Bottles, undated
Scope and Contents
A variety of plastic and glass bottles stoppered with cork or screw caps intended to hold holy water. None of these bottles contain water now; however, some show evidence of past use through residue rings. Two have engraved metal holding stands. In addition to generic bottles, some are from known locations including those from Fatima, Portugal; Immaculate Conception Shrine, Washington, DC; Knock, Ireland; Lourdes, France; and Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal, Canada.
Dates
- Creation: undated
Creator
- From the Collection: Leonard, William J. (1908-2000) (Compiler, Person)
Language of Materials
This collection is mostly in English, with some materials in French, German, Italian, Latin, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovenian, and Spanish.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Definition and use
Holy water bottles are sealable vessels intended to house holy water collected from fonts or pilgrimage sites for use in public or private devotions. Bottles containing holy water are expected to be kept physically clean. These bottles are often adorned with images of crosses, crucifixes, or saints and lettering identifying the bottle’s contents.
Sources:
Leclercq, Henri. "Holy Water." In The Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company, 1910. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm.
Thurston, Herbert. "Liturgical Use of Water." In The Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company, 1912. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15564a.htm.
Full Extent
27 Items
Repository Details
Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861
burns@bc.libanswers.com