The name is important. I’ve outlined the text here to bullet points:
7. A day should be chosen for the dedication of the new church when the people can be present in large numbers, especially a Sunday. Since the theme of the dedication pervades this entire rite, the dedication of a new church may not take place on days on which it is altogether improper to disregard the mystery then being commemorated: the Easter Triduum, Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Ash Wednesday, the weekdays of Holy Week, and All Souls.
A reader has provided me with a copy of the 2003 draft of the RDCA, a document which was intended to upgrade this 1977 edition, buyt has yet to see official approval. As we move through the first (and so far, only) post-conciliar RDCA, I’ll comment where it seems the 2003 offers significant insights.
Today’s section is fairly routine and gives expected advice on when to celebrate. Remember that a dedication anniversary is to be celebrated in subsequent years, so if possible, keep this in mind when assigning a day or Sunday of the year.
12 May 2012 at 8:02 pm
I think it is quite insightful for the rite to insist upon the presence of the faithful in the rite, noting the Sunday is an especially appropriate day. Further, the Rite of Dedication is regarded as a Solemnity, being outranked by only a few Solemnities which celebrate the mysteries of salvation or days of a penitential or none festive character. The celebration of the rite would be to even trump Sundays in Lent! The point about the theme of the dedication pervading the entire rite point to the fact that the entire celebration is regarded as a celebration of dedication not just one moment within the rite, much like the Eastern view of the entire Eucharistic Prayer being consecratory.
13 May 2012 at 7:24 am
A Lenten Sunday dedication might mean moving the scrutiny to a weekday (Or most likely, a non-dedication liturgy). But the dedication would include the Gloria.
13 May 2012 at 2:00 pm
It presents an interesting challenge.