The aumbry lamp

I am home today, recovering from whatever I came down with Friday. Family were going to come home right after the service ended, but when they still hadn't shown 2-1/2 hours after the service I figured something was up -- and it was.

The aumbry lamp was being discussed again. I say "again" cautiously because the last discussions I recall were from around 1987 or so, when the lamp (a family heirloom) had been donated to St. Bartholomew's soon after the building was finished.

The question was: would it contain a candle (which it was designed for), or would it have an electric lamp. A significant question, since the lamp is supposed to remain lit whenever the Reserve Sacrament is in the aumbry. Several factors, including fire safety and the trouble of maintaining a candle when the church (and property) was vacant most of the week, went into the decision to re-fit it with a small low-wattage lamp.

It seems Fr. Davis has re-opened the question, conferring with the original donors. A candle is still out of the question, but it seems it might be possible to fit it with an oil lamp, which are apparently commonly used and have a burn time of a week. We'll see what develops.