Holy water fonts in parishes

JOYFUL NEWS

The first contactless font for holy water, which is handmade from wood in barrel tradition, was set in perish of Dravlje in Ljubljana The idea and the placement are fruits of Slovenian constructors and innovators knowledge. In current health situation, when we cannot access holy water in churches, is a font like this a welcome novelty. When the measures will again allow to go to the mass, will the faithful be able to once again make the sign of the cross with holy water when entering the church. 

On river Krka between Dobrava and Kostanjevica, near the village Zameško, various experimetnts 200 years ago took place. On their basis the world recieved one of the most important inventions, propeller. It was developed by Josef Ressel, who has died in 1857. By profession he was a forestry engineer, but by heart a great inventor. With this creative spirit has also developed an idea for contactless font for holy water, which is created in the spirit of cultural heritage. The use of such font is easy and possible in fonts that are already in place.

On the basis of instructions given to us for preventing the spread of coronavirus, was in the month of March holy water taken out of fonts in all churches. In collaboration with many catholic intellectuals, experts and individuals have we taken the current sitution as a challenge. We were looking for ways and opportunities to help bring holy water back at the place of entering the churches. On the basis of many initiatives and proposals have we got to the guidelines for the final solution: “We are looking for a technical solution, which will suffice the next conditions or expectations: Acceptability from medical standpoint, inability of contaminating the users, easy to use, aesthetics, durability of product and suitable area installation. The investigation team consisted of experts from various fields: medicine, chemistry, biology, microbiology, pharmacy, engineering, electrical engineering, physics, sociology, psychology, architecture and industrial design,” says innovator Stane Bregar.

Together we have succeded to design an innovative product of Slovenian native craft. Contactless droplet font with UV touch technology for holy water. The decision regarding the adeqacy of basic variance is font in the shape of wooden barrel. It originates from art and craftwork heritage. Putrh - wooden barrel for storing water or wine, was a part of Slovenian identity. Contactless font is crafted in traditional way of barrel and handcraft activity, handmade from massive spruce wood, also available from elm tree. The font is a product of Slovenian local trade in which we are following the lasting directions of using the natural materials. Technical name of the font was outlined from the great innovator Josef Ressel, an author of many inventions, which he offered to the world during his work in the current area of Slovenia. The advantage of our solution is an universal contactless font with UV - touch technology, which is able to be placed in already standing fonts. There is also a possibility of installing a wall-mounted font.

Stane Bregar: “After a long period of absence of the holy water, the man may not feel the need to experience material and spiritual presence. It is our concern and duty to enable the faithful people the chance to experience God's presence in faith of holy sacraments and sacramentals. vode, moremo in moramo tudi s pomočjo znanja in tehnologije to vernikom omogočiti. Nekaj prototipov je že v testiranju po župnijah. Veseli smo pozitivnega odziva vernikov.“