Some excerpts from The Westminster Dictionary of Worship:
“[An aumbry is] a cupboard or recess in the wall of a church or the sacristy in which the sacred vessels and books, and sometimes also reliquaries, were kept…..They were also used usually in a wall near the altar, but sometimes in the sacristy. This method of reserving the consecrated elements has been revived in the Church of England [and other Anglican churches] during the last hundred years, and the door and surround of the aumbry sometimes have elaborate decoration….
I have asked Mr. Alan Simpkins to make an aumbry for St. Augustine’s after seeing some of his beautiful marquetry work. This will be presented to the church and dedicated on Sunday May 9th. At each Sunday’s main liturgy, we will keep aside a small amount of consecrated wine and a few wafers (they keep better than the bread we consume on Sunday) to be placed in the aumbry. These will then be available for me, our Deacon and licensed lay people to take communion to sick and shut-in members of our parish. In that way, they will be able to participate in a very real way in our Sunday eucharist even though they can not be present. A light will burn beside the aumbry whenever the reserved sacrament is present in it.
John+
