The Sacristan

Perhaps one of the most unsung and unseen ministries in the Church is that of the sacristan. Like other ministries in the service of the liturgy, much of the work of the sacristan happens outside the actual time of the liturgy, that is, preparation beforehand and cleaning up afterwards. Additionally, because the sacristan is not one of the more visible liturgical ministries like the reader, server or communion minister, the contribution of the sacristan often goes unrecognised. And yet it is an important and most practical ministry in the worshipping community.

The Role of Sacristan

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states that a sacristan does exercise a liturgical role and defines the role of the sacristan as the one who ‘diligently arranges the liturgical books, the vestments, and other things necessary in the celebration of Mass’ (GIRM 105). The name itself derives from sacristy – the place where the sacred vessels, vestments and other liturgical items are kept. Sacristans have care of the sacristy and the requisites needed for the celebration of Mass and other rites. They prepare what is required for the liturgy – sacred vessels, vestments, books, altar cloths and linens, bread and wine, candles, and so on. Sacristan will also clean up after Mass, returning items to their proper places, washing used vessels, and arranging for the cleaning of used linens.

At its most basic level, sacristans prepare what is needed for Mass:

• they open the church and switch on lights and microphones;
• they put the chalices and other communion vessels, corporal and purifiers, finger bowl and towel, tabernacle key on the credence table;
• they prepare the bread and wine and place them in the nave ready for the procession of gifts;
• they mark the books needed for Mass (The Lectionary for Mass, The Book of the Gospels and The Roman Missal) at the correct places for the day’s celebration;
• they set out the vestments needed by the priest (alb, stole, chasuble);
• they prepare and light the candles.

 At the conclusion of Mass:

• sacristans extinguish the candles;
• they return vestments and ritual books to their proper place;
• they wash the chalices and patens used during Mass in hot water and detergent, dry them and return them to the safe;
• they place used linens aside for laundering;
• they set up for the next Mass, if there is one to follow, or they close the church.

Understand the Liturgy

The sacristan will be a person with a deep love and understanding of the liturgy. Often, this will have been shaped by regular and frequent participation with the worshipping community. Most sacristans, in my experience, go to weekday Mass. Their spirituality has been shaped by the practice of listening to the Word of God proclaimed and preached, and has been nourished by God’s gift to us of the Body and Blood of the risen Christ. They are truly eucharistic people in that they are people of prayer and thanksgiving. Further, they are people who live and pray in harmony with the rhythms of the liturgical year and have come to know the nuances which these rhythms breathe into our communal worship.

Understand the Mass

While the sacristan’s work mainly takes place before and after the celebration of the liturgy, sacristans need a deep understanding of the Mass itself. They will know its structure –Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist – and what is needed for each part of the celebration. The sacristan will also understand the differences between the celebration of Mass on Sunday and Solemnities, and on other days (ordinary days, memorials, feast days), as well as the variation across the liturgical year.

Understand the Ministry

One of the most important elements in the ministry of the sacristan is liaising with the priest who will preside at Mass – knowing his requirements and preferences, and knowing what is needed for a particular Mass and community. Usually each Mass celebrated in a parish across a weekend will have a different character and feel. Knowing these assist sacristans in their preparation. While usually not ‘visibly’ involved during the celebration itself, the sacristan will always be attentive during the liturgy to any needs which may arise during the course of the Mass. Sometimes, the motto of the sacristan could be adapt, overcome, improvise. For example, a larger than usual crowd attends a funeral; a discreet visit to the sacristy may provide the extra bread and wine required at the preparation of the gifts. Priests always appreciate a sacristan who keeps an eye on what is happening during the liturgy and acts to assist the smooth running of the liturgy when unforeseen circumstances arise. Dioceses now also have policies and protocols in place for those in the Church who come into contact with young people. It is important that sacristans be aware of these policies and follow them.

Understand the Terminology

Being a person of the Church and the Church’s liturgy, the sacristan in common with other liturgical ministers needs to know the names of the books, vessels, vestments, and linens required for the celebration of the liturgy. They need to understand the uses and care of these things. Though their main work might concern the Sunday Mass, they also need to know what is commonly used for the celebration of baptism, confirmation, marriage, anointing the sick and funerals. Some things are used regularly: the Ordo, the Lectionary, the Missal; chalice, ciborium, paten, pyx, thurible, holy water stoup and sprinkler, the holy oils, cruets, purifier, corporal, pall, alb, stole, chasuble. It is sometime harder to learn about the things that a sacristan will encounter less frequently: cope, humeral veil, dalmatic, monstrance and lunette... lists are endless! It is always appropriate to ask a priest or another sacristan what something is and what its purpose might be in the liturgy.

Recruitment, Training, Review, Recognition

Like all parish liturgical minister, sacristans need to be recruited and trained in the first instance. Communities might look to those who regularly attend a particular Mass to recruit a sacristan for that Mass. Often retired members of the parish community will have the grace of both experience and spare time to be able to offer themselves as sacristans. Nothing beats a personal invitation. On- the-job training works well for sacristans. Some time accompanying an experienced sacristan in their ministry will equip a beginning sacristan to continue on their own into the future. In some places, sacristans work together in teams. Periodically parishes need to review various liturgical ministries and this includes the sacristan. No one should feel compelled to continue in a ministry beyond their initial commitment or when it might have become burdensome to them. Parish communities often neglect to thank their sacristans. A community should always be grateful for those who do the work behind the scenes. Perhaps morning or afternoon tea or a luncheon, hosted by the pastor, is a simple way for a parish to say thank you to its sacristans.

An Expanding Parish Ministry

The basic sacristy work of preparing the requisites for the liturgy generally expands to include such service as opening the church, turning on the lights and so on. Sometimes the sacristan takes on a management or co-ordination role for a particular Mass, ensuring that rostered readers, communion ministers and servers are present and ready to undertake their ministry. They may approach people to bring forward the gifts of bread and wine and may ensure the collectors are on hand. The sacristan should know the location of a first aid kit in case of emergency. In churches which share a priest with another community or where visiting priests are the norm, these aspects of the sacristan’s role are vital, ensuring the smooth celebration of the liturgy. The sacristan may also be responsible for the laundering of altar linens, altar cloths and vestments, or may arrange for this to be done. The sacristan may also liaise with or co-ordinate those responsible for the decoration of our places of worship with flowers and banners. The sacristan will communicates with parish staff when supplies of bread, wine or candles are running low and need to be reordered. There should always be a representative of the sacristans on the liturgy committee, especially when planning for important celebrations such as the Easter Triduum. In larger parishes, there may be a head sacristan who coordinates other sacristans across a variety of Masses and locations.

A Ministry of Noble Simplicity

The role of the sacristan in the service of the liturgical life of a parish community has become increasingly varied as our parish communities have grown and evolved. But the essence of the ministry is always the same: a ministry of service of the liturgy and service of those who come to worship. In its reform of the liturgy, Vatican II called for rites to be distinguished by a noble simplicity and beauty. Much the same could be said for the ministry of the sacristan. The dignified and discreet, often hidden, ministry of sacristan serves the worshipping community, allowing the liturgy to achieve its purpose of empowering the gathered Church to encounter the Risen Christ.

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This article was originally published in Liturgy News ​Vol 44(3)  September 2014.  Reprinted with permission.