When Jesus sat down to share the last supper with his disciples, someone would have had to set the table, put bowls out, bake the bread, ensure there were enough cups, pour the wine and then of course clear up at the end of the meal.
In every parish and chaplaincy there are a small number of ministers who carry out this prayerful ministry behind the scenes. It is a ministry that very few sign up for yet it is a ministry that can offer the minister the opportunity to pray and reflect while preparing the sanctuary for the celebration of the church’s liturgies. The word Sacristan comes from the word sacristy which means ‘ a place for sacred things ‘. Sacristies came about roughly around the 10th century after churches realized that a cupboard was needed to store all the vestments, chalices, patens and books that were used for Mass. Unlike other ministries of the church such as Ministers of the Word, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Music Ministers; who all minister in full public view, the ministry of the sacristan is carried out prayerfully, reflecting on each part of the preparation behind the scenes and hours before parishioners start to arrive.
By the 15th century, the church became so obsessed with ordinations and clergy that the council of Trent decided that the ministry of the Sacristan should only be for priests in minor orders. Of course that didn’t last long as priests already had so much on their plates to deal with.
As the years went by the role and responsibilities of the sacristan grew and was no longer for the priests. Parishes instead selected from among themselves one person that was trustworthy and well respected in the community to be the sacristan or ‘porter’ as they came to be known. By this time it was the Sacristan who opened and closed the church doors each day, mopped the floors, maintained the church gardens, decorated the church for weddings, dug graves for funerals as well as preparing everything for the celebration of daily and Sunday Masses.
Fortunately today, the Sacristan does not have to do everything mentioned above as parishes are well looked after by volunteers who faithfully give up their time to mop the floors, clean the gardens and decorate etc...
Can I be a sacristan? What skills do I need? Anyone who loves to serve and has a deep interest in the Church’s liturgy can be a sacristan.
A sacristan:
• Is moved by beauty to recognize the abiding presence of God.
• Is able to work well with others and dedicated to serving them.
• Is familiar with the liturgical calendar, its seasons and feasts;
• Is well organized and able to maintain good order, often in limited space.
• Is willing to learn all the liturgical books, vessels, vesture, and everything that is used in liturgies.
• Is able to spend time at the church caring for and preparing the material things for liturgy.
The Liturgy Centre has a variety of resources available for both purchase and study to assist parish sacristans in their ministry and spiritual growth. We also have workshops available to parishes and chaplaincies on request. For more information on these workshops contact the staff at the Liturgy Centre. 
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