Disposition of Holy Oils

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The setup: A number of years ago my bride became involved in planning and even somewhat expert in the Triduum liturgies. Then more recently she was unable to so participate. Which brings us to this year, when she has been asked/begged to come back, primarily because our parish has undergone a complete change of pastoral staff in quick succession. Which brings us to today.

This morning she was doing a walk through with the deacon and they discovered there are cruets of oil in the ambry in the sanctuary – perhaps a half cup of each of the three oils. To her recollection, the last time she was involved in these liturgies, the ambry was locked and the whereabouts of the key unknown. Someone among the past year’s three pastors has popped the lock, but neither my bride nor the deacon know the provenance of these cruets – Are the oils this year’s? Something sitting around since Vatican II? Something in between?

In any case: How should such a quantity of holy oil be disposed? The stocks which we are accustomed to carrying to the chrism Mass and using to administer the sacraments are cleaned out with absorbent cotton, which is then added to the kindling for the new fire at the Vigil, but a cup and a half is an awful lot of oil!?

:confused:
tee
 
If the oils are old, they may be burned. They could be sopped up in cotton, paper, or other, organic, combustible material first if it makes burning more convenient. Oils that have become rancid should not be used sacramentally.
 
I have this job every year. Just dig a hole in a flower-bed where it won’t get walked on, or in a window-box.
 
tee_eff_em said:
Are the oils this year’s? Something sitting around since Vatican II? Something in between?
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No way to know.

Since you’ll get new oils next week, it’s a safe bet to retire these to burning or burying.
 
porthos11 said:
Or they can be used to fuel the oil lamp burning before the tabernacle.
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Yes, this is the BEST option. So fitting. However, at our three churches, we use candles and not oil lamps for the sanctuary lamp.
 
I’ve found that once the Oils reach 2-years they don’t pass the smell test–literally.

In any case, with Holy Week only a few days away, regardless of whether they are last year’s Oils or from the previous decade, it’s time to properly dispose of them. Just make sure that Father has some Oil of the Infirm available until he receives this year’s Oils.

Every year I simply dig a hold and bury last year’s Oils. Do it someplace where people don’t walk, and be sure to bury them fairly deep—a few inches won’t do it. My first year, I dug a small hole and poured the Oils into it. They seeped into the soil and I replaced the dirt and grass, being only about 3 inches deep. The first time it rained, I noticed the Oil seeping up out of the hole. I now dig a hole at least a foot deep.

Also, I only dig that hole in consecrated ground. Currently, I use the graveyard, but at other parishes (lacking a graveyard) I dig it close to the church building.
 
I think we burn them in the new fire at the Vigil. However, we now put them on papers. Formerly, they were poured on the charcoal. That disables self lighting charcoal.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I think we burn them in the new fire at the Vigil. However, we now put them on papers. Formerly, they were poured on the charcoal. That disables self lighting charcoal.
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This is a recommended form of disposition. We use the oil for our Tabernacle lamp as well.
 
We had that problem at the mission my husband works at - multiple bottles of holy oils, some labeled with name & date, others were a mystery. He poured them all out in a shallow hole & buried them. The bottles were washed and disposed of.
 
At my university, we usually use the old oils for the paschal fire during the Easter Vigil Liturgy, since we like to keep the fire burning throughout the Mass and after, when people leave. We also burn the old, worn, and tattered purificators and other such linens. Then the remaining ashes are buried.
 
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