Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“The anniversary of a church’s dedication is celebrated with the rank of a solemnity.” – Roman Pontifical, Rite of Dedication of a Church, 27.

This Sunday we recall the day our church building was consecrated and dedicated to the worship of God. At that moment, this space was transformed from being a mere building into a church – a true, holy place of worship. If you were present on that chilly night of February 2, 2015, you might recall the first action of the Bishop was to sprinkle the people, the walls, and the altar with blessed water. This symbolized the moment of your own baptism, that exact moment when you were transformed from being a “regular person” into a true temple of God, a temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.)