Category: Holy oil

A special kind of oil, sacred chrism, is an integral part of the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation. The minister dips his right thumb into a small bowl of chrism, then raises his oiled thumb, places it on the forehead of the candidate, and with a stroke down and a stroke across, anoints the forehead in the shape of a cross with the words, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” The anointing with holy oil imparts the seal of the sacrament.