Holy water font

(Redirected fromStoup)

Aholy water fontorstoupis a vessel containingholy waterwhich is generally placed near the entrance of achurch.It is often placed at the base of a crucifix or otherChristian art.It is used inCatholic,as well as manyLutheranandAnglicanchurches, to make thesign of the crossusing the holy water upon entrance of the church.[1]Holy water is blessed by a priest or a deacon, and its usage by Christians serves as a reminder of theirbaptismal vows.[2]The holy water font is a derivative of thecantharus,which has been used by Christians since the time of theearly Churchto performablutionsbefore entering the church (while these are no longer normative in Western Christianity, canthari are found at the entrance of certainOriental OrthodoxandEastern Orthodoxchurches).[3][4]

Holy water font at the entrance of theCathedral Church of Our Lady of WalsinghaminHouston,Texas
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References

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  1. ^Bertacchini, E. (1 January 2014).A New Perspective on the Production and Evolution of Cultures.Content Publishers. p. 183.ISBN9781490272306.A holy water font is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is used in Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, as well as some Anglican churches to make the sign of the cross using the holy water upon entrance and exit.
  2. ^Gould, Meredith (1 September 2009).Why is There a Menorah on the Altar?: Jewish Roots of Christian Worship.Church Publishing, Inc. p. 71.ISBN9781596272194.Many Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican/Episcopal churches customarily sprinkle the assembly with water each Sunday during Easter. In liturgical churches, funeral services are begun by sprinkling water over the coffin. Getting sprinkled with holy water during liturgy is supposed to remind you of baptism.
  3. ^Myers, Bernard S. (1959).Encyclopedia of World Art.McGraw-Hill. p. 295.ISBN978-0-07-019466-3.The holy-water font (stoup), a basin on a stand for the holy water, is set near the entrance of a church. The font derives from the cantharus (basin) that stood in the atrium of Early Christian basilicas and was used for the purification of the faithful.
  4. ^Ian Bradley(2 November 2012).Water: A Spiritual History.Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN978-1-4411-6767-5.It was probably out of the Jewish rite that the practice developed among early Christians, especially in the east, of washing their hands and feet before going into church. Early Christian basilicas had a fountain for ablutions, known as cantharus or phiala, and usually placed in the centre of the atrium. They are still found in some Eastern Orthodox churches, notably at the monastery of Laura at Mount Athos, where the phiala is an imposing structure in front of the entrance covered by a dome resting on eight pillars. In several Orthodox churches today worshippers take off their shoes and wash their feet before entering the church just as Muslims do before going into a mosque.
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