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Catholic Sacramentals: What They Are, Examples, and How to Use Them

Walk into almost any Catholic home, and you will find them: a small bottle of holy water by the door, a crucifix above the bed, a rosary on the nightstand, a medal worn close to the heart. These are sacramentals, and they are one of the quiet ways the Church makes ordinary life holy. This guide explains what sacramentals are according to the official teaching of the Catholic Church, how they differ from the seven sacraments, the most common examples, and how to use them with real faith rather than superstition. Every key statement is referenced to Church documents in the notes at the end.

What Are Sacramentals?

Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that prepare us to receive grace and help us cooperate with it. The Catechism describes them as "sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments," through which the many occasions of daily life are made holy.[1]

Every sacramental includes a prayer, often joined to a visible sign such as the Sign of the Cross, the laying on of hands, or the sprinkling of holy water.[2] Some sacramentals are actions, like a blessing. Others are objects that have been blessed for devotional use, like a rosary, a scapular, or a medal. Only the Holy See can establish new sacramentals or change existing ones.[3]

Sacraments vs. Sacramentals: What Is the Difference?

The names are similar, but the Church draws a clear line between the two.

Sacraments Sacramentals
Instituted by Christ The Church
How many Seven No fixed number
How they work Christ himself acts in them, conferring the grace they signify Through the prayer of the Church and the faith of the person using them
Their purpose Give the grace of the Holy Spirit Prepare us to receive grace and to cooperate with it
Examples Baptism, Eucharist, Confession Holy water, the rosary, blessings, medals

A simple way to remember it: in the sacraments, Christ himself is at work.[4] In sacramentals, the Church prays, and God answers that prayer according to the faith and openness of the person who uses them. The Catechism puts it plainly: sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit the way the sacraments do, but by the Church's prayer they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it.[5] For a fuller look at the sacraments themselves, read our guide to the 7 sacraments.

The Main Kinds of Sacramentals

The Catechism groups sacramentals in a few broad families. Knowing them helps you see that sacramentals are much more than objects.

Blessings

Blessings come first among all sacramentals. The Church blesses people, meals, objects, and places, always praising God and asking for his gifts.[6] Some blessings may be given by laypeople, as when parents bless their children. The more closely a blessing touches the life of the Church and the sacraments, the more it is reserved to bishops, priests, and deacons.[7]

Consecrations and Dedications

Some blessings have a lasting effect: they set a person or a thing apart for God permanently. This includes the consecration of virgins and the rites of religious profession, as well as the dedication of a church or altar and the blessing of holy oils, sacred vessels, vestments, and bells.[8]

Exorcism

When the Church asks publicly and with authority, in the name of Jesus Christ, that a person or object be protected from the power of the Evil One, this is called exorcism. A simple exorcism is part of every Baptism. A major exorcism may be performed only by a priest who has received specific permission from the local bishop.[9]

Blessed Objects and Popular Devotion

The Catechism also speaks of the wide world of popular piety: the veneration of relics, pilgrimages, processions, the Stations of the Cross, the rosary, and medals. The Church encourages these devotions as long as they lead people to Christ and stay connected to the liturgical life of the Church.[10] The Holy See also reminds us that the Mass and the sacraments always come first: they are necessary for the Christian life, while devotions are freely chosen aids.[11]

Examples of Catholic Sacramentals

There is no official complete list, but these are the sacramentals most Catholic families know and use.

The Sign of the Cross

One of the simplest and most frequent sacramentals. The Catechism names it among the signs that accompany the Church's blessings, and encourages Christians to begin and end their day with it.[12] Every time we trace the cross over ourselves, we profess faith in the Trinity and in the saving death of Christ.

Holy Water

Water blessed by a priest or deacon is a reminder of our Baptism. Catholics bless themselves with it when entering a church, and many keep a small font by the front door of their home. Most parishes offer holy water free of charge, and water is solemnly blessed every year at the Easter Vigil.[13] A small wall font by the door, like our Our Lady of Guadalupe holy water font, makes the habit part of every coming and going.

Blessed Salt

The traditional Roman Ritual includes a blessing of salt, which recalls the prophet Elisha healing the waters of Jericho with salt.[14] Some families keep a small amount of blessed salt at home as a sign of purification and protection. If you would like some, ask your parish priest.

Blessed Candles

Candles are blessed each year on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas. They represent Christ, the Light of the World.[15] Families light them during prayer, in times of fear or illness, and at the bedside of the dying. You can bring your own candle to Mass on that feast, whether a plain white taper or a devotional one such as a Saint Benedict medal candle for the home altar.

Ashes and Palms

Ashes received on Ash Wednesday and palms carried on Palm Sunday are sacramentals tied to the liturgical year. The Roman Missal directs that the ashes be made from the branches blessed the previous year, so last year's palms become this year's ashes.[16]

The Rosary

The rosary is both a prayer and, once the beads are blessed, a sacramental object. The Church warmly recommends it as one of the most loved Marian devotions.[17] Many Catholics keep a simple set of beads for daily prayer, such as a wooden Miraculous Medal rosary, and store it in a small rosary box so the blessed beads are kept with the reverence the Church asks for. Others carry one in a pocket or purse, and some wear a rosary necklace as a visible sign of devotion. If you have wondered whether that is appropriate, we answer it in Can You Wear a Rosary as a Necklace? You can also browse our rosary necklaces.

The Crucifix

A cross bearing the figure of Christ keeps the sacrifice of the Cross before our eyes. Catholic tradition places a crucifix in the main room of the home and above the beds, and many families place one in the hands of a loved one at the hour of death. A small piece works well above a child's bed; our Baroque wall crucifix with a Saint Benedict medal combines two sacramentals. See all our wall crosses and crucifixes.

A crucifix can also be worn. A small crucifix pendant, like our gold vermeil crucifix necklace, keeps Christ close throughout the day, and once blessed, it is a sacramental just like the crucifix on the wall. A simple cross without the corpus can be blessed as well. You will find both styles among our cross and crucifix necklaces.

Scapulars

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the best known: two small pieces of brown wool joined by cords, worn over the shoulders as a sign of belonging to Mary. The Holy See describes it as a sign of the wearer's commitment to follow Christ in the spirit of Our Lady.[18] The wearer is first enrolled with the cloth scapular through a short rite. In 1910, under Pope Saint Pius X, the Holy See permitted those already enrolled to wear a blessed scapular medal in place of the cloth.[19] Learn more in The Brown Scapular: Meaning, Promises, and How to Wear It and Catholic Scapular Colors and Meanings, or explore our scapular collection.

Religious Medals

Medals of Christ, Our Lady, and the saints are among the oldest Catholic sacramentals, and the Holy See recognizes them as signs of faith when worn with devotion.[20] This includes medals of Our Lady under any of her titles honored by the Church, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Fatima, or Our Lady of Charity. The Church blesses them because they remind the faithful of God's love and build trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary.[20] A blessed Our Lady of Guadalupe medal is a sacramental in the full sense, as is a medal of the Sacred Heart, the Holy Spirit, or a patron saint. Browse our Virgin Mary medals and necklaces. Two medals have an especially long history:

Sacred Images and Statues

Images of Christ, Our Lady, and the saints have been part of Christian prayer since the early Church, and the Second Council of Nicaea defended their use in 787. Catholics do not worship images. As Saint Basil taught and the Catechism repeats, the honor given to an image passes to the one it represents.[22] Our Catholic art collection includes framed sacred art sold at the gift shops of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and our Catholic statues are made for the home altar.

How to Use Sacramentals at Home

Sacramentals belong in daily life, not in a drawer. A few simple habits can turn a house into a domestic church:

  • Keep holy water by the front door and bless yourself when you leave and return.
  • Hang a crucifix in the main room and in each bedroom.
  • Set up a small prayer corner or home altar with an image of Our Lady and a blessed candle. Our guide to creating a Catholic home altar walks you through it.
  • Give each member of the family a blessed rosary.
  • Wear a blessed medal or scapular every day.
  • Trace the Sign of the Cross on your children's foreheads at bedtime.

Sacramentals Are Not Amulets or Good-Luck Charms

This is the point the Church insists on most. Sacramentals are not talismans, amulets, or lucky charms. They are not magic, and they do not work automatically. The Catechism teaches that attributing power to prayers or sacramental signs by their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions they demand, is superstition.[23] The Holy See adds that without that interior faith, gestures such as wearing medals risk becoming empty customs or superstition.[24] A medal worn without faith is simply a piece of jewelry.

The power of a sacramental comes from the prayer of the Church and the faith of the person who uses it. Sacramentals also never replace the sacraments. Holy water reminds us of Baptism, but it does not forgive sin the way Confession does. Used well, every sacramental should lead us back to Mass, to Confession, and to a deeper life of prayer.

How to Get a Rosary or Other Sacramental Blessed

A rosary does not have to be blessed to be prayed, but once a priest or deacon blesses it, the beads become a sacramental. The same is true of medals, scapulars, crucifixes, and statues.

  1. Bring the object to your parish after Mass or by calling the parish office.
  2. Ask a priest or deacon to bless it. Most blessings take only a minute or two.
  3. For some sacramentals, ask for the specific rite. Enrollment in the Brown Scapular and the traditional blessing of the Saint Benedict Medal each have their own prayers.
  4. Once blessed, treat the object with reverence. Church law asks that blessed objects never be put to ordinary or improper use, even when they belong to private persons.[25]

A note about buying sacramentals: the Church teaches that spiritual goods, including a blessing, can never be bought or sold.[26] That is why reputable Catholic shops do not sell items as already blessed. At Guadalupe Gifts®, every rosary, medal, and scapular is ready for you to bring to your priest, making the blessing a small moment of faith you share with your own parish. If you are giving a rosary or medal as a gift for a Confirmation or a feast day, consider tucking in a note that invites the person to have it blessed. It turns a gift into a first step of devotion.

How to Dispose of Blessed Items: What to Do with a Broken Rosary, Old Holy Water, and More

Sooner or later, every Catholic family faces this question. A rosary breaks, a scapular wears thin, a statue chips, or you inherit religious items you cannot keep. Blessed objects should never go in the trash. Church law asks that anything blessed for worship be treated with reverence and never put to ordinary or improper use.[25] The universal law of the Church does not spell out a single disposal rite, but pastors give consistent guidance, which we follow here.[28][29]

Step 1: Repair it if you can

Many broken rosaries can be restrung or fitted with a new link or crucifix, and a chipped statue can often be restored. Repairing a sacramental is itself an act of care.

Step 2: Give it to someone who will use it

If the item is still in good condition but you no longer need it, pass it on to a family member, a friend, or a parish ministry that collects rosaries and medals. A sacramental that is prayed with is better than one that sits in a drawer.

Step 3: Burn or bury it

When an item cannot be repaired or given away, the traditional practice is to burn it (if it will burn) and bury the ashes, or bury it.[28] Diocesan guidance adds a practical tip: take a statue apart before burying it, so it cannot later be put to an improper use.[29]

Step 4: Ask your parish

If you cannot burn or bury something, contact your parish office. Many parishes collect old palms before Lent and will take care of other blessed items as well.[29]

Item by item

Item What to do
Old or excess holy water Pour it onto the ground, such as a garden or lawn, rather than down a drain.
Palms from Palm Sunday Return them to your parish before Ash Wednesday, or burn them and bury the ashes.
Broken rosary Repair it if possible; otherwise bury it
Medals Metal does not burn, so bury it respectfully
Cloth scapulars Burn and bury the ashes, or bury it
Statues and crucifixes Repair if possible; otherwise break into pieces and bury
Blessed candles Use them to the end in prayer; bury any remains
Bibles, missals, and holy cards Give them away if usable; otherwise burn or bury

One more thing many people ask: according to traditional Catholic understanding, an object that is badly broken or sold loses its blessing.[30] A replacement rosary or medal can be brought to your priest for a new blessing. If you keep holy water at home, a wall holy water font holds a small amount that you use often, so very little ever goes stale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sacramental in the Catholic Church?

A sacramental is a sacred sign instituted by the Church, such as a blessing, holy water, a rosary, or a medal. Through the prayer of the Church, sacramentals prepare people to receive grace and help them grow in holiness in everyday life.[1]

What is the difference between a sacrament and a sacramental?

Christ instituted the seven sacraments, and through them he gives grace directly. The Church instituted sacramentals, which have no fixed number and work through the Church's prayer and the faith of the person using them. Sacramentals prepare us for the grace of the sacraments but do not replace them.[5]

Is the rosary a sacramental?

Yes. The rosary is both a prayer and, once the beads are blessed, a sacramental object. The Catechism lists it among the devotions of popular piety the Church encourages.[10]

Do rosaries need to be blessed?

A rosary can be prayed without a blessing. Objects such as rosaries, medals, scapulars, and statues become sacramentals when a priest or deacon blesses them. Actions such as the Sign of the Cross or a blessing are sacramentals in themselves.

Can a layperson bless a sacramental?

Laypeople may give certain blessings, such as parents blessing their children or a family blessing a meal. A priest or deacon ordinarily gives the blessing of religious objects.[7]

Can I buy a blessed rosary or medal?

No. A blessing cannot be bought or sold.[26] Buy the item from a trusted Catholic shop and take it to your parish to be blessed.

Can you throw away a rosary or other blessed item?

A blessed item should not go in the trash, since Church law asks that blessed objects be treated with reverence.[25] Repair it, give it away, or burn or bury it, as explained in the section on how to dispose of blessed items above.

How do you dispose of holy water?

Pour old or excess holy water onto the ground, such as a garden or lawn, rather than down a sink or drain.[29]

Are sacramentals amulets or talismans?

No. Sacramentals have no power of their own. They work through the prayer of the Church and the faith of the person who uses them. Treating them as lucky charms is superstition, which the Church rejects.[23]

Is wearing a religious medal a form of idolatry?

No. Catholics do not worship medals or images. They honor the person represented, and that honor passes to Christ, Our Lady, or the saint.[22] A medal is a reminder to pray and to live as a disciple.

Can non-Catholics use sacramentals?

Yes. Church law allows blessings to be given to catechumens and even to non-Catholics.[27] A rosary, a crucifix, or a Miraculous Medal can be a meaningful gift for a friend who is exploring the faith.

As a Catholic family business in Weston, Florida, we see sacramentals every day as more than objects. They are the holy water by the door, the rosary in a grandmother's hands, the medal a mother fastens on her child. We hope this guide helps you bring them into your home with understanding and faith.

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Notes and Sources

All references are to official documents of the Catholic Church unless noted otherwise. Abbreviations: CCC, Catechism of the Catholic Church; CIC, Code of Canon Law (1983); DPPL, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (Congregation for Divine Worship, 2001).

  1. CCC 1667, quoting the Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium 60; see also CIC, can. 1166. CCC 1667 to 1679 (vatican.va)
  2. CCC 1668. vatican.va
  3. CIC, can. 1167 §1. CIC, cann. 1166 to 1172 (vatican.va)
  4. CCC 1127. Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va)
  5. CCC 1670. vatican.va
  6. CCC 1671. vatican.va
  7. CCC 1669; CIC, cann. 1168 and 1169. vatican.va
  8. CCC 1672; CIC, can. 1169 §1. vatican.va
  9. CCC 1673; CIC, can. 1172. vatican.va
  10. CCC 1674 to 1676. vatican.va
  11. DPPL 11. Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (vatican.va)
  12. CCC 1668 and 2157. vatican.va
  13. Roman Missal, Easter Vigil, Liturgy of Baptism (blessing of water).
  14. 2 Kings 2:19 to 22; Roman Ritual (Rituale Romanum), blessing of salt and water.
  15. DPPL 120 to 123 (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord); Roman Missal, February 2, blessing of candles. vatican.va
  16. Roman Missal, Ash Wednesday, rubric for the blessing and distribution of ashes; DPPL 139 (palms). vatican.va
  17. DPPL 197 to 202 (the Rosary); CCC 1674. vatican.va
  18. DPPL 205 (the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and other scapulars). vatican.va
  19. Decree of the Holy Office, December 16, 1910 (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 3). Text of the decree (EWTN Library)
  20. DPPL 206 (Marian medals). vatican.va
  21. Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Paris (Daughters of Charity). Official website
  22. CCC 2131 and 2132, citing Saint Basil, De Spiritu Sancto 18, 45, and the Second Council of Nicaea; see also DPPL 18. vatican.va
  23. CCC 2111. vatican.va
  24. DPPL 15. vatican.va
  25. CIC, can. 1171. vatican.va
  26. CCC 2121 (simony). vatican.va
  27. CIC, can. 1170. vatican.va
  28. Diocesan guidance: Fr. William Saunders, "Disposal of Religious Items," Arlington Catholic Herald (Diocese of Arlington), citing CIC, can. 1171. catholicherald.com
  29. Diocesan guidance: Msgr. Daniel Seiker, "How do I dispose of blessed palms and other religious objects?" Southern Nebraska Register (Diocese of Lincoln), March 2026. Southern Nebraska Register
  30. Adoremus, "Is selling or buying a blessed object permitted?" (2022), discussing CIC, can. 1171 and earlier Church decrees. adoremus.org

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