Blessed Sacrament Chapel
This Chapel forms the major part of the 1988-89 additions to the cathedral.
The eucharist is reserved in Catholic churches primarily to bring communion to the sick and the dying. By receiving communion, Christ is their strength and the support of the Church is their encouragement. The eucharist is also reserved in a chapel of honour so that the faithful can pray in silence in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
The prayer chapel is deliberately modern in style. The tabernacle remains on the principal axis of the building in line with the present and former altars, thus showing the relation of the reservation to the celebration of the eucharist.
Its relationship to the baptismal font is also especially significant. The sacraments of initiation which make a person Christian are three: baptism, confirmation and eucharist. For adults, they are celebrated together at the Easter Vigil. The eucharist is the on-going sacrament of initiation. It is appropriate therefore that the water from the font should provide the context in which the eucharist is reserved.
The sacraments of initiation are symbolised in the magnificent curtain of glass which encloses the apse. The symbols of each sacrament are incorporated into the window (the cross and water of baptism on the right, the flame for confirmation on the left and the cup and bread of the eucharist in the centre behind the tabernacle). The wall is a glass sculpture that captures and transforms light, creating a space that is both uplifting and sublime in its simplicity. The translucence of the space leads the visitor from the confines of cathedral meditation into the life of the city beyond.
The window is a major work of internationally-known Sydney artist, Warren Langley.
The tabernacle and monstrance are the work of gold and silversmith, Johannes Kuhman. Intimate in scale and simple in design they are crafted and engraved with crosses in silver and gold. The monstrance, used to display the consecrated bread for veneration, is placed on the tabernacle at times of more intense prayer and adoration.
The front panels of the old Cathedral altar are now located on the opposite side of the wall where the altar once stood. The central image is that of the Emmaus encounter with the risen Christ [Luke 24: 13-35]. Saints Peter and Paul feature to the left and right of the centre panel.