Of Virtual Candles and Real Prayers

On a recent visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, I discovered that the Cathedral not only had the traditional candle stands in the sanctuary but also invited visitors to “light a virtual candle.” The digital display with this invitation, at one of the main doors into the Cathedral, offered a QR code for scanning with a smartphone. I had intended to light a candle and pray at St. Patrick’s in any case, so I readied my smartphone to scan the QR code. The invitation to light a virtual candle had promised that each prayer intention would be prayed over once a month for twelve months, which would be more than a non-virtual candle could offer. What happened next was unexpected, yet revealing in its own way. A dreaded 404 error message appeared on my phone, informing me that the webpage I had tried to reach could not be found. So much for the Cathedral keeping its QR codes, servers, and URLs in sync, I thought. However, with the 404 message also came an image that almost made the “page not found” notification worth it.  St. Anthony of Padua, the popular patron saint of lost things, appeared on my smartphone, and next to him a prayer:
Dear St. Anthony,
Please come around.
This page is lost and
cannot be found.

Yet that afternoon, St. Anthony did not help to find the webpage that would have enabled me to light a virtual candle at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I did, however, go online later to light my virtual candle. The Cathedral’s website informed me that there is a large candle lit at St. Patrick’s Cathedral itself “to symbolize and commemorate all the virtual candles requested from our community of faith on the Internet.” As much as I am intrigued by digitally-mediated practices of prayer and devotion, I realized that I should have simply lit a non-virtual candle while in the sanctuary.

Teresa Berger

Teresa Berger is Professor of Liturgical Studies at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT, USA, where she also serves as the Thomas E. Golden Jr. Professor of Catholic Theology. She holds doctorates in both theology and in liturgical studies. Recent publications include an edited volume, Full of Your Glory: Liturgy, Cosmos, Creation (2019), and a monograph titled @ Worship: Liturgical Practices in Digital Worlds (2018). Earlier publications include Gender Differences and the Making of Liturgical History (2011), Fragments of Real Presence (2005), and a video documentary, Worship in Women’s Hands (2007).

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Comments

13 responses to “Of Virtual Candles and Real Prayers”

  1. Dismas Bede

    “Let there be light,” in the moment, would have been nice… and real.
    “Let there be no doubt,” virtual candles are a huge money-maker.
    Candles, especially in a place like St. Patrick, are an enormous source of income.
    The whole notion of a “virtual symbol” is kind of sketchy.
    I’d expect we’ll see more, rather than less, of such “opportunities.”

    Reply
    1. Teresa Berger

      @Dismas Bede:
      Yes, we will see more of these virtual candles — not least in churches that just spent a fortune on renovations and cleaning their walls up. Non-virtual (“real”) candles don’t help that at all…

      Reply
  2. John Kohanski

    I was recently in St. Patrick’s and didn’t notice real votive candles in the sanctuary. I lit one in a side chapel along the nave where there are a lot of them, but I didn’t see any votive candles stands in the sanctuary itself. That must be something new.

    Reply
    1. Teresa Berger

      @John Kohanski:
      John, I used “sanctuary” very loosely here, as meaning “inside” St. Patrick’s — rather than at the door, where the digital display was.

      Reply
      1. Dismas Bede

        @Teresa Berger:
        When I was last in St. Patrick – post restoration – I was struck by all the shiny, new AND real candles which were burning on the inside of the communion rail. Not to be crude, but real, pretty + prayerful = profitable!

      2. John Kohanski

        @Dismas Bede:
        Not to beat a dead horse, but they’ve placed votive lights inside the communion rail in the sanctuary? I was there in late February and the only votives I saw were in the side chapels that line the nave.

  3. joseph mangone

    I was watching “Gladiator” a few years ago and always remembered the scene where Russell Crow lit a candle in front of some mini pagan statues as he was remembering his slain family. It is no mistake that our church is called “Roman Catholic”….
    Vatican II reminded us about using symbols in its fuller sense; real bread, good amount of oil and holy water, etc.
    I never liked artificial candles no matter how “real” they could make the “flame” flicker.
    Many churches are using artificial candles for a number of reasons from insurance companies to easy maintenance.
    Candles, whether for the altar, votive, paschal, etc represent our prayers: prayers from real people that have lives as messed up and sloppy as candles at times, yet real and made holy by Christ and His Death and Resurrection. The light they give off represents Christ Who gives Light to a darkened world.
    Coming from Brooklyn, I have been to St Pat’s many times and the rows and rows of candles can light up the NY sky any night. Each one is a pilgrims/tourist prayer and these prayers come from both Christian and non Christian alike, asking God for help. How universal, how human, how holy.
    Keep the bees happy and validate humanity: support real candles!

    Reply
    1. Elisabeth Ahn

      @joseph mangone:

      support real candles!

      As one without a cellphone, much less smartphone, I support this.

      When I hear about these changes, about the “digital” replacing the “real,” I often despair — except of course in such exceptional circumstances as one described by Andrew Rex (#6).

      Reply
      1. Karl Liam Saur

        @Elisabeth Ahn:
        Agreed.

  4. Andrew rex

    I work in a forensic unit (secure hospital with prison level security) so candles, matches, lighters etc are contraband. The chaplains use little battery powered votive candle lights instead. Also, we can only have communion services since no alcohol (eg communion wine) is allowed for mass. Such is life working in the real messy world aka a field hospital that Pope Francis has talked about.

    Reply
  5. joseph mangone

    Truth be told, candles are usually a profit for parishes. Places like St Patrick’s and other urban cathedrals can use the money not only for paying for the candles but for the maintenance of these magnificent structures which is enormous.
    Most parishes do not set a price and people give what they want as a free will offering and this is usually much more than you think.
    When I arrived at my last parish assignment, they have 2 small votive candle stands in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. Posted to the stand was “OFFERING 25cents”
    I took down the sign, had the stands cleaned & re painted and replaced the dirty votive glasses with new ones and switched to the 2 hour tea lights. In a matter of weeks we went from quarters to dollar bills. All the ‘profits” were given to our parish social service ministry.
    thanks Elizabeth for your post and support….i hate cell phone myself.

    Reply
  6. Ed Nash

    The real question with the promotion of digital prayer experience will come as the flick of a switch or button will replace any physical reality one gets with striking a match or passing one flame to another. With less physical investment will come less attention to the activity. Passing one’s phone over a scanner is not the same as lighting a candle on many different levels. If churches equate these two realities then, soon enough, cost effectiveness and profit guidelines will determine efficacy.

    Soon…digital Mass attendance. In most parishes already I don’t need to be there physically to get a bulletin to “show my parents I went to Church.”

    Reply
    1. David P Carroll

      Lord Jesus Christ.

      My Lord Jesus Christ
      Our savour in life and
      May the Lord bless you
      All and keep you all safe and
      Warm sheltered from this coronavirus
      Storm and may the Lord Jesus Christ
      Be gracious to you all in life and give
      You all his peace and love every day
      Through Christ our Lord Amen.

      David P Carroll.

      Reply

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