The signs and symbols used in the Catholic Church are not keepsakes and mementoes, nor are they based on superstition. They are used to point people beyond themselves to another (spiritual) world. They can be actions, pictures or words, names, clothes or objects. In a nutshell, they are used to remind people of the presence of God in their lives, and reflect something of the beliefs Catholics hold. They bring into the human world the world of God.

You will notice that signs and symbols are used both within Catholic Church's themselves, and are also worn by individual Catholics.

For example:

A Catholic is often seen wearing a crucifix (a cross with the figure of Jesus on it) as a sign and reminder of the self-less sacrifice Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made of himself on the cross for all people.

*Catholics believe that Jesus was the Son of God and died on the cross so that we could inherit never ending life in heaven.

Near the door, as you walk into a Catholic church you will find the holy water font; it's usually made of stone and contains water that has been blessed by the priest to make it holy. This water, now blessed, is both protective and spiritually cleansing. The holy water is also used to baptise people. Click here to find out more in the Channelling section.

Catholics believe that the blessed water helps to protect them from bad or evil influences and gives them the ability or power to more easily choose to do good things rather than bad.

They also believe it helps to prepare themselves spiritually to meet with someone very special. That someone special is God who is present in the Church.

Some Catholic Churches have a store of special memorabilia. They most likely are not worth anything in monetary terms, but to the Church they will be real treasures. The significance of the treasure is only really understood if you get to know the story behind them - what kinds of treasures will you find? As well as paintings, sculptures and manuscripts, there also might be bits of clothing and perhaps even the remains of people called Saints. Ask the Priest to tell you about them.

The storing of relics and treasures can be compared to the way a widow, for example, might keep treasured items that belonged to her dead partner. The widow doesn't worship these items, but feels closer to the love of her life through them. In a spiritual way, it's a bit like that for Catholics with their "relics".

In a Church building you will see statues of different kinds of people. The statues are a kind of spiritual photo album. We don't worship the statues, but they visually remind us of what it means to follow Jesus. We look at the person in the statue (be it of Jesus, Mary or a saint), think about how they loved God and lived, and in turn are challenged in our own lives to look at how we love God and love others.

On the altar, at the very front of the church (or just to the side of it), is a special box. Inside the box, which is called the Tabernacle, is where God is believed to be present. Click here to find out more in the Channelling section.

As a Catholic enters the Church they will show their respect to God by pausing for a moment and going down on one knee facing the Tabernacle. Why? Because they are honouring the person whose house they have entered - God himself.

As you walk around the Church you will see 14 numbered paintings or stations. Each of these stations is a kind of mini pilgrimage point, tracing the last journey that Jesus took during his lifetime - to death on a cross. At each station Catholics pause to reflect upon what happened to Christ. They also pause to consider what can be learned from what happened to him. The custom of walking and reflecting on the stations is a way through which Catholics are reminded of the great sacrifice Jesus paid for love of each one of us.

Candles are used in Church to remind us of the presence of God in our midst. That is why you will see a red light next to the Tabernacle (explained above). Candles are also used as symbols of prayer. It is a custom to leave candles burning in Church after a period of prayer. They are symbols of our conversation with God in prayer, and although we have to leave the Church, our candle burns on sending out a symbolic message about our desire to stay close to God throughout our day.

The Rosary is a set of beads worn or carried by a Catholic. The beads are blessed by a priest and are used as a prayer tool. Each bead on the rosary represents a spoken prayer, for example you may know a prayer called the "Our Father".

A Catholic uses the rosary prayers to reflect on an aspect of the life of Jesus. It is a Bible based prayer and invites the person saying it to think about the principle parts of Christ's life and the way in which he or she is called to follow him. Click here to find out more in the Mary, Jesus' Mother section.

The most special symbols and signs Catholics use are called "Sacramentals". They can be words, pictures, actions, names, clothes or objects and they’re used to help point people to go beyond themselves.

During the celebration of special prayer ceremonies, Catholic priests wear ceremonial clothes called vestments. They have symbolic value and the colours worn change according to the religious calendar. In the run up to Christmas for example, priests wear purple, at Easter the colour changes to white. For days of remembrance for Martyrs (people who died for their faith) the priest will wear red.

What are the signs and symbols you use to reflect who you are and your values? Do you wear special clothing, colours or jewellery to mark certain days or events in your life?

Your guide for this section is Edwin. He is 20, and has grown up in Wales. Click here to read his story.

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