Getting holy items blessed

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Have them all blessed, when you can.

I don’t know how it works in the US, but getting things blessed is, I’ve found, is as simple as walking up to the priest or deacon after Holy Mass.
 
Ok, so I’ve got the rosary beads in a bag I’m taking to church tomorrow and I’ve asked my guardian angel to remind me to get them blessed after mass. 🙂
 
homewardbound said:
Really you don’t? I’ve been told by everyone I know who is Catholic that you must have your rosary blessed or you can’t use it.
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While it is not a sin to use the item before it is blessed, it is good to have the item blessed. In that way we are showing our respect for the item being set apart from other items in that it is used for the glory of God, and the one using the items can gain indulgences from the treasury of the Church.
 
Hello,

I’m new to the board and a non-Catholic but I have a question regarding having things blessed. I recently got a Miraculous Medal and would like to have it blessed. What is the proper etiquette and proceedure of a non-Catholic asking a Priest to bless this? It is ok to do so? Thanks for the guidance.

Alhla
 
Of course it’s fine to have it blessed - and the priest almost certainly won’t even ask you if you’re Catholic.

Simply approach them any time when they’re not too busy and ask - ‘Father, I recently got this medal as a gift - if you can spare a moment could you please bless it for me?’. Usually involves a very short prayer and a sign of the cross over the medal. Don’t forget a hearty thank you afterwards, which I’m sure will be greatly appreciated.
 
LilyM said:
Of course it’s fine to have it blessed - and the priest almost certainly won’t even ask you if you’re Catholic.

Simply approach them any time when they’re not too busy and ask - ‘Father, I recently got this medal as a gift - if you can spare a moment could you please bless it for me?’. Usually involves a very short prayer and a sign of the cross over the medal. Don’t forget a hearty thank you afterwards, which I’m sure will be greatly appreciated.
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I had my rosary and cross blessed after Mass one day. You’re right, it took just a few moments. He said a short prayer, made the sign of the cross and he also sprinked holy water on mine. It was very quick.
 
alhla said:
Hello,

I’m new to the board and a non-Catholic but I have a question regarding having things blessed. I recently got a Miraculous Medal and would like to have it blessed. What is the proper etiquette and proceedure of a non-Catholic asking a Priest to bless this? It is ok to do so? Thanks for the guidance.

Alhla
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Just out of curiousity, why would you want that? I know on ebay that Catholics who sell religious items won’t sell to buyers with “questionable” names (eg satanic names, pagan names) for fear of desecration.
 
Just out of curiousity, why would you want that?
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Out of respect for the medal and what it represents. It is not just a piece of jewelry, it is a sacred item and should be treated as such. Since it is specific to the Catholic religion, I feel it should be blessed by a priest.
I know on ebay that Catholics who sell religious items won’t sell > to buyers with “questionable” names (eg satanic names, pagan > names) for fear of desecration.
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That is a valid concern. One should protect their own religion. But a name is not always a good indication of the person. And you can’t tell what a person is going to do with what they buy. We can only hope they are getting it for the right reasons.
 
homewardbound said:
Really you don’t? I’ve been told by everyone I know who is Catholic that you must have your rosary blessed or you can’t use it.
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When I read this, I thought - Does that mean you can’t count your Hail Mary’s on your fingers unless you’ve gotten your hands blessed? (-:
 
Flopfoot said:
When I read this, I thought - Does that mean you can’t count your Hail Mary’s on your fingers unless you’ve gotten your hands blessed? (-:
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Of course one can pray on unblessed Rosaries. It’s just so much better if they were blessed.

The Rosary is a devotion and isn’t governed by laws, unlike liturgy (e.g. the chalice MUST be blessed).
 
baltobetsy said:
And if you do that, be sure to invite him to a nice dinner, too! 🙂

Betsy
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Deacons can bless homes/religious objects,also. Most people want this done on Sat, when our pastor is busy with weddings,quincerneras, confessions Etc. I enjoy doing this, but I decline the meal.

Deacon Tony
 
The Roman rite’s current list of indulgences is in the Handbook of Indulgences (English version that is), and there are no indulgences specifically for blessed rosaries vs. unblessed. Indulgence #48 cites the rules of indulgence for reciting the Marian rosary, which is basically:
  • plenary if recited in a Church or oratory. in a family, religous community, or pious association.
  • all other recitations are partial
  • plenary can be received for only reciting 5 decades but must be done without interruption
  • devout meditation must be added to recitation
  • in public, mysteries must be announced per loca custom, in private just join meditation to the vocal prayer
Eastern Churches can establish other prayers in honor of Blessed Mary.

Normal requirements for plenary induylgence also apply…
 
The best way I’ve found to have my items Blessed is taking them in with me to Confession.

After the Confession I hand my items in a bag and the Priest does the Prayer over all of them. It just takes a second.
Pray the Rosary everyday for Peace and Unity.
 
The only things I haven’t blessed so far are my Missals and Bible. What say, friends? Have those blessed too?

Thanks.
 
I’m not sure how up to date this is, but it suggests that using a rosary (or other object) blessed by a priest does bestow an additional partial indulgence simply by virtue of its being blessed. So if you use a blessed rosary, you can obtain a partial indulgence just by using it… in addition to indulgences attached to the prayers and meditation.

**35. Use of Articles of Devotion (Obiectorum pietatis usus)**The faithful, who devoutly use an article of devotion (crucifix or cross, rosary. scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, obtain a partial indulgence.

But if the article of devotion has been blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff or by any Bishop, the faithful, using it, can also gain a plenary indulgence on the feast of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, provided they also make a profession of faith according to any legitimate formula.

The above grant is taken from Norm 17 of the [1967] Apostolic Constitution The Doctrine of Indulgences. Also Norm 19 of the Enchiridion [1968]

Footnote : In order to bless an article or devotion properly the priest uses the prescribed fromula, if there is any; otherwise, he makes a simple sign of the cross toward the article of devotion, laudably adding the words: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. In practice, a formula is to be used in the public blessing of scapulars, while a sign of the cross suffices for other cases.

SOURCE
 
annb said:
Do you need to have rosary beads blessed by a priest? What if they aren’t?
What about crusifixes, statues, etc?
If they do need to be blessed, how does one accomplish this? Our priests are busy.
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Objects do not need to be blessed, however most people do have them blessed. Your priest should not be so busy as to not be able to do what he is there for, “priestly things”. However a Deacon can also bless objects.
 
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