Concerning the Dedication or Consecration of a Church, if one or more altars should be
consecrated at the same time.
Although the consecration of Churches is able to happen on any day by law. It is
more fittingly done on Sundays or the solemnities of Saints.
When however the Church will have to be dedicated, the Archdeacon ought to
announce beforehand to the clergy and the people, for whom the Church must be
consecrated, so that before it is consecrated, they might fast. For the consecrating Bishop
and those who ask for the Church to be consecrated ought to fast on the preceding day.
At a reasonable time on the night before the dedication, the Bishop prepares the
relics to be included in the altar(s) to be consecrated, placing them (for each altar) in a
fitting and clean container with three grains of frankincense. He also places in them a
small note, written under this form:
MM... etc., die N. mensis N. EgoN. Episcopus N. consecravi Ecclesiam, et altare
hoc, in honorem sancti N. et Reliquias sanctorum Martyrum N. et N. in eo inclusi, et
singulis Christ fidelibus, hodie unum annum, et in die anniversario consecrationis
hujusmodi ipsam visitantibus quadraginta dies de vera indulgentia, in forma Ecclesiae
consueta concessi. (In the year.. .day.. .month.. .1 Bishop N. consecrated the Church and
this altar in honor of saint N. and I enclosed in it the relics of the holy Martyrs N. and N. I
also conceded in the customary form of the Church, to each of Christ’s faithful, a one
year indulgence to those visiting it on this day, and in the day of the anniversary on this
consecration a forty day indulgence).
Sealing the container(s) carefully, and placing them in a honorable and clean
place, or under the tentorio (tent/canopy) prepared before the doors of the Church to be
consecrated, he arranges them becomingly upon a decorated bier, with two lit candelabra.
The vigils are to be celebrated before the very relics, and the Nocturns, Matins
and Lauds, are to be chanted in honor of the saints whose relics are to be concealed (in
the altar). The images however, as well as the crosses and the rest remain that night in the
Church to be consecrated.
Also prepared in the Church are those things which are necessary to for the
dedication of the very Church and altar, namely the Holy Chrism in a container, and
bottle; the Holy Oil of Catechumens also in a container and bottle; two pounds of
incense, the medietas of which is in the grains; the thurible with the boat and the
spoon/cochleari; the container with the burning charcoals; the container with the ashes,
for the quantity of the Church; the container with the salt; the container of wine; the
aspersorium made from the grass/ herb (herba) of hyssop; the mantilia from a thick web
(tela grossa), to clean the mensa(s) of the altar, as many times as it will be expedient.