#rededication

as many of you know/remember, i started this account as a primarily-norse polytheist, specifically devoted to Freyja. in 2018, i swore an oath and devoted myself to her.

however in 2021, i started attempting to convert to Judaism. i realize now, i was not at liberty to do so, given my prior oath. my worldview at the time was that all gods are part of one, larger G-d, and this allowed me to justify conversion and monotheism to myself. when that did not work out, i decided to pursue Catholicism, which, similarly, i was not permitted to do.

recently, i realized that i had quite quickly abandoned the idea that all gods were part of one, and that i had been attempting (because i dont think i was ever actually able) to break my oath.

she has come back to reclaim me, and thus, there will be a return to some older (pre-2021) content on here, and a renewed relationship between myself and her, which you may get to hear some of the less personal bits of

Happy Hanukkah. 18th December to 26th December.

One

The past two years, I’ve lived in a house where the landlady banned candles. She also put up a Christmas tree every year in the living room. I didn’t really mind that the tree was there; it didn’t mean anything to me. I didn’t really think I minded not being able to light the menorah, either.

At the beginning of this month, I moved to a new place. I got a menorah and candles, and I lit the shamash and sang the prayers.

It felt like getting a piece of myself back.

Two

I’m using “Hanukkah” in this blog post. I could just as easily use “Chanukah” instead; I’d feel the same way about it.

They’re both wrong. That’s how I see it. Sometimes you’re just stuck with using the wrong word as a label so that you can communicate with people who can’t understand you. It will always be spelled correctly – in Hebrew – in my heart.

Three

Last year I told myself that every time someone at work told me “Merry Christmas” when it was Hanukkah, I would reply, “Happy Hanukkah!” I didn’t end up doing it every time, but I got braver about it the further into the week I got.

There were never any outright negative reactions, thank G-d. Mostly people seemed confused. They would do a double take as they walked away from me, as though wondering if they’d heard me correctly.

“Merry Christmas!” one woman said late in the week.

“Thanks, Happy Hanukkah!” I said.

“That’s right!” she said with a big grin and a little laugh. “And Kwanzaa!”

It was not Kwanzaa.

Eccl 1:2-11; Ps 89; Luke 9:7-9

In the past few months there has been a worrying upsurge in enthusiasm for the destruction of statues and churches – not merely those statues that offend our current sensibilities about racial justice and equality, but, more upsettingly, there has been an upsurge of Christian iconoclasm and religious vandalism directed at the Church and her properties, her sacred images and objects. Two days ago, for example, the shrine of St Agatha in Sicily was desecrated, an image of Our Lady was destroyed, and the Blessed Sacrament was profaned. And every month, new stories emerge of churches destroyed by arson or by the Communist State in China.

But “what was will be again; what has been done will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun”, says Qoheleth, the Preacher in today’s first reading. And so, every night, I pray to Our Lady, asking her to protect our church here in London from such terrors. For until 1538, a great Augustinian priory had stood in the centre of the village of Walsingham, a great focus of pilgrimage and Marian devotion, and then, all came to an end. The statue of Our Lady, it is thought, was consigned to the flames. Also destroyed was the replica of the Holy House wherein Our Lady had received the angelic Annunciation of Christ’s incarnation, which Richeldis had built around 1061 following a vision of Mary’s home in Nazareth. Hence, “England’s Nazareth”, as Walsingham was called, became desolate.

“No memory remains of earlier times”, says Qoheleth, but in 1896, Miss Charlotte Person Boyd, a convert from Anglicanism, remembered. And so, the medieval Slipper Chapel, a mile from the ruins of Walsingham Priory, which had fallen into disuse and had in turn become a poor house, a forge, a cowshed, and a barn, was once again return to sacred use as a place of divine worship, and a focus of prayer. At its heart was a little statue, a recreation of the medieval statue of Our Lady enthroned, holding the baby Jesus, and with her foot on a toad, an East Anglian symbol of evil, and they called her ‘Our Lady of Walsingham’. And so, “what was will be again.” Thus, Walsingham was again a centre for Marian devotion, a place sacred to Our Lady.

Indeed, part of the Walsingham story is the endowment of the whole of England by King Richard II to Our Lady as her Dowry. Hence, England belongs to Mary; the whole of England is a place sacred to Our Lady. But all that made England sacred because England was Christian has also been subjected to vandalism and destruction – not merely our buildings and sacred art and relics and shrines, but more importantly, the very notion of what it is to be human, and our relationship to God and the world, and how our society is to be structured and governed and patterned. Much of this has also been torn down, and it continues apace.

England was once transformed for the true good by what had happened at Nazareth. There, in the Holy House, in Mary’s Home, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. And so, by his Incarnation, Christ had transformed the universe, and opened our eyes to the closeness of God to his people. Mary was truly our Mother, and we her Dowry, her treasure, her children. Human beings and life itself was acknowledged to be sacred and inviolable, endowed with a sacred dignity. But we live now among the ruins of this Christian worldview, as a society that rightly stands for black lives and against slavery and against unjust discrimination also incoherently defends the right to kill the unborn child; enslaves and sexualises the young through the acceptance of pornography and the hook-up culture, and we have become addicted to cheaply-produced goods, often produced through modern-day slavery. Without a coherent vision of the human person and his dignity; without the light of the Gospel and the liberating Word of Christ, then, as Qoheleth says: “All is vanity”! Herod the tetrach, mentioned in today’s Gospel, was himself prey to such vanities and practical godlessness. And yet, even he was attracted or at least intrigued by the marvels that Christ did, and the joy that he engendered.

Therefore, as Walsingham is restored as a sacred place of pilgrimage, so now is also the time to restore the sanctuary of human hearts and the sanctity of human persons. Now is the time to renew the joy of the Gospel in our lives.

For this reason, earlier this year, albeit during the lockdown, the Bishops invited us to rededicate ourselves to Our Lady. By divine Providence, the acts of rededication took place not in churches, but in our homes as we livestreamed the ceremonies taking place in Walsingham on the 29th of March. So, in giving our hearts and our lives to Christ through Mary, we were being called to make our hearts and our own homes into England’s Nazareth, into places that resonate with the joy of Christ’s Incarnation. For charity begins at home, and the task of sanctifying our culture and our country begins with the family, with those whom we live with. So, in our actions, in our speech, in our relating with others, our families, our communities, our homes, our priories, our workplaces at home, are all called to witness to this awesome transformative truth: God is with us!

The joy of the Annunciation, the joy of Our Lady at Nazareth and again at Walsingham stems from this truth. And this is a joy that England needs to experience once more. As Pope Francis said, he hoped that England’s rededication as Mary’s Dowry would inspire “all to persevere in the urgent task of sharing the joy of the Gospel to the men and women of our time”, as we strive to “bear witness to the beauty of our Catholic faith.”

Here is a full update on the status of temple construction throughout the world. Future news roundups will only feature construction updates since the last roundup post unless otherwise noted.

SCHEDULED TEMPLE DEDICATIONS

All temple open house and dedications which were scheduled to occur since the Church closed all temples due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe by local governmental authorities. There are currently no temple dedications currently scheduled. The following temples are completed or nearing completion and awaiting dedication:

Rio de Janiero Brazil Temple

Construction has been completed for the Rio de Janiero Brazil Temple. The open house and dedication were originally scheduled to occur in the spring of 2020 but were postponed. The Rio de Janiero Brazil Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the April 2013 General Conference. There are currently seven dedicated temples in Brazil, with three additional temples in various stages of development. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Winnipeg Manitoba Temple

Construction is nearing completion for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple. The open house and dedication were originally scheduled to occur in the fall of 2020 but have since been postponed. The Winnipeg Manitoba Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the April 2011 General Conference. It will be the first temple in Manitoba and the ninth temple in Canada. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

SCHEDULED TEMPLE REDEDICATIONS

All temple rededications which were scheduled to occur since the Church closed all temples due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe by local governmental authorities. There are currently no temple rededications currently scheduled. The following temple renovation has been completed and the temple is now awaiting rededication:

Washington DC Temple

The Washington DC Temple  has been closed since 29 September 2017 for extensive renovations to the interior and exterior. It was originally scheduled for rededication in late 2020. The Washington DC Temple was the 16th temple in the Church and the first temple built in both the eastern United States and the state of Maryland. (Photo by Stephanie Williams Payne from churchofjesuschristtemples.org)   

TEMPLES UNDER RENOVATION

The following additional temples are currently under renovation:

Columbus Ohio Temple

Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Hong Kong China Temple

Mesa Arizona Temple

St. George Utah Temple

Salt Lake Temple

Tokyo Japan Temple

SCHEDULED TEMPLE RENOVATIONS

There are no additional temples scheduled for renovation at this time.

TEMPLE GROUNDBREAKINGS

San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple

The Church broke ground for the San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple on Saturday, 5 September 2020. Elder José Bernardo Hernández , an Area Seventy originally from San Pedro Sula, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony. Attendance at the temple site was limited to a small number of area Church leaders, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the April 2019 General Conference. When completed, it will be the second temple in Honduras. (Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Orem Utah Temple

The Church broke ground for the Orem Utah Temple on Saturday, 5 September 2020. Elder Craig C. Christensen, president of the Utah Area, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony. Attendance at the temple site was limited to a small number of area Church leaders, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Orem Utah Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2019 General Conference. When completed, it will be the 22nd temple in Utah and the sixth temple in Utah County, Utah. (Photos from churchofjesuschrist.org)

SCHEDULED TEMPLE GROUNDBREAKINGS

The following temples are scheduled for groundbreaking ceremonies to be held in the upcoming weeks. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, attendance at the temple sites for the groundbreaking will be by invitation only, but the proceedings will be broadcast to select meetinghouses in the respective temple districts.

Brasília Brazil Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Brasília Brazil Temple will be held on Saturday, 26 September 2020. Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, president of the Brazil Area, will preside at the ceremony. The Brasília Brazil Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson during the April 2017 General Conference. There are currently seven dedicated temples in Brazil, with another awaiting dedication and two more in various stages of construction. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Taylorsville Utah Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Taylorsville Utah Temple will be held in October 2020, with the exact date yet to be annouced. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the ceremony. The Taylorsville Utah Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2019 General Conference. When completed, the Taylorsville Utah Temple will be the 23rd temple built in Utah and the fifth temple built in the Salt Lake Valley. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Salta Argentina Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Salta Argentina Temple will be held on Friday, 9 October 2020. Elder Benjamín De Hoyos, president of the South America South Area, will preside at the ceremony. The Salta Argentina Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the April 2018 General Conference. When completed, the Salta Argentina Temple will be the third temple built in Argentina. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Bentonville Arkansas Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple will be held in November 2020, with the exact date yet to be announced. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside over the ceremony remotely, with video and photos to be released to the public following the event. The Bentonville Arkansas Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2019 General Conference and will be the first temple built in Arkansas. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

McAllen Texas Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the McAllen Texas Temple will be held in November 2020, with the exact date yet to be announced. Elder Art Rascon, an Area Seventy, will preside over the ceremony. The McAllen Texas Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2019 General Conference and will be the fifth temple built in Texas. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

Red Cliffs Utah Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Red Cliffs Utah Temple will be held in November 2020, with the exact date yet to be announced. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside over the ceremony. The Red Cliffs Utah Temple was originally announced as the Washington County Utah Temple by President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2019 General Conference. It was the 20th temple to be announced for Utah and will be the second temple built in Washington County, Utah. (Photo from churchofjesuschrist.org)

TEMPLES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The following additional temples are currently under construction, with no completion or dedication dates announced:

Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire Temple

Belém Brazil Temple

Feather River California Temple

Layton Utah Temple

Pocatello Idaho Temple

Praia Cabo Verde Temple

Quito Ecuador Temple

Richmond Virginia Temple

San Juan Puerto Rico Temple

Saratoga Springs Utah Temple

Urdaneta Philippines Temple

Yigo Guam Temple

TEMPLES WITH ANNOUNCED SITES

Sites have been announced for the following temples, with groundbreaking plans to be announced at a later date:

Bengaluru India Temple

Cobán Guatemala Temple

Davao Philippines Temple

Mendoza Argentina Temple

Moses Lake Washington Temple

Neiafu Tonga Temple

Okinawa Japan Temple

Pago Pago American Samoa Temple

Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple

Syracuse Utah Temple

Tooele Valley Utah Temple

TEMPLES AWAITING SITE ANNOUNCEMENT

The following temples have been announced, with additional details yet to be released:

Antofagasta Chile Temple

Bacolod Philippines Temple

Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple

Benin City Nigeria Temple

Budapest Hungary Temple

Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple

Dubai United Arab Emirates Temple

Freetown Sierra Leone Temple

Harare Zimbabwe Temple

Lagos Nigeria Temple

Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple

Managua Nicaragua Temple

Nairobi Kenya Temple

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple

Russia Temple

Salvador Brazi Templel

Shanghai China Temple