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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

On the Dedication of Churches

Fr. David Friel · November 18, 2020

EOPLE dedicate all sorts of things. We dedicate plaques, bricks, car windows, songs, dances, books, performances, etc. The Church, too, dedicates many things. Chapels, gardens, vessels, vestments, windows, statues, etc. Today (18 November), we celebrate the dedication of two of the four major basilicas in Rome, the Basilica of Saint Peter and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. These are, without a doubt, two of the most famous, most recognizable churches in the world. But what are we celebrating when we celebrate their dedication?

The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome

In the Church, every dedication is an invitation. The dedication of a church building is an invitation to God, asking Him to be especially present in that space. Certainly, God is present in every part of creation. After all, “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, Thou art there!” (Ps 139:7-8, RSV). But God, nevertheless, always appreciates our invitation.

It is a tradition as old as humanity to set aside—that is, to make sacred—certain places. Numerous Scripture passages testify to this practice in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Recall, for example, how Jacob memorialized the place where he dreamt of a ladder stretching from earth to heaven; he took the stone that had served as his pillow that night and set it up as a sacred pillar, anointing it with oil (Gen 28:18). During the ordination of Aaron and his sons, Moses used oil to consecrate a tabernacle (Lev 8:10). After building the first temple, Solomon assembled the whole community of Israel in order to celebrate the dedication of the space (1 Kgs 8). After the defilement of the temple, Judas Maccabeus and his brothers saw fit to rededicate the place (1 Mac 4:36-61).

Whenever a space is made sacred, God is invited to dwell there and to manifest Himself. Even we, ourselves, can be dedicated, simply by inviting the Lord to abide within our own “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19).

The dedication of church buildings has been featured several times on Views from the Choir Loft. For example, I used the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica one year as an occasion to reflect on why churches should look like heaven (here). We also highlighted new music composed for the 2017 consecration of Montréal’s cathedral, the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World (here). That same year, Richard Clark drew attention to the dedication of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Voyage in Boston (here).

Perhaps most profoundly, we reflected on the remarkable homily Pope Benedict XVI gave ten years ago this month at the dedication of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona (here).

The most sacred place in the world is the place where man encounters God. May every church building be such a place for us!

The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome
Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pope Benedict XVI, Sacred Architecture Last Updated: November 18, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 30th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 26 October 2025, which is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the top-notch feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Is this the dumbest statement ever written? “When considering texts for his motets, Gombert obtained his inspiration from Scripture—such as the Psalms—as opposed to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic church.”

— Wikipedia

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