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 Ambo
To the left of the altar is the Pulpit or
Ambo, also made of marble. On its front are tiles with symbols
representing the four evangelists - Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Because he begins his gospel with the human descent of our Lord, St. Matthew's
symbol is a winged man. St. Mark begins his gospel by describing the
mission of St. John the Baptist, who was "the voice of one crying in the
wilderness." His symbol, therefore is a winged lion. St.
Luke, who at the beginning of his gospel mentions the priesthood of Zachary, is
symbolized by a winged ox the usual victim in the sacrifices of the Old
Law. To St. John we owe the most beautiful passages on the Divinity of the
Word made flesh. Hence his symbol is an eagle that soars in the heights.
These tiles were originally sealed in the floor
of the Sanctuary in front of the altar steps and were preserved here as part of
the 1982 Cathedral renovation.
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