Powder Incense | Catholic Church

Powder incense for Catholic Church use

• Liturgical incense in 500-gram packaging.
• Powder incense.
• Unique scent.
• Also available in grain incense.

Powder Incense

Powder incense is a type of incense that is characterized by being ground, in powder form, as opposed to other forms of incense such as grain incense, stick incense, etc.

Powder incense is made up of a combination of resins and aromatic oils that are subjected to a grinding process until they become fine powder.

The resins and aromatic oils used can be of different origins, with it being common to use resinous elements from sandalwood, citronella, etc.

Incense releases a soft and constant aroma when burned, in addition to being easy to handle and store.

Essential elements for burning powder incense

The process of burning incense is relatively simple as long as you have the right elements. The necessary products are incense, incense charcoal tablets, an incense burner or censer, a spoon for adding incense, tongs, and a lighter, match, or candle.

• Powder incense

Catholic Church incense is a very interesting option for those who want to enjoy the scent of incense at home or in the parish. Powder incense is widely used by brotherhoods, parishes, and other types of users who enjoy the smell of incense.

• Charcoal tablet

Charcoal is an element that greatly facilitates the burning process of powder incense. To select the appropriate charcoal tablet, one must take into account the amount of incense to be burned and the size of the censer.

Using large charcoal tablets (5 cm. in diameter) is advisable when you want to burn a large amount of incense and have a burner that is big enough for this type of tablet.

In a domestic censer, it might be advisable to opt for smaller tablets, while in a parish environment or a Holy Week brotherhood procession, it might be more appropriate to choose larger tablets or even use several at once.

• Powder incense burner

An incense burner or censer is a container or object specifically designed to burn incense safely and controlled. Censers, both in the domestic, parish, or brotherhood environment, are made of heat-resistant materials such as ceramic, metal, or stone.

Censers can have different shapes and sizes, from simple containers to elaborate designs. There is a wide variety, but they usually consist of two fundamental elements: The container for the incense and the ventilation and protection system.

The container for the incense is the basic element of any censer. It is a convex-shaped surface that serves as a deposit for the incense and charcoal. In the incense container is where the incense is burned.

The ventilation and protection system is a cover that is placed over the deposit. It serves to control the smoke that is released during incensation, in addition to being a safety element to prevent anyone from touching the charcoal or incense once it has started to burn.

Liturgical or brotherhood censers typically incorporate a third element, the chains. These chains are used to perform the movement that is carried out during incensation in religious celebrations.

• Other elements for burning powder incense

In addition to the three basic elements mentioned above, it is advisable to have other objects that facilitate the process of lighting incense.

The tablets for holding the charcoal avoid the risk of burns during the combustion of charcoal.

The spoons for adding the incense help manage the amounts of incense that are burned.

Matches, lighters, or candles are the elements that will generate the necessary flame to light the charcoal.

Burning powder incense | How to burn powder incense using charcoal

The process of burning incense begins with the lighting of the charcoal tablet. To do this, hold the tablet with tongs. With caution, bring the flame to the tablet for a few seconds until it starts to spark and turns red, indicating that it is ready to be used.

Once the charcoal is correctly lit, it is placed in the censer's container. Placing the convex side up facilitates the proper dispersion of incense over the hot surface.

Then, add the incense to the convex part of the charcoal using an incense spoon to dose the desired amount precisely and avoid waste.

Finally, all that remains is to enjoy the aroma of the powder incense.

Burning powder incense without charcoal

Powder incense can also be burned without using charcoal tablets.

The process is the same, but you must bring the flame directly to the incense.

Although this option is used regularly, at Catholic Articles Brabander we recommend the use of charcoal tablets to burn incense.

Generally, using charcoal is much safer and makes better use of the Catholic Church incense, as combustion is more progressive.