What do they do with the old Easter Candles?

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White_Peony said:
Just curious
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Nothing specific; I think they are often returned and melted down for reuse. I’ve heard of a parish, maybe it was a cathedral, that kept all its old Paschal Candles in a display case, so people could go see the candle from the year they were baptized or took First Communion.
 
Greetings White Peony,

Sometimes they give these candles to parishoners whom they know will take care of the candles. I have the Pascal candle from the year when I came into the Church. It is one of my greatest blessings. I also have the Paschal candle from 2010 for another special reason. I do not ever light them, they are in candle holders made for the Paschal candles beside my altar at home.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
At my parish, they have decided that they will use each Paschal candle until all the wax has been burnt. In other words, it will (illicitly) be used for more than one year.
 
We send it back to the manufacturer for a recycling rebate on our new candle.
 
After Pentecost, the Pascal candle remains in the church and it is lit during baptisms, confirmation, weddings and funerals. There’s usually not much left of it by the following Easter vigil.

In years when there are fewer baptisms, we tend to have a stub left over. We keep it for years when there are many baptisms and that year’s Pascal candle burns away to nothing.

We send off our other candle stubs to a firm that recycles the wax.
 
JGMendes4049 said:
At my parish, they have decided that they will use each Paschal candle until all the wax has been burnt. In other words, it will (illicitly) be used for more than one year.
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Are you sure that it is illicit? In former times, before the candle was used for the various sacraments, we used the same candle for many years. Each Easter the date was changed and it was blessed anew at the Easter Vigil.
 
I’ve been on retreats before where they used an old Easter candle for something or other (it was a few years ago). They had one donated from a church because they did not have their own.
 
I have one in my home. i also know that they use them for retreats and things with the youth.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
Are you sure that it is illicit? In former times, before the candle was used for the various sacraments, we used the same candle for many years. Each Easter the date was changed and it was blessed anew at the Easter Vigil.
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Yes, it must be new every year.[82.] …] The paschal candle should be prepared, which for effective symbolism must be made of wax, never be artificial, be renewed each year, be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size so that it may evoke the truth that Christ is the light of the world. It is blessed with the signs and words prescribed in the Missal or by the Conference of Bishops.
—Paschales Solemnitatis (January 16, 1988, Congregation for Divine Worship)​
 
JGMendes4049 said:
Yes, it must be new every year.[82.] …] The paschal candle should be prepared, which for effective symbolism must be made of wax, never be artificial, be renewed each year, be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size so that it may evoke the truth that Christ is the light of the world. It is blessed with the signs and words prescribed in the Missal or by the Conference of Bishops.
—Paschales Solemnitatis (January 16, 1988, Congregation for Divine Worship)​
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Does renewed imply a new candle or just updated?
 
MissBorgia said:
I have one in my home. i also know that they use them for retreats and things with the youth.
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Greetings MIssBorgia,

Do you ever light yours? I was a bit curious. I never light my two.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
Joe_Kelley said:
Does renewed imply a new candle or just updated?
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I had this thought also. Last year our parish used the same Paschal Candle, but at the Easter Vigil “blessing of the new fire”, the priest inserted new symbols into the wax.

I’m not sure why we used the same candle, since we usually get a new one each year, but maybe it’s because being a very small parish, we had plenty of candle left after a year’s time.
 
Anathama_Sit said:
Greetings MIssBorgia,

Do you ever light yours? I was a bit curious. I never light my two.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit
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Havent lit mine yet. waiting for something really fancy or important. Father was so gracious as to give one to me. i love it. found a taller floor stand for it to do it justice. Greetings to you as well. 🙂
 
We melt them down, add left over altar candles from the church and make next years candle. We sometimes add extra bees wax.
We use a 4 inch diameter by 6ft aluminum pipe.
We melt the wax.
WE fill pipe with a single pour. Must pour it all at one time.
After it hardens there is a large cavern down the center.
We fill that with wax.
Then we drill a hole with a 12" drill down the middle.
Add a braided wick.

We then decorarate in many different ways.
Some years, melted crayons.
other years acrylic paint.
other years coloured film
other years jewls from hobby store.
Basically we can not afford a 6 ft candle any other way.
 
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