The Dedication Liturgy from the Samson Pontifical.

The Dedication

Liturgy from the Samson

Pontifical

We are very fortunate to have a pontifical from Worcester that has survived for over 900 years.

A pontifical is a book of services performed by a bishop. Each diocese had its own pontifical but throughout western Christendom most of these services were substantially the same. This Worcester Pontifical was commissioned by Bishop Samson of Worcester who was bishop from 1096 to 1112. So the text is remarkably early being 11th - 12th century.

It contains many episcopal services apart from the dedication of a church: the blessing of oils, a monastic profession, Ash Wednesday & Maundy Thursday services, & the examination of an abbot.

It is just possible that Bishop Maidstone could have used it 200 years later in 1315

The manuscript is in the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College Cambridge[MS 146].

TheWorcester

Antiphonary

• An antiphonary was a book of plainsong music that was used by the choir at medieval services

• This magnificent book dates from about 1230 and is a unique survival. All others in the UK were destroyed at the reformation

• This antiphonary from Worcester, Maidstone’s own diocese, is a book of 355 pages containing all the chants used throughout the year including those for the dedication of a church

The following slides depict the Dedication Service as Bishop Maidstone would have celebrated it. You will see the original text from the Samson Pontifical on the right with explanatory rubrics on the left. The Mass for Dedication follows. Apart from a sermon, the whole service was in Latin. Images of the pontifical are reproduced by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Note: by 1315 churches were always ‘dedicated’ and altars ‘consecrated’

The bishop says this prayer at the place of vesting

Arriving in front of the door of the church to be dedicated the choir sings the antiphon

‘Zacchaeus come down’

The bishop prays

Here begins the Order for the Consecration of the House of God

CCCC, MS 146, p.63

Twelve candles are placed both inside and around the

church

The Litany in Procession All process round the church singing the Litany

Responses are said

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

Kyrie (Lord have mercy)

CCCC, MS 146, p.64

Three Circumambulations of the Church

The deacon goes into the church, shuts the door and stands near it.

The people process round the church singing ‘Lift up your heads’ from Ps 24 ‘The earth is the Lord’s’.

The bishop returns and strikes the door three times.A response is said between the bishop and deacon.

A second procession round the church singing Ps 24.The bishop strikes the door again.

The same response between bishop and deacon.A third procession round the church.

The bishop strikes the door again.The deacon asks, ‘Who is the king of glory?’

All reply ‘The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory’ The deacon immediately opens the door

The EntranceThe bishop prays and then enters the church

CCCC, MS 146, p.65

The bishop enters setting a large cross in the centre.‘Peace to this house’ is sung by the choir

The acclamation is said ‘The cross defeats the enemy: the cross of Christ triumphs’

The antiphon ‘Lord bless this house’ is sung

The deacon says ‘Let us bend the knee’; then ‘Arise’The bishop prays

The deacon says ‘Let us bend the knee’; then ‘Arise’The bishop prays

The Prayers of Penitence before the Altar

The bishop approaches and then prostrates before the altar as penitential psalms and the Litany are said

CCCC, MS 146, p.66

Note the Greek alphabet added as an aid for the bishop

The bishop stands at the end of the litany. The deacon says ‘Let us bend the knee’; then ‘Arise’

Alphabet InscriptionsThe bishop inscribes the Greek alphabet with his staff on

the nave floor from the left, east corner to the right, west.

The antiphon ‘No other foundation’ & Psalm 87 are sung.Then the Latin alphabet is inscribed from the right, east

corner to the left, west.The antiphon ‘These courts’ & Psalm 48 are sung

Before the altar the bishop says three times‘Let us bend the knee’.

CCCC, MS 146, p.67

Anointing & Sprinkling the AltarThe bishop blesses water

The water is exorcised

CCCC, MS 146, p.68

The bishop blesses salt

The salt is exorcised

Ashes are blessed

CCCC, MS 146, p.69

Salt and ashes are mixed; three signs of the cross are made with them over the water

Wine is mixed with the water

CCCC, MS 146, p.70

Oil of chrism is mixed with the water.The bishop signs 4 crosses with his thumb on the 4

corners of the altarThe bishop sprinkles the altar using hyssop, going

round the altar seven times.The choir sings Psalm 51 ‘Purge me with hyssop’

Sprinkling the Walls of the Church

The walls of the church are sprinkled starting at the right side

The antiphon ‘The Lord has sanctified’ is sung, then Psalm 46 ‘The Lord is our refuge’

The middle of the walls are then sprinkledThe antiphon ‘In the dedication’ is sung CCCC, MS 146, p.71

Psalm 148 is sung ‘Praise the Lord from the heavens’

This third time, the tops of the walls are sprinkledThe antiphon ‘He who dwells’ is sung

The bishop processes round the outside of the church sprinkling the base of the walls. The antiphon ‘The foundations of this temple’ and Psalm 87 are sung

The middle of the outside walls are sprinkledThe antiphon & Psalm 68 ‘Let God arise’ are sung

CCCC, MS 146, p.72

This third time, the tops of the walls are sprinkledPsalm 80 ‘Hear O shepherd of Israel’ is sung

[Note the smudged lettering on this page. Could this be because the book was carried outside?]

Sprinkling the Floor of the ChurchThe bishop re-enters the church.

Antiphon ‘Bless O Lord’ and Psalm 48 are sung.The length and breadth of the church are sprinkled

in the shape of the cross The antiphon ‘Blessed are you’ & Benedicite are

sung. Standing in the middle of the church the bishop

prays.

The deacon: ‘Let us bend the knee’, then ‘Arise’

CCCC, MS 146, p.73

The Prayer of ThanksgivingThe bishop says the preface: ‘The Lord be with you’ ‘Lift up your hearts’ ‘Let us give thanks to the Lord our God’

CCCC, MS 146, p.74

The Washing & Anointing of the AltarThe bishop approaches the altar as the antiphon from

Psalm 43 is sung ‘I will go to the altar of God’The altar is washed, then wiped with towels.

The antiphon ‘Behold the tabernacle’ & Psalm 117 ‘O praise the Lord’ are sung.

The bishop blesses the altar and prays

CCCC, MS 146, p.75

The bishop anoints the altar’s central and four corner crosses.

The antiphon ‘Jacob set up a stone’ & Psalm 84 ‘How lovely is your dwelling’ are sung.

The bishop prays

CCCC, MS 146, p.76

Oil is poured as before.The antiphon ‘Jacob rising early’ & Psalm 46

‘God is our refuge’ are sungThe bishop prays

The oil of chrism is poured onto the altar.The antiphon ‘Jacob saw a ladder’ & Psalm 87 ’His foundation’ are sung

The bishop prays

CCCC, MS 146, p.77

Anointing the Walls of the ChurchThe bishop processes round the church from right to

left anointing the walls.

The antiphon ‘O how awesome’ & Ps 48 ‘Great is the Lord’ are sung

Going outside, the bishop anoints the church.The antiphon ‘Precious stones’ &

Ps 147 ‘How good it is to make music’ are sung.

Re-entering the church the bishop makes the sign of the cross with incense.

CCCC, MS 146, p.78

Antiphon ‘As incense let my prayer’ & Ps 141 ‘Lord I call to you’ are sung

Prayers at the AltarThe bishop prays over the altar

CCCC, MS 146, p.79

The deacon says ‘Let us bend the knee’; then ‘Arise’

The deacon says ‘Let us bend the knee’; then ‘Arise’

The bishop says ‘The Lord be with you’ ‘Lift up your hearts’ ‘It is right to give you thanks and praise’.

CCCC, MS 146, p.80

Dressing of the AltarAltar cloths are blessed which the subdeacons or

acolytes hold in their arms. The bishop prays

CCCC, MS 146, p.81

After this the altar is dressed.The antiphon ‘They adorned the temple’ &

Ps 48 ‘Great is the Lord’ are sung

The antiphon ‘Strengthen O Lord’ is sung

CCCC, MS 146, p.82

Prayers to the SaintsThe church is commended to the prayers of the saints in

whose honour the church is dedicated.

The BlessingThe bishop raises his right hand to bless the church

‘The blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit remain on this house and all who worship here…..’

The Dedication of the church ends hereThe Mass for the Festival of Dedication begins *

The bishop puts on fresh vestments and processes with those in holy orders into the church carrying the sacred relics

The antiphon ‘Holy is the true light’ is sung* This is not the full order of the Mass, only those parts proper to the

Dedication of a Church

CCCC, MS 146, p.83

The bishop introduces those carrying lights distributed to the four corners of the church.

Antiphon ‘On the east side three gates’ is sung

Antiphon ‘How awesome is this place’

Prayers are said before going into the church

After entering the church

The Sacred Relics The sacred relics are received and placed in the

reliquary. An antiphon is sung.

CCCC, MS 146, p.84

The collect

The Ministry of the WordA reading from the Book of Revelation‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth’

The antiphon ‘This place was made by God’ is sung

The Gospel from St Luke‘The story of Zacchaeus.’

CCCC, MS 146, p.85

.

The OffertoryThe offertory ‘Lord God in simplicity of heart’

Secret prayer ‘Almighty & everlasting God’

The Eucharistic PrayerThe Preface

CCCC, MS 146, p.86

The Communion Communion ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’ Post Communion

Post communion ‘We beseech you almighty God’

The end

Then follows the Consecration of an Altar

CCCC, MS 146, p.87

Bibliography• Samson Pontifical (Ms 146) at Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

[Dedication of a Church p. 63-87]. Permission must be sought for the reproduction of any of the images on this presentation.

http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/actions/manuscript_description_long_display.do?ms_no=146

• Worcester Antiphonal (Ms F160) at Worcester Cathedral Libraryhttp://worcestercathedral.co.uk/Library.php

• Texts of other published pontificals: Exeter (Bp Lacey) and St Andrews (Bp De Bernham)https://archive.org/details/liberpontifical00barnhttps://archive.org/details/pontificaleeccle00cath

• Dedication Festival. A good article on Wikihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedication

Copyright of this powerpoint presentation for Dedication 1315:Revd DT Merry, Bisley . 2015