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Thursday 5 December 2013

Liturgical Words for The Day

Just for fun--sacrarium and piscina

sacrarium (plural sacraria)

  1. (in Ancient Rome) A place where sacred objects were kept, either in a temple (the adytum) or in a house (holding the penates)
  2. The area surrounding the altar of a Christian church; the sanctuary or piscina. Sometimes specifically a drain directly to the earth, perhaps including reference to a basin, for washing vessels from consecration.


piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium. They are often made of stone and fitted with a drain, and are in some cases used to dispose of materials used in the sacraments and water from liturgical ablutions. They are found in Roman CatholicAnglican, and Lutheranchurches, and a similar vessel is used in Eastern Orthodox churches.

from Wiki