Catholicism is filled with many special realities that guide our devotion to God and open our hearts to his grace. Some of them are material realities that adorn our homes: crucifixes, blessed statues, religious paintings. Others help us enter into the faith through our senses: the smell of incense, the sound of a church bell ringing, or the feeling of rosary beads moving through our fingers.  

These holy reminders are imbued with significance to remind us that the material world is meant to become part of our faith. They are devotional tools that help our physical selves draw closer to and worship God. We call them sacramentals.

What Are Sacramentals?

Sacramentals are “sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1667). They are actions or tangible objects that can increase our devotion to God by helping us encounter his grace more closely, frequently, and abundantly.

The Catechism recounts: 

“Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. 

In accordance with bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. 

They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).”
(CCC 1668)

The Church gives us sacramentals to further the graces that we receive in the sacraments. As a sign of their power, they open our souls to receive the spiritual benefits of the sacraments more fully. Sacramentals sanctify different circumstances of our lives.

Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Church’s 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, describes sacramentals as: 

• sacred signs that resemble the sacraments

• made powerful and effective through the prayer and intercession of the Church

• Realities that help us receive the effect of the sacraments and that sanctify circumstances of our lives

(cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, §60)

Most importantly, although many Catholic sacramentals are objects, they are not good luck charms or superstitious objects. They must be approached with proper disposition––with sincere faith, intentional piety, and a prayerful heart. They are items that point to something beyond themselves––to the grace of God––and they effectively convey blessings when used with sincere faith and piety.

The three main kinds of sacramentals cover much more than you might think. The objects that we associate with sacramentals (blessed rosaries, medals of Our Lady, or sacred images) are not the primary kind. The three categories of sacramentals are: blessings, consecrations, and exorcisms.

Complete List of Catholic Sacramentals

1. Blessings 

Blessings are perhaps the largest category of sacramentals, and from this category come many of the religious objects that we immediately think of as sacramentals. Blessings administered to persons, places, objects, or meals count as sacramentals because they are signs of God’s grace being conferred upon these realities.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1671, blessings are the foremost type of sacramental:  

“Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father ‘with every spiritual blessing.’ This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.”

By extension, the category of blessings includes the sacramental items most familiar to Catholics.

Who Administers Blessings? 

Catholic ordained ministers, like deacons, priests, and bishops, can confer the vast majority of Catholic blessings by the authority that comes from God in their vocations. As the Catechism passage above expresses, all blessings conferred by Catholic ordained ministers truly come from God, the source of all graces. 

People Who Can Be Blessed: 

• Children 

• Parents

• Engaged couple 

• Bride and groom 

• Married couple 

• Mothers before or after childbirth

• The sick 

• The dying

• Travelers 

• Students

• Missionaries

• Workers

• Soldiers

• Religious men and women

• Individuals belonging to various professions, ministries, or states in life

Places That Can Be Blessed

• Your home

• Churches (can, should, and must be blessed!) 

• Schools

• Workplaces

• Hospitals

• Cemeteries

• Other places for which a dedication might be desired and can be approved

Things Used In Ordinary Life Can Be Blessed Too!

• Rings (especially, wedding rings) 

• Vehicles

• Animals (pets!) 

• Boats

• Equipment

• Food & beverages (in thanksgiving and to ask God's protection)

The Sacramentals We Encounter Most: Blessed Religious Objects 

Not every Catholic devotional item is a sacramental. How do you know whether or not one is? Well, it’s always a sign of grace in a certain sense, but when a rosary or crucifix or medal of Mary is blessed by a Catholic ordained minister, it is commissioned as a sacred sign meant to help orient our hearts towards receiving God’s grace.

This category of sacramentals is the kind that we know best. They often fall under “popular piety” in Catholic teaching.

“Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’ sacramental life.” (CCC 1674)

These are tangible items used for worship in the liturgy, aid our prayer in Catholic sacred spaces, and many of them can and should be part of our daily lives of faith at home. 

Here are some of the most common religious objects that can receive a sacramental blessing:

• Holy Water: the same blessed water that baptized us also greets us at the entrances of Catholic Churches to remind us that we belong to God. It serves as very effective protection against spiritual attacks. 

• Rosary: a biblical form of prayer and central Catholic devotion honoring the Blessed Mother. The twenty mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous, and Glorious) allow us to grow closer to Our Lady by pondering the most important moments in the life of Christ. Beautiful graces and significant spiritual benefits accompany praying the Rosary.

• Chaplet/rosary beads dedicated to other devotions: there are many––the St. Thérèse Chaplet, St. Michael Chaplet, Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena Chaplet, to name a few! The Divine Mercy Chaplet can be prayed on a regular rosary, but special beads for it also exist. 

• Scapular: an important symbol of consecration to Our Lady, the Brown Scapular is a mini-habit of the Carmelite order and is accompanied by special spiritual promises: “Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” (This is called the Sabbatine privilege, promising that devout scapular wearers will be brought from Purgatory to Heaven on the Saturday after their death.) Different colored scapulars accompany different spiritualities. 

• Miraculous Medal: a medal that Our Lady revealed to St. Catherine Laboure when she appeared to her in 1830 in Paris. Our Lady promised great graces to those who wear it with confidence, and the medal was soon called “miraculous” when people began reporting incredible favors from Our Lady. 

• Medals of Jesus, Mary, or the Saints: perhaps the Sacred Heart of Jesus or a patron saint…

• St. Benedict Medal: this saint medal is specially blessed using an exorcism prayer to grant special protection against evil to those who wear it. On one side of the medal is an image of St. Benedict with his symbols, and on the other, a Cross, the word “Pax” (peace), and a Latin inscription that translates as “May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord! Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!"

• Crucifix: Whether it graces your wall, stands on your desk, or hangs from your car rearview mirror, a blessed crucifix is a powerful reminder of Jesus’s love for you and his closeness to you always. 
  

• Blessed Statues: reminders that our heavenly friends are praying for us and always spiritually present to us. 

• Icons: often referred to as windows into heaven because they offer us a special window into the sacred and divine realities surrounding Jesus Christ, Our Lady, heaven, and the saints. Icons are the primary form of sacred art in Eastern Rite Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox religion but are also revered by Western Catholicism as a beautiful aid to worship and personal devotion.

• Priests’ Vestments: The different sacred garments that a priest wears to celebrate Mass––the chasuble, stole, alb, and more––are set apart for use in worshipping God and signify the priest’s Christlike role and vocation. 

• Church bells: the town-wide alert for community worship is truly a blessed sound! Upon consecration, a bell is “baptized” and “anointed”––doused with Holy Water, Chrism oil, and the oil of the sick, dedicated for a sacred mission as an instrument of grace. In some cases, bells are even named (common in Europe). 

• Incense: this holy smoke rises during special Masses and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, filling the air with the aroma of holiness and signifying purification and the prayers of the people. Incense can also be used in Catholic homes during prayer as a reminder of God’s presence.

• Palms: at the start of Mass on Palm Sunday, the priest blesses the green branches that remind us of Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem for his passion. 

• Blessed Ashes: the dark ash crosses crosses traced on our foreheads every Ash Wednesday symbolize repentance, mortality, and our salvation in Christ. They come from last year's palms, which are burned in advance of the start of Lent. Publicly wearing our ash crosses on Ash Wednesday serves as a visible witness of Christ to the world. 

• Stations of the Cross images: 14 images found in every parish, marking important moments in Christ’s passion. Praying the Stations of the Cross allows us a chance to reflect on his suffering and our salvation more deeply.  

• Marian Consecration chain: a chain worn around the wrist to signify that someone has completed their Marian Consecration, fully and lovingly dedicating themselves to the Blessed Mother, to place our lives in her service.

• Your wedding ring: During the Catholic rite of marriage, the priest blesses the rings that the husband and wife place on each other’s fingers. Wedding rings point to the graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony, signifying the union of love and commitment of fidelity between a man and a woman. 

2. Consecrations/Dedications

Consecrations or dedications make the second category of sacramentals. They’re related to blessings, but they’re a level up, as blessings that come with a lasting character. 

In paragraph 1672, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, 

“Certain blessings have a lasting importance because they consecrate persons to God, or reserve objects and places for liturgical use. Among those blessings which are intended for persons––not to be confused with sacramental ordination––are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). The dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern objects.”

Rites of consecration or dedication designate persons or things as set apart for God. 

Consecrations can extend to:  

• Persons: for a religious profession, consecrated virginity, abbots and abbesses. 

• Places: churches, chapels, altars, cemeteries, other sacred places (prayer gardens or natural sites that hold religious significance).

• Objects: sacred vessels, liturgical furnishings, or other items designated for divine worship.

3. Exorcisms 

The Catechism also names exorcism as one of the Church’s forms of sacramentals. 

“When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcising.” (CCC 1673)

Exorcism can sound pretty intense, and yes, in some cases, they are about banishing demonic influence. There are some distinctions, though, so note these important things about exorcisms. 

The USCCB defines exorcism as, simply, “a specific form of prayer that the Church uses against the power of the devil.” There are two types of exorcisms: 

1) Major exorcisms are most likely what the word “exorcism” makes us think of.

These are formal rites that expel demons in circumstances when it is proven that a person is actually possessed. The Catechism outlines: 

“The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church.” (CCC 1673) 

A major exorcism can only be performed by an authorized authority––usually a bishop, or an exorcist priest trained and appointed by the bishop. Canon law says that these priests must exemplify spiritual maturity, piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life (see Code of Canon Law 1172 §2). 

2) As the Catechism also notes in paragraph #1673, a simple form, minor exorcism takes place during Catholic Baptism, when the baptized person (or their Godparents, on behalf of an infant or small child) renounces Satan and is freed from the influences of evil and sin. 

“Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate. The celebrant then anoints him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly renounces Satan. Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the Church, to which he will be “entrusted by Baptism.” (CCC #1237)

Some blessings might also double as minor exorcisms. For example, 

• The blessing prayed over holy salt includes exorcism so that it can become a means of protection and health for those who use it.

• There is a special type of exorcised Holy Water that is exorcised so that it can drive away evil spirits and grant more powerful spiritual protection.

• A St. Benedict medal is blessed using a special prayer of exorcism. 

Sacred Signs and Gestures

Certain Catholic gestures associated with sacramentals also serve as signs of God’s grace. For example: 

• The Sign of the Cross: tracing the cross over ourselves at the start of prayer or before a task places us in God’s presence and increases our awareness of his closeness to us. 

• Grace Before Meals, asking the Lord’s grace to bless the food about to be eaten.

• Genuflecting in front of the Blessed Sacrament to acknowledge or do reverence to Christ’s presence.

• Bowing to the altar, crucifix, to the priest as he processes into or out of Mass, or at the name of Jesus. These are all sings of reverence.

• Kneeling during prayer or when in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Frequently Asked Questions About Catholic Sacramentals

Are Sacramentals And Sacraments The Same Thing? 

No, sacraments and sacramentals are distinct. Sacraments directly causes grace in the life of believers who receive them. There are only seven sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. As the National Catholic Register describes, “Sacraments bear grace because they are the actions of Christ himself.” 

By contrast, sacramentals are tangible objects or actions that help increase our devotion to God and to the truths of the faith. They do not confer grace, but they open the believer’s heart to receive and cooperate with God’s grace. The power of sacramentals comes from the same source as the Seven Sacraments: the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

“Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it.” (CCC 1670). 

The two realities go hand in hand.  Sacramentals are a continuation of the graces of the sacraments in our lives by preparing our souls to receive these benefits more deeply. Most importantly, although many Catholic sacramentals are objects, they are not good luck charms or superstitious objects. Instead, they are items that point to something beyond themselves––to the grace of God––and they effectively convey blessings when used with sincere faith and piety.

Sacramentals show us that material things can be used for the glory of God, to worship and praise him more fully. By sanctifying many ordinary circumstances of our lives, sacramentals allow us to encounter God’s grace more closely, frequently, and abundantly.

Are Sacramentals Mentioned In The Bible?

Yes, a few mentions of sacramentals appear in the Bible. This word is never used specifically, but a few places where the reality is mentioned:

• Numbers 5:17 directly mentions Holy Water as part of a ritual.

• In Ezekiel 9:4-6, the Lord asked that the mark of the cross upon those who were righteous in the city––this is the Sign of the Cross.

• 2 Kings 5:10, when the Prophet Elisha commands Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River so that his flesh will be restored, provides a parallel to Holy Water and the Sacrament of Baptism.

• Ezekiel 43:23-24 is the Biblical basis for Blessed Salt, which was sprinkled on offerings before sacrifice. 

• In John 9:6-12, Jesus used clay of the ground to heal the blind before sending them to the cleansing waters of the pool of Siloam. Physical elements can thus become signs of grace.

• In Acts 19:11-12, the cloths and handkerchiefs that had been touched by St. Paul brought miraculous healing to the sick and deliverance to those afflicted by demons. This points to sacramentals as concrete signs of God’s grace.

• James 5:14-15 speaks of anointing with holy oil, alongside prayer, for anyone who is sick or suffering. 

Who Can Bless Religious Objects? 

Blessings that pertain to the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church are reserved to ordained ministers, but at the same time, "every baptized person is called to be a 'blessing,' and to bless" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1669; see Gn 12:2; Lk 6:28; Rom 12:14; 1 Pt 3:9). For example, parents are called to pray for and bless their children. 

The Church’s Code of Canon Law (see §1168-1169) explains who can give what type of blessings. 

Consecrations and dedications are sacramental rites that are usually reserved to bishops.

Bishops have the highest authority––in particular, they are typically the ones to administer consecrations and dedications.  

Priests can give nearly all other Catholic blessings, especially those within the Mass. 

Deacons “can impart only those blessings expressly permitted by law,” mainly religious items like rosaries, medals, and holy water. 

Who Can Establish A New Sacramental?

Only the Vatican (the Holy See of the Catholic Church, exercising the teaching authority given by Christ and handed on through the Apostles) has the power to establish a new sacramental, change the status of one that already exists, or interpret the ones that already exist (see Code of Canon Law 1167 §1).

Can I Just Throw Away a Worn or Broken Sacramental Object?

No, the trash can is not the place for your worn-out scapular, the statue that has chipped unrecognizably, or your rosary that’s broken twelve times over and is now beyond repair. 

There is a protocol for how to dispose of these religious items that are blessed and thus become signs of grace as sacramental items. They cannot just be treated like ordinary items, as Canon 1171 in the Church’s Code of Canon Law notes: 

Sacred objects, which are designated for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently.

As Fr. Josh Johnson highlighted in an episode of his podcast, “The sacramental’s power is now upon that object because of the Church’s prayer. When there is a blessing that is used for an object, that object is now changed.” Because of this, sacramentals must be handled respectfully and reverently, and there is a protocol for how to dispose of them. 

The appropriate way to dispose of a worn out or broken sacramental is to burn them, then collect the ashes and bury them. If burning is not possible, disassembling them (particularly for rosaries) and burying them is sufficient, to make sure that they are not reused in a profane manner if found. Statues and medals can be buried into the earth whole, and Holy Water should be poured directly into the ground, preferably on church grounds or in a Catholic cemetery.

“The way we treat a sacramental is effectively the same way we treat people. Every member of the Body of Christ is important, and sacramentals are important as well.”  –Fr. Josh Johnson 

Are Sacramentals Necessary For Salvation?

Strictly speaking, no, sacramentals are not required for salvation in the Catholic Church. However, the Seven Sacraments are necessary for salvation in the Catholic faith. The sacraments are primary channels of God’s grace, actions of Christ that apply the fruits of his saving work to us. 

Recall that the sacramentals are “sacred signs that bear resemblance to the sacraments” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #1667). While sacramentals do not bestow sanctifying grace on their own, they are signs of grace and therefore important complements to the Seven Sacraments. They prepare our souls for divine grace and cultivate in us the proper disposition to encounter God in the sacraments themselves. 

Why Use Sacramentals?

The more opportunities that we have to open our hearts to God’s grace, the better! Sacramentals are religious actions and material objects that meet us in the ordinary circumstances of our day to day lives. Doing so, they reflect the incarnational reality of our Catholic faith in all its beauty and depth. 

Many sacramentals also serve as important reminders of our faith, particularly the material objects that aid our religious devotions and receive a blessing to become sacramentals. Because we exist as both body and soul, material things matter in helping us enter into prayer. For example, wearing a miraculous medal, hanging a crucifix in our homes, praying Grace before Meals, or making the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water helps us to keep faith at the forefront of our lives. 

How Are Sacramental Objects Not Superstitious?

Many religious things could become superstitious if misused. To keep the sacramentals in their proper place in our lives depends on where we place our faith. 

Sacramentals do not hold power on their own. They do not confer grace directly or automatically. What power and spiritual effect that sacramentals do have comes from the prayer of the Catholic Church. They become sacred signs through the intercessory power of the Catholic Church. Because of this, we must approach sacramentals with faith in our hearts––but specifically faith in God and his grace, not in the object itself. 

Our personal disposition makes a difference, as well. Our lives must align with our faith––we cannot expect to live sinful lives and be saved simply because we make use of holy objects. God is not a slot machine; we cannot simply go through the right motions and expect a certain outcome. Many circumstances depend on God’s will and our cooperation with his grace.

Material sacramentals like blessed rosaries, medals, statues, etc. are not magic charms or talismans that protect us from evil in and of themselves.  Remembering that sacramentals are signs of the graces that God offers us in the sacramental life of the Church will help combat scrupulosity around using them. Because these religious objects are reminders of God’s protection, grace, and aid, we must treat them with reverence, respect, and true devotion.

How Do I Get My Rosary, Saint Medal, or Religious Object Blessed?

If you would like to receive a blessing for a religious object––or for yourself, or your home, or your car, or something of that nature––it’s as easy as politely requesting a blessing from a priest or deacon at your parish. You might speak to him after Mass, and it can be as simple as asking “Father, would you please bless this item for me?” 

You might receive a blessing, for example, because you are sick, traveling, or have something important coming up. These kinds of blessings can also be sought on an individual basis, but if it is a more formal kind of blessing, like for a pet, a new car, property, or a building, you might need to make a more advance-notice arrangement with a deacon or priest by contacting your parish’s office.

If you make a pilgrimage to a special Catholic site, you might acquire new rosaries and holy items. You can have these privately blessed, but sometimes a group blessing of sacramentals is possible while on pilgrimage, and might already be offered during a special Mass or service at a leading Catholic shrine (Lourdes, Fatima) or a Wednesday audience at the Vatican.

Who Can Receive Blessings? Are They Just For Catholics?

Catholic rites of blessing are primarily meant for Catholics, but also, there are no limits to God’s grace. Canon 1170 in the Code of Canon Law clarifies:

Blessings, which are to be imparted first of all to Catholics, can also be given to catechumens and even to non-Catholics unless there is a prohibition of the Church to the contrary.