The sprinkling of Holy Water on the dead at funerals?

[J.R]

Would someone be so kind to explain to me why at Catholic funerals there is Holy Water sat next to the casket for mourners to sprinkle the deceased with it? If it is for a blessing I thought only the clergy was aloud to Bless people.

 

[lizaanne]

I’ve been to mostly Catholic funerals all my life, and I’ve never seen this. Perhaps the holy water is for the mourners to bless themselves??

~Liza

 

[J.R]

I’ve been to mostly Catholic funerals all my life, and I’ve never seen this. Perhaps the holy water is for the mourners to bless themselves??

~Liza

No I have always seen Catholics sprinkle the Holy Water on the deceased.

 

[TexRose]

Would someone be so kind to explain to me why at Catholic funerals there is Holy Water sat next to the casket for mourners to sprinkle the deceased with it? If it is for a blessing I thought only the clergy was aloud to Bless people.

I’ve never seen that either. I’ve seen just the priest sprinkle the Holy Water on the casket.

 

[Genesis315]

It brings relief to the soul in purgatory. On All Souls Day many Catholics (including me) go to cemetaries and sprinkle the graves for the same reason.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I have never seen this done by individuals at a Catholic funeral. That doesn’t mean it’s not allowed.

The priest still does his big blessing with holy water, right?

 

[puzzleannie]

There is a sprinkling rite that is part of the Rite of Christian Burial, done by the priest, and its significance is recalling our baptism. I never saw any funeral where the faithful sprinkled the casket, maybe it is a local ethnic or cultural custom.

 

[kleary]

At my stepfather’s funeral, the funeral director sprinkled holy water on the casket at the cemetary, to which we were all directed to come forward, touch the casket where the holy water was and bless ourselves with it.

I never saw this before either…serving Mass as a young child at funerals only the priest sprinkled the casket with holy water at the gravesite.

Anyway this happened after the burial rite, after the priest sprinkled holy water on the casket, so there is no problem with that happening. It would be a totally different thing if it happened during the Mass or the burial rite.

Ken

 

[ChristopherM]

When I served growing up (age 22 now) the priest (after the Burial rites) would say something like… " In the old west people threw dirt on the casket… since we are catholics we throw Holy Water"… He said “anyone who wanted to sprinkle some on the casket was welcome” - I always did as a server-

I became accustomed to this practice at funerals and Was disappointed when the new priest in that small town did not do the same for my grandmother in March.

As far as lay people blessing or throwing holy water I have always known for it to be ok… and in fact remember large bottles of it around the house in case the enemy was attacking

 

[CatholicCid]

It brings relief to the soul in purgatory. On All Souls Day many Catholics (including me) go to cemetaries and sprinkle the graves for the same reason.

I would agree that this is the reason. More or so since I’ve heard to sprinkle some holy water on the ground for the same reason before blessing yourself a few times before.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Would someone be so kind to explain to me why at Catholic funerals there is Holy Water sat next to the casket for mourners to sprinkle the deceased with it? If it is for a blessing I thought only the clergy was aloud to Bless people.

A Catholic Funeral can be conducted by either a priest or deacon and either can Bless. Holy water used during a funeral is a sign and symbol of the persons Baptism. I’ve never seen the practice of mourners sprinkling the deceased with it.

 

[luponero]

It to calls to mind that the person was baptised into the “community faith- The Church” and the promises that entails of eternal life.