Sacred Vessels
Ablution Cups
Ablution cups hold water beside the tabernacle so the priest can cleanse his fingers after touching the Blessed Sacrament.
About this collection
About Ablution Cups
An ablution cup sits on the altar so the priest can rinse his fingers after distributing Holy Communion. This collection offers a new ablution cup with a sturdy glass bowl and gold-plated cover, about 3 3/8 inches tall, and a solid brass ablution cup. Listed prices currently run from about $125 to $159. Call or request a quote. Freight is billed separately. See also cruets and chalices.
Ablution Cups
In the Sacred Liturgy
An ablution cup is a small covered vessel of water kept beside the tabernacle, usually with a purificator, the small linen cloth used to wipe the sacred vessels and the priest's fingers. When the priest has touched the Blessed Sacrament outside Mass, for example after giving Holy Communion from the tabernacle or placing the Host in the monstrance, he dips his fingers in the water and dries them on the purificator.
The purpose is reverence. Even the smallest fragment of a consecrated Host is Christ Himself, so the Church takes care that no particle is lost or treated carelessly. The water from the ablution cup is not poured down an ordinary drain. It is emptied into the sacrarium, a special basin in the sacristy that drains directly into the earth.
Ablution cups are usually made of glass or metal with a close-fitting lid, often gilded or topped with a cross. Small and simple, they quietly express the Church's faith in the Real Presence.
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