Usuarium A Digital Library and Database for the Study of Latin Liturgical History
in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

Ceremonies

Categories

church discipline health Mass monasticism objects X Office persons pontifical sacerdotal Sacraments yearly cycle
Label Latin keywords Short description
agriculture benedictio seminum, area, areae, agrorum, agro, seminis, seminum, segetum, segetes, terrae seminatae (seu plantatae) primitias, sancti Marci (evangelistae), fruges, frumenti, terrae benedicendae, Litani* Maior* Blessings in connection with agriculture, sowing and harvesting, the blessing of seeds and crops; the blessing of wheat on the feast of St Mark the Evangelist (April 25: Paderborn, Palencia, Esztergom, Sacerdotale Romanum); the feast of St Rupert (March 27: Girona, Urgell); the feast of St Aegidius (September 1: Cuenca, Segovia) or the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (September 8: Prague).
alms eleemosynae, eleemosynarum, eleemosynam, agapem pauperum The blessing of alms.
altar altaris, altarium, altare, tabulae, tabulam, lapidis itinerarii, lapidis portatilis Consecration of main altars, side altars, and portable altars. Generally not separately indexed within the consecration of churches.
banner vexilli, vexilla, vexillorum, vexillum, vestis crucis The blessing of banners, flags, and other military insignia.
Baptistery baptisterii, lapidis fontium, fontis The blessing of a baptistery or its renewed blessing after renovation.
bath lavacrum, balnei, saponis, sabonis The blessing of a bath or its place, peculiar to Poland.
bean benedictio uvae vel/sive fabae The blessing of beans, always in connection with the blessing of grapes.
bell signum ecclesiae, signi, campana*, cymbal*, classic*, metall*, timpani, tintinnabula Consecration or blessing of bells.
bread panis The blessing of bread: Sunday (Spain, Salisbury, York, Chalons-en-Champagne), on the feast of St Lupus (Girona, Urgell), or most commonly without specifying the day. A special blessing of bread sometimes occurs in the context of nuptial ceremonies (cf. matrimony).
cabbage raphani The blessing of cabbage: on the feast of the Chair of St Peter (at Antioch, February 22) or on Ash Wednesday (Breslau/Wrocław).
candle cere*, candel*, lumin* The simple blessing of candles, wax or lampions beyond Candlemas or Holy Saturday ceremonies.
cemetery coemeteri*, cimiteri* The consecration of a cemetery. A cemetery is meant to serve not only as a burial site but also as the sacred precinct where a church is to be built.
church dedicatio*, dedicanda, ecclesia*, basilicae, domus Dei, domus Domini, reliquiae Consecration of a church, including: (1) Circling the church thrice, knocking on the church gate, dialogue with the deacon. (2) Entering the church, writing the Greek and Latin alphabet into ashes on the floor. (3) The blessing of the so-called St Gregory water (blessed water mixed with blessed salt, ashes and wine). (4) The blessing of the altar, walls and floor with St Gregory water (which is often followed by the blessing of liturgical articles, such as altar cloths, vestments). (5) Consecration of the altar and walls with Holy Chrism. (6) Introduction of relics into the church which are then buried within the altar. The laying and blessing of the foundation stone at the beginning of construction does not belong here, nor does the blessing of the cemetery.
altar altaris, altarium, altare, tabulae, tabulam, lapidis itinerarii, lapidis portatilis Consecration of main altars, side altars, and portable altars. Generally not separately indexed within the consecration of churches.
Baptistery baptisterii, lapidis fontium, fontis The blessing of a baptistery or its renewed blessing after renovation.
cemetery coemeteri*, cimiteri* The consecration of a cemetery. A cemetery is meant to serve not only as a burial site but also as the sacred precinct where a church is to be built.
foundation stone lapidis, lapidem, funda*, primarii, primum, primarium, "Nemo ecclesiam aedificet" Laying and blessing of a foundation stone where a church is to be built. The rite differs from both the blessing of a cemetery and from the dedication of a church.
reconciliation of violated church reconciliatio violatae ecclesiae, reconciliatio* ecclesiae, reconciliand* (violatam) ecclesiam, contingerit ecclesiam violari, reconciliatio* altaris Rededication (consecration) of a desecrated church, altar or cemetery.
cross crucis, crucem, crucium The blessing of a cross or crucifix.
fennel fenicul*, faenicul*, Aegidii The blessing of fennel on the day of St Aegidius (September 1), peculiar to Eastern dioceses of the Iberian Peninsula.
fields terminos, termini, villae The blessing of fields, in certain sources on the feast of the Invention of the Cross (May 3, in Spain).
fire ignis The blessing of fire on dates other than Candlemas or Holy Saturday.
fodder avenae, die sancti Stephani, pabuli The blessing of oates and other kinds of fodder on the feast of St Stephen Protomartyr (December 26).
foundation stone lapidis, lapidem, funda*, primarii, primum, primarium, "Nemo ecclesiam aedificet" Laying and blessing of a foundation stone where a church is to be built. The rite differs from both the blessing of a cemetery and from the dedication of a church.
fruits fructuum, fructu*, (benedictio) pomorum, benedictio novarum frugum, fruges, frugum, poma The blessing of fruits.
gem benedictio gemmarum nobilium, lapid*, pretios* The blessing of gems or precious stones.
gift munus, muneris, offertur, offerat, offert The blessing of gifts presented by laymen in and for the benefit of a church.
gold frankincense myrrh turis, tus, myrrhae, thymiamatis, aurum, auri, trium (munerum), Epiphaniae The blessing of frankincense, myrrh, and possibly gold on Epiphany.
grape uvae, uvarum, Transfigurationis, Sixti, Xysti The blessing of grapes, usually on the feast of St Sixtus or the Transfiguration (August 6), often with the blessing of legumes (e.g. bean, fig). Its traditional place during the Mass is before the end of the Canon.
herbs herbarum, herbas, herbis The blessing of herbs: in German territories on the feast of the Assumption (August 15), elsewhere on the feast of St Peter (Strasbourg), or on the feast of the Beheading of St John the Baptist (August 29, Osma, Pamplona).
house domum, domus, domo, domi, domorum, loci The blessing of houses.
incense incensi, turibuli, thymiamatis The blessing of incense or of an incensor (thuribulum). See also the Holy Saturday ceremonies (the blessing of incense after the blessing of fire) and the dedication of a church (thuribulum among the utensils).
infected water aquis infectis Purification of infected water.
lamb agni The blessing of the Easter lamb on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is usually the first and most important item in a longer series of blessings of victuals.
major blessing of water maior, salis et aquae The most solemn form of blessing water. On the vigil of Epiphany (Prague, Olomouc, Litomyšl, Esztergom), Sunday after the Octave of Pentecost (Augsburg), feast of St Stephen Protomartyr (Aquileia, Salzburg, Aosta, Bressanone), feast of St Peter in Chains (Strasbourg), or the feast of the Invention of the Cross (all others). Exorcisms and orations are often doubled, a prex (prayer in the form of a Preface) follows, and the water can be drunk after the rite, contrary to the minor blessing. The rite is usually performed in an agricultural context and connected to the aspersion of animals against sickness (cf. health of animals).
meal mensa, mensae, mensam, ante cibum, annum The blessing of dishes before meals, and thanksgiving afterwards, usually in monastic contexts with seasonal variants.
minor blessing of water benedictio* aquae, diebus dominicis, dominicis diebus, benedictio salis, exorcismus salis, benedicend* aqua*, aqua* benedict*, die dominica, minor The shorter form for the exorcism and blessing of salt and water, and their mixture, usually assigned to Sundays. The rite is often accompanied by ritual aspersion.
oil olei, oleorum, unguenti The blessing of normal oil (usually for healing purposes) different from those consecrated on Maundy Thursday (cf. Chrism Mass).
oven/furnace benedictio rafurni, clibani, furnelli, lapiscoctorii The blessing of an oven or furnace.
paten and chalice patenam consecrandam, consecrandam/-dum patenam, patenam, patenae, calicis Consecration of a paten and chalice.
reconciliation of violated church reconciliatio violatae ecclesiae, reconciliatio* ecclesiae, reconciliand* (violatam) ecclesiam, contingerit ecclesiam violari, reconciliatio* altaris Rededication (consecration) of a desecrated church, altar or cemetery.
ship/anchor/fishing benedictio (novae) navis, navis novae, navem, navi, navium, anchor*, rete, retis, retia, maris The blessing of a ship, an anchor or other objects in connection with navigation and fishing.
soldier/sword benedictio ensis, milit* ensis, armorum, clipei/scuti et baculi, armandum, exercitus The blessing of soldiers or arms.
statue/painting imaginis, imaginum, imaginem The blessing of a painting or statue of the Blessed Virgin or another saint.
tabernacle scrinium, scrinii, arcam, arcae, capsam, capsas, scrindola, tabernaculi, vasculi, chrismalis, Eucharistia(m) conservanda(m) Benediction of a tabernacle or aumbry, including any vessel for the keeping of consecrated hosts (Eucharist).
utensils corporal* linteamin*, sindonem, pallam, pallae, capsarum, (eucharistialis) vasculi, vasa, vasorum, ornamenta, ornamentorum, mapparum, ciborii, umbraculi, ampullae, librorum, in usum basilicae The blessing of instruments used in churches (cloths, linen, recepticles and other utensils), often within the consecration of a church, in such cases they are not separately indexed.
vessels vasa (nova), vasorum, antiquo loco reperta The blessing of non-sacral (non-liturgical) vessels, often of an archeological article.
vestments vestimentorum sacerdotalium, vestimenta sacerdotalia, vestium sacerdotalium, sacerdotalium indumentorum, indumentorum sacerdotalium, indument*, vestium (sacrarum), vestes (sacras), alba*, planeta*, pedul*, sandal*, palli* The blessing of liturgical vestments, religious habits, episcopal garments or penitentiary sackcloths, often in the context of the consecration of a church, in such cases it is not always separately indexed.
victuals omnia quae(cumque) volueris, generalis, communis, victualium, cibariorum, ciborum, esculentorum, comestibil* The general blessing of food or specific blessing of certain foods, such as meat, eggs, cheese, fish, some are also labelled separately, e.g. bread, wine, cabbage etc. Most often on Easter Sunday, sometimes such blessings form a series.
bread panis The blessing of bread: Sunday (Spain, Salisbury, York, Chalons-en-Champagne), on the feast of St Lupus (Girona, Urgell), or most commonly without specifying the day. A special blessing of bread sometimes occurs in the context of nuptial ceremonies (cf. matrimony).
cabbage raphani The blessing of cabbage: on the feast of the Chair of St Peter (at Antioch, February 22) or on Ash Wednesday (Breslau/Wrocław).
fodder avenae, die sancti Stephani, pabuli The blessing of oates and other kinds of fodder on the feast of St Stephen Protomartyr (December 26).
grape uvae, uvarum, Transfigurationis, Sixti, Xysti The blessing of grapes, usually on the feast of St Sixtus or the Transfiguration (August 6), often with the blessing of legumes (e.g. bean, fig). Its traditional place during the Mass is before the end of the Canon.
fruits fructuum, fructu*, (benedictio) pomorum, benedictio novarum frugum, fruges, frugum, poma The blessing of fruits.
wine vini, vinum, amoris, sancti Ioannis (evangelistae), vinagii The blessing of a vineyard or wine, primarily on the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist (December 27).
fennel fenicul*, faenicul*, Aegidii The blessing of fennel on the day of St Aegidius (September 1), peculiar to Eastern dioceses of the Iberian Peninsula.
herbs herbarum, herbas, herbis The blessing of herbs: in German territories on the feast of the Assumption (August 15), elsewhere on the feast of St Peter (Strasbourg), or on the feast of the Beheading of St John the Baptist (August 29, Osma, Pamplona).
bean benedictio uvae vel/sive fabae The blessing of beans, always in connection with the blessing of grapes.
lamb agni The blessing of the Easter lamb on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is usually the first and most important item in a longer series of blessings of victuals.
water aqu* The blessing of water beyond the minor and major blessing and that of infected water, e.g. blessing with the merging of a cross, for healing purposes, Carmelite blessing of St Albert, etc.
major blessing of water maior, salis et aquae The most solemn form of blessing water. On the vigil of Epiphany (Prague, Olomouc, Litomyšl, Esztergom), Sunday after the Octave of Pentecost (Augsburg), feast of St Stephen Protomartyr (Aquileia, Salzburg, Aosta, Bressanone), feast of St Peter in Chains (Strasbourg), or the feast of the Invention of the Cross (all others). Exorcisms and orations are often doubled, a prex (prayer in the form of a Preface) follows, and the water can be drunk after the rite, contrary to the minor blessing. The rite is usually performed in an agricultural context and connected to the aspersion of animals against sickness (cf. health of animals).
minor blessing of water benedictio* aquae, diebus dominicis, dominicis diebus, benedictio salis, exorcismus salis, benedicend* aqua*, aqua* benedict*, die dominica, minor The shorter form for the exorcism and blessing of salt and water, and their mixture, usually assigned to Sundays. The rite is often accompanied by ritual aspersion.
infected water aquis infectis Purification of infected water.
well benedictio (novi) putei (novi) The blessing of a well.
wine vini, vinum, amoris, sancti Ioannis (evangelistae), vinagii The blessing of a vineyard or wine, primarily on the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist (December 27).