Sacred Heart Monstrance
February 2022
The Sacred Heart Monstrance was designed and built for Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge, LA and can be found in the church’s adoration chapel. The central part of the monstrance is the Sacred Heart of Jesus carved in cherry, with the thorn and cross accents in the darker walnut. The radiant directly behind the heart mimics the logo for the church and school, while the longer, more delicate rays literally hug the curvature of the wall. Both the radiant and rays are completely covered in imitation gold leaf.
The heart opens along a seam hidden by the thorns, revealing Our Lord in the Eucharist. This allows the faithful to expose and repose the Blessed Sacrament without a priest or deacon.
photo by Fr. Joshua Johnson
This project was part of a larger restoration of the Adoration chapel, which included installation of stained glass windows. The resulting plays of light upon the monstrance are often striking, sometimes reflecting the image of the Sacred Heart from the window onto the Eucharist itself.