Ceremonies continued
The door is opened; the ministers, clerics, choir and faithful enter the church. The extra clergy and people are left outside and the door of the church is closed.
Bishop: Peace be unto this house.
Deacon: And to those who enter. All: Amen.
The schola with the cantor sing the Antiphon:
Peace eternal from the Eternal be unto this house. May the unending peace, the Word of the Father, be peace unto this house. Peace may the loving Comforter grant unto this house. Zachaeus, make haste and come down; for this day I must abide in thy house. And he made haste and came down from there, and received him with joy into his house. This day has salvation been given to this house by God, alleluia.
While this is sung, the Bishop proceeds to the middle of the church, where a faldstool is prepared; and at the end of the preceding antiphon, begins the following hymn with the schola following.
COME, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O Comforter, to Thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known; Thou, finger of God's hand we own; Thou, promise of the Father, Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our senses from above, and make our hearts overflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant to us Thy peace instead; so shall we not, with Thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and Thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, with Thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.
Meanwhile, one of the ministers spreads ashes on the floor of the Church in the shape of a cross.
At the end of the hymn, the Bishop and the schola again begin and continue the Litany of the Saints, in which Litany in his place is named twice that Saint in whose honor and name the Church or altar is dedicated, and those whose relics are to be included in it
That thou visit this place R. We beseech thee to hear us.
That thou set a guard of Angels for this place R. We beseech thee to hear us.
Extending his right hand up, together over church and altar to be consecrated, he makes three successive signs of the cross, saying first:
That thou vouchsafe to bless this church consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saint Francis de Sales, and this altar consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saints Auxilius, Casta and Aucta.
R. We beseech thee to hear us.
Saying second:
That thou vouchsafe to bless and sanctify this church consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saint Francis de Sales, and this altar consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saints Auxilius, Casta and Aucta.
R. We beseech thee to hear us.
Saying third:
That thou vouchsafe to bless, sanctify, and consecrate this church consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saint Francis de Sales, and this altar consecrated to thy honor and in the name of Saints Auxilius, Casta and Aucta.
R. We beseech thee to hear us.
At the end, the Bishop stands facing the main altar and says:
Let us pray.
Let us kneel. R. Arise.
Guide us, we beseech thee, O Lord, by thy mercy, and by the intercession of all thy Saints, anticipate our prayers with thy mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Let us pray.
O Lord our God, be magnified in thy Saints, and appear in this church built for thee, that thou, who worketh all things in the sons of adoption, may always be praised in thy inheritance.
R. Amen.