One of Christ the King Chapel’s defining characteristics is the presence of numerous pieces of sacred art to draw us closer to God in prayer. The chapel is adorned with sacred art. Statues of Joseph, Mary, and St. Francis, a mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the large San Damiano Cross over the altar can create a sense of familiarity and direct our hearts toward worshipping God. On the fifth Sunday of Lent, however, the chapel took on a dramatically different appearance – the oh-so-familiar art was covered with dark purple cloths. Even the altar took on a different appearance, draped with a purple cloth obscuring its entire front side. Such changes may seem unusually bizarre or even slightly unsettling, but like many traditions in the Church, the tradition of the “Lenten Shrouds” is rife with symbolism and provide powerful reminders of Jesus’ Passion and Death. 

The exact origin of the tradition of the Lenten Shrouds is unknown but is believed to have begun in Germany during the ninth century, with a tradition called the “Fastentuch”. The Fastentuch, which literally translated means “fasting veil”, was a large, ceiling-to-floor veil that hid the entire altar from the congregation, representing the veil in the Jerusalem Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. The Fastentuch would be hung on Ash Wednesday and would not be removed until the Wednesday of Holy Week, at the reading of the Gospel regarding the Temple’s veil being torn away at the death of Jesus. The Fastentuch later fell out of favor in the Church and was replaced by smaller veils over all art in church buildings, except for art depicting the Passion of Christ. 

In the 17th century, the tradition was lessened from taking place during all of Lent to being exclusive to the Passiontide, the part of Lent from the Fifth Sunday of Lent to the Easter Vigil, resulting in the tradition’s current form. The current Roman Missal is very clear about the parameters for its observance: “In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from the fifth Sunday of Lent may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil” (Roman Missal, 3rd ed., pg. 256). 

But why is this tradition done? If it unsettles you, that is the point. The Most Rev. Peter Elliott touched on this tradition in his liturgical guidebook, Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite: “The custom of veiling crosses and images in these last two weeks of Lent has much to commend it in terms of religious psychology, because it helps us to concentrate on the great essentials of Christ’s work of Redemption.” In layman’s terms, veiling the statues serves as a way to remember the gravity of Christ’s Passion and Death. The veils create a sort of void in the Church, reminding us of the void that exists without God in our lives. But it also gives reason to hope – the veils will not be there forever. The tomb will not be sealed forever. Jesus will conquer death and fill the emptiness at Easter, but that time has not come yet. The time for the Lord’s Passion is still ahead. Veiling the statues is a visible symbol of that reality. 

So no, the statues aren’t covered because Fr. Shawn got tired of them. The statues are covered to direct our prayer and our hearts toward the gravity of Christ’s Passion and Death – and the joy that we will experience when he comes again.