Doing a minor bit of research – as in – what is that thing they use to bless us with holy water called –  I came across this:

Aspergillus, a genus of mold, was named in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pietro Antonio Micheli. When viewed under a microscope, the mold cells were said to resemble an aspergillum.

There. We all learned something. Except for the people who already knew it.

Image source.