ampullae

New Catholic Dictionary illustration of 'ampulla'Derivation

  • Latin: bottles

Profile

Jars found in the catacombs, used for holding holy oils, or burial unguents; some are supposed to have held the blood of a martyr. In the Middle Ages they were carried by pilgrims and filled with oil from lamps in a martyr‘s shrine. Usually they bore the symbol of a saint.

MLA Citation

  • “ampullae”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info. 10 August 2017. Web. 26 February 2021. <>