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San Rafael Arkanghel Parish Church Dedication and Blessing
San Rafael Arkanghel Parish Church Dedication and Blessing
San Rafael Arkanghel Parish Church Dedication and Blessing
Commentator:
INTRODUCTORY RITES
ENTRANCE INTO THE CHURCH
When everything is ready, the entrance antiphon with its psalm or another suitable liturgical
song is sung, the Bishop and the celebrating priest, and the ministers, each in appropriate
vestments, preceded by the cross bearer, go from the sacristy through the main body of the
church to the sanctuary.
When the procession arrives at the sanctuary, the Bishop without kissing or incensing the altar,
goes immediately to the chair; the others go to the places assigned to them.
The Bishop puts aside the pastoral staff and miter, and when the singing is finished the Bishop
and the faithful remain standing, and make the sign of the cross, as he says:
INTRODUCTION
The Parish Priest welcomes the Bishop and introduces the celebration.
GREETING
Then the Bishop putting aside the miter, begins the celebration, saying:
Amen.
The Bishop greets the people, saying:
God of mercy,
you call every creature to the light of life,
and surround us with such great love
that when we stray
you continually lead us back to Christ our head.
For you have established an inheritance of such mercy,
that those sinners, who pass through water made sacred,
die with Christ and rise restored
as members of his body
and heirs of his eternal covenant.
Amen.
When the invocation over the water is finished, the Bishop passes through the main body of the
church, sprinkling the people and the walls with the holy water; then, when he has returned to
the sanctuary, he sprinkles the altar. Meanwhile the following antiphon is sung.
I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia.
It brought God's life and his salvation,
and the people sang in joyful praise: alleluia, alleluia.
Another appropriate song may be sung.
After the sprinkling, the Bishop returns to the chair and, when the singing is finished, standing
with hands joined, says:
Amen.
GLORIA
The Gloria is intoned by the Bishop, then sung by the choir and the people.
OPENING PRAYER
Afterwards the Bishop, with hands joined, sings or says:
Let us pray:
The Bishop and the people pray silently for a while.
Then the Bishop extends his hands and sings or says the Opening Prayer.
Amen.
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
The cantor sings the verse and the people respond:
Psalm 84
SECOND READING
The reader goes to the Ambo and proclaims the second reading..
8: 3-4
John, saw:
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer.
He was given a great quantity of incense to offer,
along with the prayers of all the holy ones,
on the gold altar that was before the throne.
The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones
went up before God from the hand of the angel.
The word of the Lord.
The people answer:
Thanks be to God.
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GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The Gospel Acclamation follows.
Alleluia, alleluia.
My dwelling place shall be with them, says the Lord,
and I will be their God and they will be my people.
Ez 37, 27
Alleluia, alleluia.
Neither lights nor incense are carried at the gospel.
Then the deacon who is to proclaim the gospel bows before the Bishop and in a low voice asks
the blessing.
Amen.
GOSPEL
Then the deacon goes to the ambo. He sings or says:
5: 23-24
He makes the sign of the cross on the book, and then on his forehead, lips and breast.
The people respond:
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HOMILY
The Bishop delivers his homily.
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CREED
The profession of faith is said. The general intercessions are omitted.
Let us kneel.
Saint Athanasius,
Saint Basil,
Saint Ephrem,
Saint Martin,
Saint Benedict,
Saint Francis,
Saint Dominic,
Saint Francis Xavier,
Saint John Vianney,
Saint Catherine of Siena,
Saint Teresa of Jesus,
Saint Ferdinand,
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz,
Saint Pedro Calungsod,
Lord, be merciful,
From all evil,
From every sin,
From everlasting death,
By your Incarnation,
By your Death and Resurrection
By your outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Be merciful to us sinners,
Govern and protect your holy Church,
Keep the pope and all the ordained
in faithful service to your Church,
Bring all peoples together
in peace and true harmony,
Comfort with your mercy
the troubled and the afflicted,
Make this church holy
and consecrate it to your worship,
Strengthen all of us
and keep us in your holy service,
Jesus, Son of the Living God,
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When the litany is finished, the Bishop, standing with hands extended, says:
Lord,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and of all saints
make our prayers acceptable to you.
May this building,
which we dedicate to your name,
be a house of salvation and grace
where Christians gathered in fellowship
may worship you in spirit and truth
and grow together in love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
The people answer:
Amen.
Commentator:
Let us stand.
We come now to the dedication proper of the church.
The prayer of dedication
is a sign of the intention to dedicate the church to the Lord for all times
and a petition for his blessing.
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PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Then the Bishop, standing without miter at the chair or near the altar, with hands extended,
says:
Father in heaven,
source of holiness and true purpose,
it is right that we praise and glorify your name.
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Amen.
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Holy is the temple of the Lord, it is God's handiwork, his dwelling place.
Another appropriate song may be sung.
When the altar and walls have been anointed, the Bishop returns to the chair, sits, and washes
his hands. Then the Bishop takes off the gremial and puts on the chasuble. The Bishop and his
Auxiliary Bishops also wash their hands after they have anointed the walls.
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Lord,
may our prayer ascend as incense in your sight.
As this building is filled with fragrance
so may your Church fill the world
with the fragrance of Christ.
Then the Bishop puts incense into some censers and incenses the altar; he returns to the chair, is
incensed, and then sits. Ministers, walking through the church, incense the people and the
walls.
Meanwhile one of the following antiphons is sung with Psalm 138.
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Commentator:
Light of Christ
shine forth in the Church
and bring all nations
to the fullness of truth.
Then the Bishop sits. The deacon goes to the altar and lights the candles for the celebration of
the Eucharist.
Then the festive lighting takes place: all the candles, including those at the places where the
anointings were made, and the other lamps are lit as a sign of rejoicing. Meanwhile a suitable
liturgical song is sung, especially one in honor of Christ, the light of the world.
Some of the congregation brings bread and wine for the celebration of the Lord's sacrifice. The
Bishop receives the gifts at the chair. While the gifts are being brought, an appropriate song
may be sung.
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Standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his hands,
he says:
Amen.
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At the end of the Preface he joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people, singing
or saying aloud:
He joins his hands and makes the Sign of the Cross once over the bread and chalice together,
saying:
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In the formulas that follow, the words of the Lord should be pronounced clearly and distinctly,
as the nature of these words requires.
He takes the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues :
He bends slightly.
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Then he says:
Concelebrant:
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He takes the chalice and the paten with the host and raising both, together with the
concelebrants say:
Amen.
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COMMUNION RITE
LORDS PRAYER
The Bishop sets down the chalice and paten and with hands joined sings or says:
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DOXOLOGY
The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:
SIGN OF PEACE
Then the Bishop with hands extended, says aloud:
Amen.
The Bishop, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds:
And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace,
communion, and charity.
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COMMUNION SONG
As all go to receive communion, appropriate hymns are sung by the choir and people.
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After Communion, the pyx or ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament is left on the table of
the altar. The Bishop goes to the chair, and all pray in silence for a brief period. Then the Bishop
says the following prayer.
Let us pray.
Amen.
When the prayes is completed, the Archbishop returns to the altar, genuflects, places incense in
the censer and incenses the Blessed Sacrament. Afterward, he receives the humeral veil; he takes
the ciborium, which he covers with the veil itself. Then a procession is formed in which,
preceded by the cross bearer and with lighted torches and incense, the Blessed Sacrament is
carried through the main body of the church to the place of the tabernacle. As the procession
proceeds, a suitable hymn is sung.
When the procession comes to the place of the tabernacle, the bishop places the ciborium in the
tabernacle, the door of which remains open. Then he puts incense in the censer, kneels, and
incense the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, after a brief period during which all pray in silence, the
deacon closes the door. A minister lights the lamp, which will burn perpetually before the
Blessed Sacrament.
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CONCLUDING RITE
If there are any brief announcements, they are made at this time.
FINAL BLESSING
Then the dismissal takes place. The Bishop, facing the people and extending his hands, says:
Then the Bishop extends his hands over the people and blesses them, saying:
Amen.
Bishop:
May God, who has willed that all his scattered children
be gathered in his Son,
grant that you become his temple
and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
The people answer:
Amen.
Bishop:
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DISMISSAL
The deacon, or the Bishop himself, with hands joined, sings or say:
Thanks be to God.
The Bishop kisses the altar as at the beginning. Then he makes the customary reverence
with the ministers and leaves.
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