Catholic Vocab Word of the Week: "Aspergillum"

The word “Aspergillum” is derived from the Latin verb aspergere meaning ‘to sprinkle’.

From the National Catholic Register:

If you've attended the Easter Vigil, you remember that the priest walked down the aisle, sprinkling everyone with holy water. He held a type of sprinkler, probably a metallic rod with a round tip, waving it over the heads of worshippers and spraying water. That, my friends, was an aspergillum.

The same vessel is used other times, as well: to bless the palm fronds on Palm Sunday, and to bless candles on Candlemas.

The priest may also use an aspergillum at a baptism or for other ceremonial purposes, such as blessing the entrance of a house during a house blessing.

https://history.catholic.sg/brass-aspergillium/