The series of rites at the laying of the corner-stone of a church. The procedure is as follows: a wooden cross is erected the day before on the spot where the altar of the church is to stand; the following morning, the bishop, or one delegated by him, blesses this spot; then he blesses the corner-stone, engraving crosses on each side of it with a knife, lays it, and blesses the entire foundations in three sections. These ceremonies are accompanied by prayers, singing of appropriate psalms, and sprinkling of holy water. Next a hymn to the Holy Ghost is sung, and two prayers are recited imploring God's blessing on the continuation of the work started. Then the celebrant, if he deems it opportune, exhorts the people to contribute to the fabric, and dismisses them with his blessing and the proclamation of an indulgence.
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