Dedication Anniversary Mass in Advent
  • My parish's 50th dedication anniversary Mass is on December 14th, an Advent weekday. I'm assuming it will be the Mass for the Dedication of a Church (if that exists in the OF), not the weekday; can I play an organ prelude and postlude despite it being Advent? Or do the "strictures" of Advent still apply?
  • Young Catholic Girl,

    Solemnities and first class feasts (which, I think, the anniversary of the consecration of a Church would be) allow the use of organ.

    Gaudete Sunday demonstrates the general principle, but so does the Immaculate Conception.
  • Here are the lectionary and prayer texts you need.
  • The anniversary of the dedication of the church is a Solemnity in that church, so those sort of seasonal restrictions are lifted. There is a Mass in the Roman Missal for this occasion that would be used on this day; it's the first Mass in the Commons section, Common of the Dedication of a Church, On the Anniversary of the Dedication, no. 1: In the Church that was Dedicated, and Lectionary Volume IV nos. 701 and 703-706 (the readings Dr. Ford posted above are the correct options, but the Mass propers are from the old Sacramentary). I don't have my Graduale Romanum at hand to refer you to the proper chants in there. Incidentally, my parish celebrated its 50th anniversary of church dedication this past May with our bishop celebrating the Mass. For the chants for that Mass I used Fr. Weber's Proper of the Mass from November 9, the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Those aren't quite the proper texts for the Mass you need, but it was close enough for my purposes.
  • Thank you very much, everyone. All of this is very helpful.
  • I don't have my Graduale Romanum at hand to refer you to the proper chants in there.


    In the Ordinary Form, Commune Dedicationis Ecclesiae starting at page 397 in the Graduale Romanum, in the church being celebrated:

    IN: Terribilis est locus
    GR: Locus iste a Deo
    AL: Bene fundata est or Domine, dilixi docurem
    OF I: Domine Deus in simplicitate...
    OF II: Oravi Deum meum p. 334
    OF III: Sanctificavit Moyses p. 338
    OF IV (extra tempus Quadragesimae): Stetit Angelus p. 610
    CO: 7 possible choices starting with Domus mea

    There are other chants for the dedication of an altar listed.

    Ora
    Thanked by 1Caleferink