NOVEMBER 9, 2026 FATHER PETER JAE CHOI
Dedication of St. John Lateran Church in Rome
Today, we are celebrating the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran Church in Rome. You might be thinking, why are we celebrating the dedication of a church built a long time ago, so far away from home?
St. John Lateran Basilica Church was constructed around the year 318, and dedicated in 324 by Pope Sylvester. Here’s a brief history behind this church and its significance. After miraculously winning the battle in Milvian Bridge, Constantine attributed his victory to God. So when Constantine became co-emperor of Rome, and took possession of the property that had belonged to the Laterani family, he donated the property right next to the palace to the Pope. He then built the very first Church which became the Cathedral Church and the residence for the pope. That church is known today as St. John Lateran church, celebrating the very first Church ever to be built, which is often referred to as the “mother and head of all churches in the world.” When we think of Papacy our mind goes to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. But, St. John Lateran Church remains today as the cathedral Church of Rome. That is why in celebrating the dedication of the first Cathedral Church ever to be built, we are celebrating the visible sign of unity – the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
The Church had been suffering persecution for many years, from 64 until 311 A.D., under 6 different Roman Emperors. The early Christians were subjected to discrimination, being stripped of their titles, and having their properties confiscated. Many even suffered violent persecution resulting in gruesome torture and execution. As a result, many early Christians became martyrs. In the year 311, Emperor Galerius issued the Edict of Serdica, granting official toleration of Christian Faith and ended the great persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian. And in the year 313 Constantine and Licinius issued an Edict of Milan which legally decriminalized Christianity across the Roman Empire. As a result, having the very first Church built by none other than the Roman Emperor himself was a turning point and beginning of a new era for the Church.
When we think of a church, our minds automatically go to brick and mortar, a physical building. It’s hard to imagine a church without a physical building. So, when people find out that I am celebrating Sunday Masses in a school gym, not in a church building, and currently fundraising to build a brand new church, people ask me when are you going to have a church? I explain to them that we are very close to putting the shovel in the ground, hoping to begin the construction next year. But the truth is the church wasn’t always a building.
Christians first started to gather in people’s homes, known as the house church. During the violent persecution of Christians by the pagan and anti-Christian emperors, the Church had to hide by going underground, to cemeteries known as the catacombs. As you can see, during the early Church when the early Christians were met with persecutions, Christians practiced the faith without ever having to set foot in a Church. St. Paul used the word ekklesia 62 times in his writings. The word ecclesia, often used to refer to a church, actually meant the assembly. St. Paul understood that the Church was not a building, but the people. Long before there were Cathedrals and Basilicas, every time the early Christians gathered as an assembly, God was still present. Another word used to mean church is Kyriakos in Greek. Kyriakos means belonging to the Lord. So as our parish community gathers in the school gym, as the assembly, those belonging to the church, we become the Church of God.
Once the Church is built, the Bishop celebrates the very first Mass in the Church in a solemn religious ceremony, dedicating the Church to God and consecrating the Church. Once consecrated, the Church becomes a holy ground, a place set apart exclusively for worship. In the same way, when we were baptized we received the Holy Spirit and became temples of the Holy Spirit. We became consecrated to God, and are called to be set apart from this world. Because God the Holy Spirit lives in each one of us, we are called to make God present in the world through the Church’s mission.
Jesus entrusted His mission to the Church, which means to each and every one of us. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles were given the task of bringing the Good News of salvation to the world and making disciples of all nations. But apart from this spiritual mission, the Church was also given a temporal mission of providing for the poor and caring for the sick. When the apostles were overwhelmed with the demands of the temporal mission of the Church, the apostles appointed seven men as deacons to carry out the corporal works of mercy.
In the year 258, Emperor Valerian started persecuting Christians. He forbade Christian assembly, confiscated their properties and executed bishops, priests and deacons. Valerian also summoned St. Lawrence, who was one of the seven deacons and was in charge of the treasury, demanded that he surrender gold, silver and the hidden wealth of the church. Lawrence asked Valerian for three days for him to gather all the treasures of the church. On the third day, Lawrence gathered the poor, the sick, the widows, the orphans from Rome and presented them as true treasures of the church. This angered the emperor so much that Valerian ordered Lawrence to be executed. St. Lawrence taught us one important lesson. The true treasure that we have was the gift of love that God gave us, which is why the Church has always been known for love. We are told to love and forgive 70 times 7, and love even our enemies.
Today’s feast reminds us that every church building is a sign of the living Church and every baptized person is a living stone and the temple of the Holy Spirit. So as we celebrate the feast of dedication of St. John Lateran Church in Rome, let us also dedicate our lives to God, so that we can share with the world the true treasures of heaven that have been entrusted to us, the gift of love.
