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How to have your medal blessed
“Does a medal need to be blessed?” It is one of the questions we get most often, especially when the medal is a gift for a baptism, First Communion, or wedding. The short answer: it is not mandatory, but it is a beautiful tradition that is very easy to follow. We have gone to the sources (the Catechism, the Code of Canon Law, the Ritual of Blessings, and the Directory on Popular Piety) to tell you what the Church says and how it is done.
A brand-new medal, ready to be blessed
What a blessing is, according to the Church
The Catechism explains that blessings are sacramentals: sacred signs instituted by the Church that, while not sacraments, prepare people to receive grace and sanctify the various circumstances of life (nos. 1667 and 1670). Among the sacramentals, blessings hold first place, and they can be given to people, tables, places, or objects (n. 1671).
Furthermore, medals are expressly mentioned in the Catechism as one of the forms of popular piety through which the Christian people have always expressed their faith, alongside the rosary, pilgrimages, and processions (n. 1674).
Is it mandatory to have a medal blessed?
No. No rule requires it, and an unblessed medal remains a sign of faith and affection. What changes with a blessing is that the Church prays for the person who will wear it: every blessing is both praise to God and a prayer asking for His gifts (n. 1671).
There is another little-known detail. The Manual of Indulgences grants a partial indulgence to anyone who devoutly uses a properly blessed object of piety (a crucifix or cross, rosary, scapular, or medal).
Who can bless it
A priest or deacon. The Ritual of Blessings, the liturgical book of blessings, dedicates its own rite to medals, small crosses, scapulars, and other objects of devotion (chapter XLIII), and states that it is celebrated by priests and deacons. The Code of Canon Law confirms this: any priest may administer blessings, except those reserved to the Pope or bishops, and deacons may administer those that the law expressly permits them (canon 1169).
Laypeople may preside over certain blessings, such as those of the table or of children (Catechism, n. 1669), but blessings of objects of piety are not among them.
How it is done, step by step
1. Take it to your parish. The easiest way is to go to the sacristy at the end of Mass and ask the priest. No appointment or preparation is necessary.
2. It only takes a moment. The full rite includes a reading and a prayer, but the Ritual of Blessings also provides a brief formula: the priest makes the sign of the cross over the medal and often sprinkles it with holy water.
3. Or take advantage of a visit to a shrine. At pilgrimage sites, it is customary to bless the pilgrims' objects during a communal celebration. If you go to El Pilar, Covadonga, El Rocío, or Fatima, take it with you.
4. It is free. A blessing is neither bought nor sold: the Catechism calls the buying and selling of spiritual goods simony (n. 2121). That is why it is customary to buy the medal and then take it to be blessed.
5. Ask them to place it on you. After blessing it, the priest may place it on you himself. The Miraculous Medal even has its own rite of blessing and placement.
If you are looking for one, here are our Our Lady Miraculous medals, handcrafted in Spain.
If the medal is a gift
You can take it to be blessed before giving it and tell the recipient: it is a much-appreciated gesture. At baptisms, First Communions, and weddings, many families ask the priest to bless the medal that same day, so the keepsake is linked to the celebration. We share more ideas in what medal to give at a baptism and in our mini-guide to choosing, wearing, and giving a medal.
A blessed medal is not an amulet
The Church is very clear on this. The Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy states that medals are a testimony of faith and an expression of trust in the protection of the Virgin, but warns that a medal “is not a talisman nor should it lead to idle credulity” (n. 206). The Catechism follows the same line: attributing the effectiveness of a sign solely to the material object, without an inner disposition, is to fall into superstition (n. 2111).
In other words: the medal does not protect on its own, as if it were magical. It reminds you of whom you entrust your life to and invites you to live accordingly. That is why we like to say that we are protected and stylish at the same time.
How to treat a blessed medal
With care and respect. The Code of Canon Law requires that blessed objects be treated with reverence and not used improperly, even if they belong to private individuals (canon 1171). In practice: wear it, take care of it, and store it properly when you are not using it. If it ever breaks, custom dictates that you should not throw it in the trash, but rather bury it or take it to the parish.
To make sure it also stays beautiful for many years, here are 6 tips for caring for gold-plated jewelry.
Quick questions
Can I bless it myself with holy water?
The rite for blessing medals is reserved for priests or deacons. What you can do is pray with it and for the person who will wear it.
Do I need to have a medal I inherited from my grandmother blessed?
It is most likely already blessed. If you do not know and would like it to be, you can take it to be blessed without any problem.
Can a bishop or the Pope bless it?
Of course. In fact, many pilgrims bring their medals and rosaries to audiences with the Pope in Rome to have them blessed.
Medals to start with (and take to be blessed)
All come with their chain and wrapped as a gift. Discover all our medals.
Show us your medal
Have you taken your medal to be blessed, or your godchild's? We would love to see it. Follow us on Instagram at @khartesmadrid, and tag us: there we share stories of saints, ideas for wearing your medals, and news before anywhere else.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1667-1679 (sacramentals) and nos. 2111 and 2121 (superstition and simony).
- Code of Canon Law, canons 1166-1172.
- Ritual of Blessings, chapter XLIII: blessing of objects intended to exercise piety and devotion.
- Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy, n. 206.
- Manual of Indulgences (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum), granting on the use of objects of piety.
The most beautiful medals are at www.khartesmadrid.com