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Paschal
Candle 
We
are writing this so that our joy may be complete. Now this is the message
that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him
there is no darkness at all. If we say, "We have fellowship with
him," while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in
truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us
from all sin. -- John 1:4-7
The
Paschal candle is a large candle, symbolic of the risen Christ, blessed and
lighted on the Easter Vigil and placed at the altar until Pentecost. It is
ornamented with five large grains of incense, representing the wounds of
Christ, inserted in the form of a cross; the Greek letters Alpha and Omega,
symbolizing Christ the beginning and end of all things, at the top and
bottom of the shaft of the cross; and the figures of the current year of salvation
in the quadrants formed by the cross.
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Altar
Lamp 
In the
Old Testament God commanded that a lamp filled with the purest oil of
olives should always burn in the Tabernacle of the Testimony without the
veil (EX 27:20-21). The Church prescribes that at least one lamp should
continually burn before the tabernacle (Rit. Rom. iv, 6), not only as an
ornament of the altar, but for the purpose of worship. It is also a mark of
honor. It is to remind the faithful of the presence of Christ, and is a
profession of their love and affection. Mystically it signifies Christ, for
by this material light He is represented who is the "true light which enlightens
every man" -- John, i, 9.
You
shall make an altar of acacia wood, on a square, five cubits long and five
cubits wide; it shall be three cubits high. ...You shall also make a court
for the Dwelling. ...All the fittings of the Dwelling, whatever be their
use, as well as all its tent pegs and all the tent pegs of the court, must
be of bronze. ...You shall order the Israelites to bring you clear oil of
crushed olives, to be used for the light, so that you may keep lamps
burning regularly. From evening to morning Aaron and his sons shall
maintain them before the LORD in the meeting tent, outside the veil, which
hangs in front of the commandments. This shall be a perpetual ordinance for
the Israelites throughout their generations. -- Exodus 27:1,9,19-21
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Stationary
Holy Water Fonts
Vessels
intended for the use of holy water are of very ancient origin. Holy water
fonts may be divided into three categories: stationary fonts, placed at the
entrance to churches; portable fonts, placed for aspersions and sacramental
rites; and private fonts, in which holy water is kept in private houses.
The
holy water font was originally the fountain for ablutions, cantharus, or
phiala, placed in the center of the atrium of the basilica and still found
in the East. These fountains were used by the faithful before entering the
church to wash their hands and feet in accordance with a rite. When the
atrium of the Christian basilica was reduced to the proportions of a narrow
court or a simple porch, the cantharus gave way to a less pretentious
structure.
The
holy water dispenser permits "...those who so desire may carry some
away in clean vessels so as to sprinkle their houses, fields, vineyards,
and cattle, and the provender with which these last are fed, as also to throw
over their own food" ("Capitula synodalia", cap. v, in P.L.,
CXXV, col, 774)
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Baptismal
Font
The
baptismal font is a basin or vase, serving as a receptacle for baptismal
water in which the candidate for baptism is immersed, or over which he is
washed, in the ceremony of Christian initiation. In the Church's present
practice it may be a basin made of decorative stone, metal or wood. It is
typically supported on a pedestal or columns at a convenient height for receiving
the water which is poured over the head of the person baptized, a form
which marks the term of a development graphically illustrating the history
of the mode of conferring baptism.
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Annunciating
Bell
This
bell is always used to begin the Sunday or vigil liturgies. It is the
original mass bell from the first church and has been part of the parish
from the first day.
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Dedication
Candles
When
the people of the parish community gather to dedicate their new church
building or to celebrate its renovation, they will have made many
decisions, balanced a variety of needs, and overcome a multitude of
challenges. As the diocesan bishop celebrates the Rite of Dedication and
receives the church from his people, the connection between the diocesan
Church and the parish community is particularly evident.
The
Rite of Dedication provides that the walls of the church may be anointed
with sacred chrism in four or twelve places depending on the size and
design of the structure. These points can be marked by crosses made from
stone, brass, or another appropriate material or carved into the walls
themselves. A bracket for a small candle should be affixed to the wall
beneath each of these crosses.147 The candles in these brackets are then
lighted during the ritual lighting at the dedication, on anniversaries of
the dedication, and on other solemn occasions. -- Built of Living
Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship, Chapter Two: The Church
Building and the Sacred Rites Celebrated There, Guidelines of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, NCCB/USCC, November 16, 2000
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