Sunday, 9 November 2025

The Dedication of the Lateran Archbasilica

San Giovanni in Laterano 2021
The feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Archbasilica is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour is white. On November 9th, 324, St. Sylvester of Rome consecrated the basilica under the title of St. Saviour. This is believed to be the first public consecration of a church. The texts for the Office come from the Common of the Dedication of a Church except for some of the Mattins lessons. The twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, and this year the third Sunday of November, is commemorated in both the Office and at Mass. The second Sunday of November and its week are omitted this year.

At Vespers yesterday afternoon the antiphons Domum tuam, Domine etc were sung, doubled, with Pss.109, 110, 111, 112 & 147. The Office hymn was Caelestis urbs Jerusalem. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Octave Day of All Saints and of the Sunday (the antiphon on the Magnificat being Muro tuo for the Saturday before the third Sunday of November. The Suffrage was omitted as were the Dominical preces at Compline.

At Mattins the invitatory is Domum Dei decet sanctitudo, Sponsum ejus Christum adoremus in ea and the Office hymn is Caelestis urbs Jerusalem. In the first nocturn the antiphons Tollite portas etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 23, 45 & 47. The lessons are proper to the feast and are taken from the book of the Apocalypse of St. John with the responsories from the Common. In the second nocturn the antiphons Non est hic aliud etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 83, 86 & 87, the lessons are again proper to the feast. In the third nocturn the antiphons Qui habitat etc are sung, doubled, with psalms 90, 95 & 98. The homily is from St. Ambrose on St. Luke's Gospel. The ninth lesson is of the Sunday and is a homily from St. Hiliary on St. Matthew's Gospel. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antiphons Domum tuam, Domine etc are sung, doubled, with Pss.92, 99, 62, Benedicite & 148. The chapter is Vidi civitatem sanctam etc and the Office hymn is Alto ex Olympi vertice. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the Sunday and of St. Theodore. The Suffrage is omitted.

At the Hours the antiphons the antiphons from Lauds are sung in the usual order. At Prime, Pss.53, 118(i) & 118ii), the Dominical preces are omitted and the lectio brevis is Et absterget Deus. Both Quicumque and the Dominical preces are omitted.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the second collect is of the Sunday. In said Masses the third collect is of St. Theodore. The Creed is sung the preface is of the Blessed Trinity and the last Gospel is of the Sunday.

At Vespers the antiphons Domum tuam, Domine etc are sung, doubled, with Pss 109, 110, 111, 112 & 147. The Office hymn is Caelestis urbs Jerusalem. After the collect of the feast commemorations are sung of the following Office of St. Andrew Avellino and of the Sunday. The Suffrage is omitted as are the Dominical preces at Compline.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast is considered to be a 'feast of the Lord' and takes precedence over the II class Sunday, gaining first Vespers. No commemoration of the Sunday, or of the abolished Octave Day, is made. At Mattins there is no ninth lesson of the Sunday. At Lauds a commemoration of St. Theodore is sung but not one of the Sunday. At Prime and the Hours the antiphons of Sunday, not of the feast, are sung. At Prime the lectio brevis is of the Season. At sung Mass there is a single collect, the last Gospel is In principio. At Vespers there are no commemorations. The second Sunday of November and its week are always omitted.

Image: Main facade by Alessandro Galilei

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