Disposal of lavabo water

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anonymous_allen

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The sacristan at my church says they plays on the safe side and just in case pours the lavabo water into the sacrarium. I told them that it was not necessary but they had done it a few times, would the times that this has been done count as an abuse. Or is it fine if this water is poured into the sacrarium.
 
No, not an abuse.

Why didn’t you trust your sacristan?
 
anonymous_allen said:
count as an abuse
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This word is thrown around entirely too much. What made you think it was an ABUSE to put water in the sacrarium???

The sacrarium is for the disposal of water used in the liturgy, water used to clean sacred vessels and linens, holy oils, ashes, and the like.

Please be more inclined to listen to the sacristan (a person trained for this role) when they tell you something.
 
Former Sacristan here. At the parish I volunteered at, we always poured the liquid from the lavabo into the sacrarium.
 
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It isn’t necessary, but neither is it an abuse. It’s just water - nothing inherently holy or unholy about it.
 
In the EF, the priest blesses the water before he takes the cruet from the server. Because of this, the water is generally thrown in the sacrarium. The blessing does not appear in the OF, leading some not to use the sacrarium. There is still a prayer at the lavabo, and on that basis, I would still put it in the sacrarium.
 
You might inform him that a new rule requires it to be consumed. 😎
 
🤔 Me thinks you’re either making a joke (and I don’t get it) or confused.
 
If I am serving an EF mass, I pour the lavabo water down the sacrarium since it is blessed by the priest making the sign of the cross over it. If I am serving an OF mass, I still pour it down the sacrarium, but have no qualms about pouring it down the regular drain: since it isn’t blessed. What I make sure to do is always pour any water down the sacrarium that has come into contact with particles of the Blessed Sacrament. This includes any water used in ablutions after communion by clergy or EMHCs (😡).
 
alexl437 said:
. This includes any water used in ablutions after communion by clergy or EMHCs (😡).
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Surely any water used to purify the vessels immediately after Holy Communion should be drunk by whoever is doing the purifying?
 
This may be in reference to the washing of hands after distribution in order to avoid particles being scattered
 
Alas! I wasn’t clear enough. What I meant to define was water that was used in the ablutions of fingers.
 
Although now you mention it. If I am going through one of my scrupulous phases (which I often have), and I think I see a small white fragment I do consume the water, but pouring down the sacrarium is certainly a reverent method of disposal.
 
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