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THE CONSECRATION OF A BURIAL GROUND
Bishop In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.
The Lord be with you:
All And with thy spirit.
Lord, have mercy upon us,
All Christ, have mercy upon us,
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Let us go forth in peace
All In the name of the Lord.
The Bishop processes round the boundary of the ground to be consecrated. The Deed for Consecration is presented to the Bishop.
Reverend Father in God, we request you to consecrate this ground for the burial of our people.
The Bishop shall signify his assent, and bid the Registrar read the Sentence of Consecration, and after it has been read he shall sign it.
Bishop
By virtue of our authority in the Church of God we do now consecrate and set apart from all profane and common uses this ground to be a resting-place for the bodies of those who have departed in the Lord: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And all shall join with him saying The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Bishop
O God, whose loving-kindness is infinite, mercifully hear our prayers: that, as in this life we are united in the mystical body of thy Church, and in death are laid in holy ground with hope of resurrection, so at the last day we may rise again with all thy blessed saints; through him who died and rose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing.
