I Wonder Why?
This column answers interesting questions.
Ever wonder why some churches have a stoup at their entrances?
The holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is used in Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, as well as some Anglican churches to make the sign of the cross using holy water upon entrance and exit.
From Wikipedia
Holy-water stoups came very early to Christianity. Many holy-water fonts were simple, sometimes no more than seashells; others were grand affairs, proper fountains for ablutions of both hands and feet. We no longer use the font to wash, but to take water upon entering a church is still a vital act. It recognizes the demarcation between secular and sacred space: we have turned out of the noisy street into God's quite place, and we acknowledge it. We also remember our baptism, our entry by water into the large church; but this time we perform the sacrament ourselves, in miniature.
by Ann Wroe. America: The National Catholic Weekly. March 3, 2003.
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