Our Church, Our Altar

If your parish is planning the dedication of a new church and altar, this book will help prepare the whole community for the celebration. It addresses other occasions as well: The laying of a cornerstone, the blessing of a chapel, and the blessing of a new chalice and paten, for example. All of these rituals rely on a rich diet of biblical passages. This unique book will guide you through a meditation on these passages as they pertain to the ceremonies that you will experience.

Our Church, Our Altar will also help you prepare for each anniversary of the dedication of your parish church. You may meditate on the readings yourself, with your family, or with a prayer group. The spiritual reflections in this book will help you to prepare for special celebrations happening within your community of faith.

Paul Turner is pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri, and director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City––St. Joseph. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He is a former president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and a member of Societas Liturgica and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy. He is the author of numerous books published by Liturgical Press and a contributor to Give Us This Day. Most recently, he is the recipient of four awards from the 2025 Catholic Media Association Book Awards, including First Place for Author of the Year. Visit his website at paulturner.org.