Sacramentals

Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that bear a resemblance to the sacraments. Through the prayers of the Church, sacramentals prepare us to receive the grace of the sacraments and dispose us to cooperate with them — sanctifying various circumstances of life and Christian practice (CCC 1667).

What Sacramentals Are

Sacramentals include blessings (of persons, objects, and places), exorcisms, and piously celebrated rites such as the Liturgy of the Hours or the use of holy water, blessed medals, and scapulars. They differ from sacraments in that they do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the same manner as sacraments, but they do prepare the soul and obtain graces through the prayer of the Church (CCC 1667–1668).

Popular Piety

Sacramentals often overlap with the expressions of popular piety — pilgrimages, devotions, novenas, processions, and the like. These practices, when rightly ordered to the liturgy and the sacraments, are a genuine expression of the life of faith and are encouraged by the Church (CCC 1674–1676).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is holy water a sacramental? Yes. Holy water is one of the most common sacramentals — blessed water that signifies Baptism and the forgiveness of sin. Using holy water and making the Sign of the Cross when entering a church recalls one's Baptism and asks for God's blessing (CCC 1668).

What is a blessed medal? A blessed medal — such as the Miraculous Medal or the St. Benedict Medal — is a sacramental. Its blessing by a priest does not give the metal magical properties, but it does make it an instrument through which the Church's prayer and protection may be extended to the wearer in a special way (CCC 1667–1668).