Will & Baumer
Will & Baumer Agnus Dei Paschal Candle, 2 x 36 in
No. 4 Special paschal candle, 2 x 36 in, 51% beeswax core, with a red and gold Lamb of God design and the year.
Church Candles
Paschal & Baptismal Candles
The paschal candle is blessed and lit at the Easter Vigil and burns at every Mass of the Easter season. It then stands by the font for baptisms and near the coffin at funerals. A new candle is used each year. Products differ by size, decoration and construction. No. 4 Special measures 2 x 36 in and No. 6 Special 2 1/2 x 36 in. Most are 51% beeswax; a refillable shell burns liquid paraffin, and a blank candle takes the parish's own design.
Measure the paschal candlestick socket first; 2 in and 2 1/2 in candles are not interchangeable. The Will & Baumer Agnus Dei and Westminster candles fit 2 in sockets, and the Alpha Omega and Adoration candles fit 2 1/2 in. Decorated candles come with paschal nails and the year. The Religious Supply Center blank candle suits parishes that apply a transfer or carve the cross themselves. The refillable shells, 3 1/2 in and 1 15/16 in wide, suit churches already using liquid fuel. Baptismal candles are listed alongside.
9 paschal & baptismal candles
The paschal and baptismal candles below are listed by diameter, design and construction.
Will & Baumer
Will & Baumer Alpha Omega Paschal Candle, 2 1/2 x 36 in
No. 6 Special paschal candle, about 2.5 in across and 36 in tall, with navy and gold bands, gold year numerals, and paschal nails.
Will & Baumer
Will & Baumer Westminster Paschal Candle, 2 x 36 in
No. 4 Special paschal candle, 2 x 36 in with a 51% beeswax core, burgundy and gold medallion bands, Alpha and Omega, and nails.
Will & Baumer
Adoration Paschal Candle, 2 1/2 x 36 in, No. 6 Special
Decorated 51% beeswax paschal candle in the No. 6 Special size, 2 1/2 in across and 36 in long, supplied with paschal nails.
Religious Supply Center
Religious Supply Center Blank Paschal Candle, 2 1/2 x 36 in
Plain white paschal candle, 2 1/2 in across and 36 in tall, left undecorated for parishes that add their own transfer or carving.
Religious Supply Center
Refillable Paschal Candle Shell, 36 x 3 1/2 in, Design C
Refillable paschal candle shell, 36 in tall and 3 1/2 in across, in the maker's design C, for use with liquid candle fuel.
Will & Baumer
Will & Baumer Baptism By Water Baptismal Candle, 7/8 x 10 in
Single white baptismal candle, 7/8 in across and 10 in tall, decorated with the Baptism By Water design, for presenting at baptisms.
Will & Baumer
Will & Baumer Baptism By Water Taper Candles, 24 Per Order
Pack of 24 white 10 in taper candles with the Baptism By Water and the Holy Spirit design, for giving to families at baptisms.
Religious Supply Center
Refillable Paschal Candle, 1 15/16 x 33 in, Latin Brass
Refillable paschal candle shell, 33 in tall and 1 15/16 in across, in the Latin Brass design, for 2 in paschal candlesticks.
Side by side
The specifications the makers publish, in one table.
Questions before you order
What do No. 4 Special and No. 6 Special mean?
They are Will & Baumer size names. According to the listings, No. 4 Special measures about 2 in across and 36 in tall. No. 6 Special is about 2 1/2 in across and 36 in tall. Other makers use plain dimensions, so compare the diameter with the socket on your paschal candlestick.
What are the paschal nails for?
At the Easter Vigil the priest presses five grains of incense into the candle in the form of a cross. The prayer recalls the wounds of Christ. The nails hold those grains in place. Decorated candles here include the nails; a blank candle may need them bought separately.
How long does a paschal candle need to last?
It burns at every Mass for the fifty days of Easter, then at baptisms and funerals through the year. A 36 in candle is the usual parish choice and most last the year. A follower sized to the candle keeps the top level and reduces dripping, which extends the burn.
Can last year's paschal candle be used again?
A new candle is blessed each Easter Vigil, so last year's candle is not reused for that rite. Many parishes keep the old candle for baptisms held outside Mass or burn it down at funerals. Unused stubs are disposed of respectfully, usually by burning or burying the wax.