GROUNDBREAKING RITE

Introduction:
Good morning dear brothers and sisters, Praised be Jesus and Mary!
We gather here as one Ignacian Marian family, blessed with space and time to celebrate with
joy the fulfillment of our dream: that is to hae the new !onent erected on this place whose
groundbrea"ing ceremony we ma"e today#
$nd so today, we shall witness with grateful hearts this memorable ceremony and be one in the
fulfillment of this long time dream# With joyful hearts let us now sing our opening song:
OPENING SONG: I WILL SING FOREVER
PRIEST:
We proclaim your name with utmost gratitude loing God for %our immeasurable goodness and
loe for bringing us in this ground where our dream be fulfilled:
We offer you this soil from this holy ground being enriched, nourished and founded in &'() by
%our loe and protection#
We offer you this candle which represents !hrist*s abiding presence who is +imself the
!ornerstone#
,o, -ather, with ferent hearts, we ino"e your blessings on this remar"able eent in our history
as an institution# We as" you to deeply reitali.e our beings with the spirit of /enerable Ignacia
del 0spiritu ,anto# Imbue with courage the occupants of this soon to rise edifice on this holy
ground to let the 1ight "eep burning in the recesses of their hearts# 2his we as" through Jesus
our 1ord and Mary our Mother# $men#
READING: 2 Cor. :!"#$
S%ORT REFLECTION:
INTERCESSOR& PRA&ER:
PRIEST:
Proclaiming the 1ord*s abiding presence and boundless generosity in this celebration, we bring
before +im our supplication# With trust and confidence we say:
LORD' GRACIOUSL& %EAR US#
&# 1ord Jesus our 1ife, you bountifully gifted us with a ibrant life of faith that Mother Ignacia
lied and committed her life to# In your graciousness, the !ongregation of the 3eligious of the
/irgin Mary was born in her total reliance in %ou# May the ,isters continue to be steadfast in
their witnessing and apostolic serice# We pray#
4# 1ord Jesus, our great Proider, we as" %ou to bless the people who are instrumental in our
haing obtained the priilege of erecting the !onent on this site# May this building lead us to a
better serice to the people entrusted to our care# We pray#
5# 1ord Jesus, our 6ing, bless the minds, hearts and hands of the building*s engineers, architect,
carpenters and all wor"men so that in the process of building, they may be "ept away from all
dangers and that this structure when completed may truly reflect the faith and loe of /enerable
Ignacia for your people# We pray#
(# 1ord Jesus, ,on of the -ather, bless all those who will occupy this !onent, the ,isters of the
3eligious of the /irgin Mary # Inspired by /enerable Ignacia*s total dedication, may they
continue to lie her legacy of humble seranthood and simplicity of life# We pray#
PRIEST:
1ord our ,aior, %ou entrusted to us the mission of spreading the good news through !hristian
0ducation# May the fire of loe which %ou ignited in the heart of /enerable Ignacia inspire us
always to sere %ou faithfully# We place in %our loing heart all the petitions we hae articulated
and those remain unsaid in our hearts# We trust that you will ta"e them and bring them to
fruitition all that we hae prayed for, %ou who lie and reign with the -ather and the +oly ,pirit#
$men#
GROUNDBREAKING CERE(ON&
Ord)r *or Ground+r),-in.:
Pri)/t: 7rothers and sisters in !hrist: We hae come together to see" God8s blessing as
we set apart this ground for the building of a house of the religious sisters, the
3/M ,isters#

T0) B1)//in. o* Ground:
PRIEST: 2he 1ord be with you#
A11: $nd with your spirit

PRIEST: 1et us pray# 7lessed are you, 9 1ord our God, "ing of the unierse# %ou fill the
entire world with your presence: your name is to be hallowed through all the earth#
7less all those who hae wor"ed or contributed to proide the site which today we set
apart ; for the building of a conent of our dear 3/M ,isters# May this be a place where
all may come to "now the presence of !hrist, e<perience the joy of his friendship, and
grow in his loe#

May your gracious blessing, 9 1ord, descend li"e the dew from heaen upon this place
and upon all who shall lie here# %ou hae gien us joy in a wor" begun in your name:
may they soon celebrate your presence in this place, and in the time to come, praise you
foreer in our eternal home: through Jesus !hrist our 1ord, who lies and reigns with you
and the +oly ,pirit, one God, now and foreer#
ALL: A2)n

7rea"ing of the Ground:
PRIEST: Praise the 1ord, all you nations!
ALL: E3to1 0i2' ,11 4ou 5)o51)/6

PRIEST: -or great is his steadfast loe toward us,
ALL: And t0) *,it0*u1n)// o* t0) Lord )ndur)/ *or)7)r.

The Priest turns three spadesful of earth, saying:

PRIEST: With faith in Jesus !hrist, this wor" is begun and this ground is bro"en in the
name of the -ather, and of the ,on, and of the +oly ,pirit#
ALL: A2)n

The RVM Sisters of the convent to be built in the site
may each turn a spadeful of earth. After all have broen ground, =39PPI>G 9- 2+0
!$P,?10 -9119W# Then the prayers are said.

2he Prayers:
PRIEST: 1ord, remember us in your "ingdom, and teach us to pray#
ALL: Our F,t0)r ... 8t0) Lord9/ Pr,4)r:

PRIEST: 9 1ord our God, in you eery good wor" has its beginning# Grant that what we
hae underta"en this day to the glory of your name may be successfully
completed to the good of all your people: through Jesus !hrist our
1ord#
ALL: A2)n

PRIEST:
God our -ather, we lift our hearts in a song of gratitude for the blessing of this ground where the
!onent be erected# 2his future structure is indeed a symbol of %our immeasurable goodness
and loe for us# 2han" you for giing us this precious space that seres as our lin" to our
foundation as a !ongregation with a noble mission# May this grace@filled moment lead us to a
fruitful and meaningful fulfillment of that mission towards the future with much strength,
courage and igor to lie the fullness of life in !hrist# $men#
Di/2i//,1:
PRIEST: 1et us go in peace and sere the 1ord#
ALL: T0,n-/ +) to God.

In t0) n,2) o* t0) F,t0)r' ,nd o* t0) Son' ,nd o* t0) %o14 S5irit. A2)n.
CLOSING SONG: STRONG AND CONSTANT