Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church • Today we celebrate a baby's Baptism on the anniversary of the dedication of St. Wenceslaus church. I want to walk you through how the ceremony happens. The people wait outside the doors until the Bishop arrives. Then the people follow the Bishop as he leads them into the church. At the Penitential Rite, the altar, the walls, and the people are all sprinkled with Holy Water. The Liturgy of the Word begins using readings from the "Common of the Dedication of a Church." After the Homily, the ritual itself begins with the Litany of Saints. A relic of a saint (preferably a martyr) would be placed under the altar.

The Bishop then prays a prayer of dedication. Chrism oil, the same oil used at Confirmation, is spread on the altar and then used to anoint the walls of the church. Then you incense the altar, people, and building. The candles are lit and the altar is dressed in white. The gifts are brought forward and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered on the altar for the first time. In essence, the church has been Baptized, Confirmed, and made her First Holy Communion. The Church is then consecrated, set apart for the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments. Churches reveal to the world the ongoing presence of God.

They also reveal to Christians our true dignity. Next to the Tabernacle, the next holiest place on earth is my fellow Christian. Church buildings remind us that we too are consecrated to God. He comes to dwell in us like he dwells in a church building. Every person in this church will live longer than this building. Churches are temporary; people live forever. Let us live our own consecration to God.

(25 Oct 2026)

Going Deeper: What church building do you find most moving, beautiful, and transcendent? How would you feel when you realize that your own soul is even more beautiful than that building?

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