On the evening of Friday the 31st, in Fortaleza (Brasil), the Mass celebrating one year since the Dedication of the Church of the Risen One Who Passed Through the Cross was presided over by Bishop Antônio Catelan, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro. The celebration began with the Rite of Blessing of the icon of Our Lady, completed after seven months of intense work by a team of iconographers from the Shalom Workshop.
The Mass was attended by thousands of families, young people, and adults who filled all the pews of the church—which holds 1,000 faithful—and about 2,500 more followed the celebration from outside the temple via a large LED screen.
One Year of the Dedication
In the Rite of Dedication of a Church, it is sprinkled, anointed, and then the Holy Eucharist is celebrated there, recalling the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. Celebrating the first anniversary of this Rite is, for the Shalom Catholic Community, a time to dive even deeper into this mystery. Having a temple that is a living expression of the Charism in service of youth, of men, of humanity, is a source of joy and gratitude to the Lord. God is generous and reveals His glory in this sacred place.
For Bishop Catelan, it is important that the missionaries understand the depth and spiritual significance of this moment for the Community.
“The Rite of Dedication helps us to understand the mystery of the relationship between Christ and the Church. It relates to Christian initiation. In the Old Testament, the mystery of God—in the sign of the cloud, in the sign of light—accompanied the community in the desert and rested upon the tent of meeting. The church of the Shalom Catholic Community is shaped like a tent, precisely for this reason.”
Blessing of the Icon of the Mother of God
About five meters high and ten meters long, the icon of the Mother of God was created over seven months by missionaries from the Shalom Community’s Liturgical-Sacramental Office. The project was made possible thanks to the generosity of benefactors who support the Church of the Risen One Who Passed Through the Cross.
At the beginning of the celebration, a text describing the mystery and meaning of the Icon of the Mother of God was read, highlighting elements of Marian devotion according to the spirit of the Shalom vocation. After this reflection and the recitation of the Litany of Our Lady, Bishop Catelan prayed the blessing, sprinkled holy water, and incensed the icon. After the blessing, the candles illuminating the icon in the church’s Marian chapel were lit by the iconographers responsible for the work.
Homily by Bishop Antônio Catelan
In his homily, the bishop recalled the elements that made up the rite celebrated a year ago by Archbishop Gregório Paixão, OSB, Archbishop of Fortaleza, when the Church of the Risen One was dedicated. Bishop Catelan emphasized that to recall the dedication of a church is to recall the mystery of the loving relationship between Christ and His Church. “The church, the temple, is a place of encounter with Christ. Firstly, because it is the gathering place of the liturgical and holy assembly gathered for God. The church is the dwelling of the living God, the living Church.”
Charity Dinner of the Church of the Risen One
After the anniversary Mass of the Dedication, the next major event of the Church of the Risen One will be the Charity Dinner. The event, to be held on November 25, aims to raise funds for the next phases of the temple’s construction, which has been ongoing for 13 years thanks to the support of countless benefactors.
