4.1: How Church Architecture Reflects Catholic Beliefs

• The importance of churches

  • Have side chapels for reflective/individual prayer
  • Statues of saints inspire Christians to do good
  • Stations of the Cross remind Christians of Jesus' love
• Churches before 1965


  Faced Jerusalem (where Jesus died and rose from), Altar against the east wall where priests spoke quietly without facing the congregation
• Churches after 1965


  The altar moved to the centre of churches so the congregation in involved more in mass, people could properly see and unite in worship