Two weeks ago, on Oct. 24, the restorations made at St. James Parish Church in Rockford were dedicated. That ceremony was a celebration by the parish community and by the diocese marking the completion of over two years’ work that took place following the devastating fire started by an early morning lightning strike on Aug. 8, 2022.
However, this solemn ritual, steeped in the faith and tradition of the Church, is not simply an ecclesial version of a grand reopening of a newly remodeled store or restaurant. It is, in its own way, a call to faith.
By nature, the ceremony of dedication is somewhat rarely celebrated, especially in long-established dioceses such as Rockford where few new churches are built. But it is a ceremony steeped in beauty. Most notably, there are several elements of that ritual that help us to deepen our appreciation of attending Mass, the sacraments or prayer of any sort in our parish church.
That ceremony begins with an appropriate human element. Before Mass, a representative, typically lay, of those who worked on the church, presents the diocesan bishop with a copy of the plans of the work and then offers some brief comments. In this way, God’s gift to us of the skills, especially in art and architecture, are honored.
Next, the bishop walks among the people and sprinkles them and the walls of the church with holy water. This signals the need for repentance and for gratitude for baptism, both of which are linked to our presence within the church as part of our lives of faith.
During the Mass, the altar, which stands bare before being consecrated, receives the relics of saints which are deposited within it. Thus, the sacredness of the altar is linked to the holiness of the saints of the Church.
Subsequently, there are two special anointings with the sacred Chrism. Chrism is always associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit who continues in the Church and in the world, the work of Jesus following His ascension. For example, every person is anointed with Chrism at baptism and the hands of every priest and the head of a new bishop are anointed when they are ordained, calling down the Holy Spirit upon them.
In this ceremony, during the consecration of the church, the bishop pours the sacred Chrism on the four corners and then on the center of the altar. With his bare hands he then spreads the Chrism all over the surface of the altar where the sacred presence of Jesus will be placed during the holy sacrifice of every Mass.
The bishop then walks through the church, and with the same Chrism, anoints the walls of the church. Thus, the Holy Spirit is called down upon the altar and His presence is sought to keep holy the whole structure of the church where Christ will be made present.
Finally, a brazier is placed upon the newly consecrated altar. Within that brazier, incense is burned with the resulting smoke rising to heaven. This reminds the faithful of the words of Psalm 141, 2 which says, “Let my prayer be incense before you.” From the altar rise the prayers of all the faithful to God.
Human effort and skill, blessing with holy water, anointing with Chrism and the rising of incense — we should be aware of and think of these elements whenever we enter a Catholic church. That structure is not simply a functional place to pray. Rather, it has been dedicated to God as a place of reverence for His presence in the Word and the Eucharist. Our own reverence in prayer, each time we enter the church, should reflect our recognition of the sacredness of that structure.
