<P> There was an annual commemoration of the original dedication of the church, a feast with its octave extending over eight days, during which Gregory the Great encouraged the erection of booths and general feasting on the part of the populace, to compensate them for, and in some way to take the place of, abolished pagan festivities . </P> <P> At an early date the right to consecrate churches was reserved to bishops, as by a canon of the First Council of Bracara in 563, and by the 23rd of the Irish collections of canons, once attributed to St Patrick, but hardly to be put earlier than the 8th century . </P> <P> The manuscripts and printed service - books of the medieval church contain a lengthy and elaborate service for the consecration of churches in the pontifical . The earliest known pontifical is that of Egbert, Archbishop of York (732--766), which, however, only survives in a 10th - century manuscript copy . Later pontificals are numerous and somewhat varied . A good idea of the general character of the service can be obtained from a skeleton of it as performed in England after the Reformation according to the use of Sarum . The service is taken from an early 15th - century pontifical in the Cambridge University Library as printed by W. Makell in Monumenta ritualia ecclesiae Anglicanae . </P> <P> There is a preliminary office for laying a foundation - stone . On the day of consecration the bishop is to vest in a tent outside the church, then proceed to the door of the church on the outside, a single deacon being inside the church . There he blesses holy water, twelve lighted candles being placed outside, and twelve inside the church . He then sprinkles the walls all round outside and knocks at the door . He then sprinkles the walls all round outside a second time, then a third time, knocking at the door each time . He may then enter, all laity being excluded . The bishop then fixes a cross in the centre of the church, after which the litany is said, including a special clause for the consecration of the church and altar . Next the bishop inscribes the alphabet in Greek letters on one of the limbs of St Andrews cross from the left east corner to the right west corner on the pavement cindered for the purpose, and the alphabet in Latin on the other limb from the right east corner to the left west corner . He then genuflects before the altar or cross, blesses water, mingled with salt, ashes and wine, and sprinkles it on all the walls of the church inside three times, beginning at the altar . He next sprinkles the centre of the church lengthwise and crosswise on the pavement and goes round the outside of the church sprinkling it three times . Next, reentering the church and taking up a central position, he sprinkles holy water to the four points of the compass, and up towards the roof . Next he anoints the twelve internal and twelve external wall - crosses with chrism before walking around the church three times inside and out and censing it . </P>

What is the meaning of dedication in the bible