Place where the circle becomes a square

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, a new altar will be consecrated in the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Frýdek. It will be consecrated during a festive service at 6 PM by Mons. František Václav Lobkowicz, O. Praem., the bishop of Ostrava-Opava.
This altar is an outward expression of the parishioners' desire to capture the signs of the times and to express the contemporary understanding of liturgy and its relationship to art and architecture. In the understanding of the Catholic Church, the altar is the place of symbolic and sacramental sacrifice, the place where bread becomes the Body and wine becomes the Blood of Christ. In a rewritten sense, it is the place where the circle becomes the square, the place where the divine meets the earthly, and the expression of the verticality of this relationship. The altar is positioned in the most powerful place of the Gothic space and allows for the gathering of both large and smaller groups of people around it. The circular base features the biblical inscription "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." referring to the dedication of the church to St. John the Baptist.
The altar was designed, along with other minor adjustments to the parish church, by architect Marek Jan Štěpán, a local native who has long been involved in sacred spaces with his studio. The design was accompanied by dialogue with the parishioners and liturgists. Inspired by parishioner Miroslav Přikryl, it is made from purely local materials, namely raw rolled steel and slate. During the ceremony, relics of the saints will be placed in the altar.