Lentorama 2013: There's a Name for That

Day 4: ambo

So in most churches you have a lectern (to your right as you face the altar), which is used for announcements, non-Gospel readings and the like. To your left is the pulpit, from where the priest will read the Gospel and give his sermon (though in our church the pulpit is used for almost everything, with the lectern mostly being used to announce hymn numbers).

But in some churches there's only a speaking area in the center of the front of the church. That's an ambo. They're apparently more common in Orthodox churches as a raised area of floor rather than an actual stand like a lectern. I have to say I don't think I've seen one in a Catholic church, but there's a picture of one in Wikipedia so we know it's possible.