. distribution to the sick).
Canon Law requires, “The tabernacle in which the Eucharist is regularly reserved is to be immovable, made of solid or opaque material, and locked so that the danger of profanation may be entirely avoided” (CIC 938 §3).
The Auckland Catholic Diocese Archive holds a number of tabernacles illustrating changes in the design of this piece of liturgical furniture since 1894.
Chapel at Bishops House (1894)
From the former Catholic Chapel at the Devonport Naval Base
From a convent chapel
From the Otara Convent which was demolished in 2020
The archives was presented with a copy of the Book “The Architect and the Artists -Hackshaw McCahon Dibble” by Bridget Hackshaw 2021. From this book I discovered that the above tabernacle was made by the significant New Zealand artist Paul Dibble (1943 to 2023). One of his most famous works is the New Zealand War Memorial in London.
The New Zealand War Memorial honours the war dead of New Zealand in the First and Second World Wars. It is situated at Hyde Park Corner in London, at the Piccadilly end of the traffic island surrounding Wellington Arch. Designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble it consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' set out in formation on a grassy slope. Each standard is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures.
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