In European churches, holy water fonts or stoups come in all forms and sizes and are sometimes architectural wonders by themselves. Spouts are mostly placed at the entrances of churches for the faithful to dip their fingers in and to make the sign of the cross before entering. The gesture is a reminder of baptism and is considered a sacramental action by which grace is transferred to the believer.
Catholics believe that when you dip your finger into the holy water font and make the sign if the cross, you are touching your forehead (mind) and shoulders and heart with the sacramental.
Shown above is a medieval stoup at the side entrance of the the Archangel Michael church in the village of Znojmo in the Czech Republic. And below is a romanesque stoup from the Franciscan Monastery museum in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
