A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, fro ...

which is generally placed near the entrance of a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

. It is often placed at the base of a crucifix or religious representation. It is used in the Catholic Church,

Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

es, and some

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

churches to make the

Sign of the Cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...

using the holy water upon entrance of the church. Holy water is blessed by a priest or a deacon, and many Christians believe it to be a reminder of the baptismal promises.

References

External links

"Holy Water Fonts" Catholic Encyclopedia article
Christian religious objects Church architecture {{Church-architecture-stub

See also

References

External links