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We dipped into the web-search font and were blessed with many results. We soon learned that the Catholic church makes a fresh batch of holy water each week. Holy water is simply water that has been blessed by a priest. Christian churches have used holy water since the fifth century, if not earlier. In many religions, water symbolizes a spiritual cleansing, and indeed, one of the oldest Christian rituals is baptism, in which a new convert is dipped into or doused with water. In the Bible, Jesus's baptism took place in a river, but eventually Christian baptisms moved inside churches and utilized basins of water specially blessed for the purpose. Baptism
is not the only use for holy water. Catholic churches bless water weekly for use during Sunday services, and holy water is used to bless anything worth sanctifying. The Baltimore Catechism describes how a priest prays over the water to bless it and provide protection for those using it. The water is intended to inspire devotion, and Catholic churches provide holy water near the doors so attendees can take a few drops and make the sign of the cross to show their faith. Holy water is also made on the Saturday before Easter. This Easter water receives a more elaborate blessing than everyday holy water and is often reserved for baptisms. Before the
Second Vatican Council modernized Catholic rituals in the 1960s, priests added salt to make holy water. The salt was exorcised of possible evil spirits and then mixed with water during the blessing.
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