Book Review: ‘Sacramentals’ by Fr. Ralph Weimann

Caitrin Bennett reviews a new and informative resource on the nature of sacramentals, for both clergy and lay people. 

What is a sacramental? How does it relate to and differ from a sacrament? Who can bless a new home, a married couple, or a scapular, and what format should that person follow? What is the symbolism behind the Sign of the Cross, the stole of a priest, or the Saint Benedict medal? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in Sacramentals: Their Meaning and Spiritual Use, a new guide by Fr. Ralph Weimann and published by Sophia Institute Press. 

Recently, I inherited a precious heirloom from my late grandmother: the simple cloth scapular she had worn for many years and died wearing. I was touched to receive it, but I didn’t know much about scapulars. When I did some surface-level research online, I found many rules of scapular use and very specific blessings promised to those who wear the scapular. To be honest, it was a bit off-putting. I worried about the ways scapulars, as well as other sacramentals, could be misconstrued as something more akin to magical amulets. So when I saw this work on the list of books I could review for Catholic Mom, I jumped at the opportunity to become better informed on this facet of our faith.  

Turns out, Fr. Weimann wrote this book to educate the faithful and avoid these exact situations of confusion and worry I had felt. He reassures the reader that all sacramentals are deeply rooted in Scripture and Tradition, and that their effectiveness comes exclusively from faith in Jesus. Sadly, many have lost faith in the power of Jesus and the Church to whom He granted authority. “When faith becomes weaker, superstition grows,” and people turn from the true Sacraments and sacramentals of the Catholic Church to magical amulets, reiki, yoga, crystals, and the like.  

So, what is a sacramental? I learned that, while the Sacraments were instituted directly by Christ, the sacramentals are gifts of the Church. Unlike Sacraments, the efficacy of sacramentals does depend to some degree on the holiness of the minister (usually a priest) and the recipient’s faith and openness to receiving grace.   

Sacramentals include consecrations (the permanent “setting apart” of a person, object, or place for sacred purposes), blessings (prayers conferring temporal spiritual benefit), exorcisms (dispelling of demonic forces), and sacred objects or  places (cemeteries, relics, Miraculous Medals, and so on). Sacramentals from all four categories intend to do two things: orient the faithful toward God and protect them from demonic influence. If the latter particularly interests you, you are in luck: the chapter on exorcisms is 74 pages long.  

Reading this book gave me a new appreciation for the Holy Name of Jesus (a sacramental in itself), for the power of the sign of the cross against evil, and for the tireless work of our priests on behalf of their flocks. And, yes, it convinced me to prepare myself for the investiture of my grandmother’s scapular—right after I have it blessed by Pope Francis on my much-belated honeymoon to Italy in a couple weeks!   

Sacramentals is certainly a “deep dive,” seemingly intended for an audience of mostly priests hoping to guide their parishes through blessings, scapular investiture, and the occasional minor exorcism. That said, thoroughly catechized lay people who are especially interested in this topic can also learn a lot from this work. In other words, don’t gift this book to your friend who is just starting the RCIA process, but rather to your uncle who reads Thomas Aquinas in his spare time. I am sure this is a work I will consult many times in the years to come.  

Ask for Sacramentals at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Sophia Institute Press.

Copyright 2023 Caitrin Bennett
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