Censers & Boats

A censer, also called a thurible, is a metal vessel hung from chains in which incense burns on lit charcoal. At Mass, Benediction, Evening Prayer, processions and funerals, the priest or deacon swings the censer to incense the altar, the cross, the Book of the Gospels, the gifts, the people and, at a funeral, the coffin. The rising smoke is a sign of prayer rising to God (Psalm 141:2).

This collection has hanging censers with chain, ornate and triple-chain censers, Eastern Rite censers with 12 bells, censer and boat sets, incense boats with spoons, censer stands and long-handled incense burners. For incense, see church incense.

Parts of a censer

• Bowl (fire pot): holds the burning charcoal and the incense.
• Lid: pierced so the smoke can escape; it slides up its own chain so incense can be added.
• Chains: most censers hang from three chains, with a fourth chain to raise the lid, all joined at a top disc held in the hand. Some censers hang from a single chain.
• Boat and spoon: the incense boat holds the incense grains, and its spoon puts them on the charcoal.
• Stand: a censer stand holds the hot censer safely between uses.

How to use a censer

Light a charcoal tablet until it glows, set it in the bowl and let it ash over, then spoon a little incense onto it and lower the lid. Hold the censer by the top disc and swing it gently by the chains. Keep the stand nearby, and empty the ash only when it is fully cold. If smoke bothers people with allergies or asthma, choose a hypoallergenic incense.

Read our guide: How to Use a Censer (Thurible).