For Catholics, churches are built to honor God. Our churches celebrate the ways we experience Jesus Christ, who is risen and present when we worship. As we worship as Jesus taught, we are empowered to live his teachings. As centers of worship, our churches are places where Jesus offers guidance for our lives and relationships, and for our challenges and difficulties. We experience his healing, comfort and encouragement.

As we experience Jesus in our lives, our personal relationships with him deepen and his influence continues to grow. We become better people when we think, feel and behave like him. We grow in commitment to the poor and those in need and are motivated to serve the needs of others.

Historically, the first building dedicated to God was the Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon. The first recorded church dedication was in 314 in the city of Tyre. The Dedication ceremony broadly comprises the same steps as that of the Temple in Jerusalem.
 
Symbols in this ceremony
The cross
The cross leads the procession because it symbolizes and helps all to focus on Jesus.
Sprinkling with water
Water symbolizes both life and cleansing. The community is sprinkled with blessed water to help us focus on the life of God, who ‘made a home’ in each of us when we were Baptized.
The sprinkling with blessed water is a reminder that Jesus cleanses those who repent of their sins, the consequences of their disobedience of God’s laws. The church altar and walls are then sprinkled to ‘cleanse’ the building for its dedication.
The Word of God
The lectionary is the book of scripture readings read at Mass. As the written Word of God, they are means for drawing on the power of Jesus, the ‘Word made flesh’; into areas of our lives to which the scripture meanings relate [John 1:17]. The Bishop hands the Lectionary to the Readers of the word to be proclaimed.
The Litany of the Saints
For solemn occasions, the prayer of the whole Church – those with God in heaven as well as those on earth – is sung.
Interring the relics
The Eucharist was celebrated over the graves of martyrs in early Christian times. They were models of how to give one’s life to God. These holy men and women are inspiration to all Christians.
The relics interred beneath our altar, are:

• St. Gemma Galgani - Read more about St. Gemma here:

• Pope St. Pius X - Read more about Pope St. Pius here:https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/pope-st-pius-x-575

Anointing the Altar and walls
God commanded Moses to anoint all that would be sacred to God with oil mixed with perfume [Exodus 30:22 – 33]. In the New Covenant, this has been replaced by the oil of Chrism.
God also commanded that those set aside for sacred service of God be anointed. For this reason, priests and kings of the Old Testament were anointed. The Old Testament prophets eventually taught that God would send an anointed one to bring God’s salvation to humanity [Isaiah 61:1]. This would be the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’.
The altar is anointed, making it sacred, but also to symbolize Jesus – the Messiah or Christ. The walls are then anointed. Members of the Church have been anointed with Chrism, so the walls symbolize the whole Body of Christ who will gather within them around the altar, the symbol of Christ, the Head.
Incense
Incense rises, and so is a biblical symbol of sacrifice and prayer rising to God. Its fragrance is a symbol of the love and goodness of God [Exodus 30: 34 – 37]. Incense is burned on the altar to celebrate the sacrifice and prayer of Jesus that will be offered to his Father for the human race in every Eucharist.
Incense is then taken throughout the church to symbolize the prayer of all who participate in future worship rising to God. It also symbolizes the spreading fragrance of God wherever the Gospel of Christ is proclaimed to others.
Altar cloth
The white cloth recalls the white garments of all who receive Baptism, symbolizing the purity of their relationship with God.
The white altar cloth recalls also the cloth on which Christ gave the Eucharist at the Last Supper during the ritual meal of the Jewish Passover.
 
Lighting the candles
Jesus said: ‘I am the light of the world’ [John 8:12]. The altar, the symbol of Christ, and the walls, symbolizing all who will gather to worship in the church, are lighted by candles to remind all of their missions to bring the light they receive from Christ, the light of his gospel, into society by their lives. ‘You are light for the world’ [Matthew 5:14].

For more photos of our dedication:https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Catholic-Community-of-Sacred-Heart-Hopedale-104723440898/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155926342905899