χρῖσμα
Chrism
KRIZ-um
The perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop each Holy Week, used to anoint in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders as the sign of the Holy Spirit; the root of the word “Christ.”
an anointing
“Christ” means “the Anointed One,” and chrism is the oil of anointing. The bishop consecrates it at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week, using olive oil mixed with balsam or another fragrance, and it is used on the crown of the head at Baptism, on the forehead at Confirmation, on the hands of a new priest and the head of a new bishop, and on new altars and churches. In the Eastern Churches Confirmation is called Chrismation. The Catechism says the anointing signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit and configures the anointed to Christ, priest, prophet and king.
Sources checked 29 September 2026