I have shown readers before this wonderful before and after series of photos from St. Theresa Catholic Church (Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston):
AFTER:
In addition to this, as per my general request for images of parishes who are now following the "Benedictine altar arrangement" they have sent me this picture:
Very nice.
I want to continue to encourage our parish priests to take this step -- unless of course they feel they can simply restore ad orientem in which case they should!
It seems to me that a likely and reasonable strategy in all this might be to begin by introducing this altar arrangement at parish Masses and then within a reasonable period of time (it probably needn't be extremely long, being considered in terms of months rather than years) restore ad orientem in its traditional liturgical expression at some of the weekday and Sunday Masses while maintaining this altar arrangement at the other versus populum liturgies.
Where things will go beyond that, one would have to wait and see I suppose.
