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Questions / Prayer and the Church year

What is holy water for?

Church teaching

Answered on video by Catholic Answers

Video: Is the Catholic Use of Holy Water Superstitious? | Ready Reasons | Karlo Broussard, Catholic Answers Live, published May 7, 2021. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: A sacramental: a sacred sign that gets you ready for grace and reminds you of your Baptism. CCC 1667 CCC 1668

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

Sacramentals are sacred signs, somewhat like the sacraments, that dispose us to receive grace. CCC 1667

They are instituted for many circumstances of Christian life and the use of many helpful things. CCC 1668

Our words

Blessing yourself with holy water as you walk into church is a little reminder: I’m baptized, I belong to Him.

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Sources on this page

How we know · 2 Catechism paragraphs
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1667, 1668 (official text on vatican.va).

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.