piscina

thumb|16th-century double piscina at the Franciscan friary in Kilconnell, Ireland A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. For Catholics and Lutherans, a sacrarium is "special sink used for the reverent disposal of sacred substances. This sink has a cover, a basin, and a special pipe and drain that empty directly into the earth, rather than into the sewer system" (USCCB, Built of Living Stones, 236). Precious or sacred items are disposed of, when possible, by returning them to the ground. They are in some cases used to dispose of materials used in the sacraments and water from liturgical ablutions. They are found in Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and a similar vessel is used in Eastern Orthodox churches. alt=The piscina in the north wall of the chancel at St. Mary the Virgin church at Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England. January 2025.|thumb|The piscina in the north wall of the chancel at St. Mary the Virgin church at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

==History== The Latin word piscina originally referred to a fish pond. Its meaning later expanded to include bathing pools, water tanks, and reservoir. In ecclesiastical usage it was applied to the basin used for ablutions and sometimes other sacraments. alt=C15 piscina in St. Katherine's chapel inside Sherborne Abbey, Dorset, England. May 2025.|thumb|C15 piscina in St. Katherine's chapel inside Sherborne Abbey, Dorset, England. May 2025. They were originally named for the baptismal font. Piscinae seem at first to have been mere cups or small basins, supported on perforated stems, placed close to the wall, and afterwards to have been recessed therein and covered with niche heads, which often contained shelves to serve as ambries. They were rare in England until the 13th century, after which there is scarcely an altar without one. They frequently take the form of a double niche, with a shaft between the arched heads, which are often filled with elaborate tracery. If there is no drain, a niche for washing is a lavabo, though the usage of the two terms is confusing.