Sacristans
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Doing God’s Will as a Sacristan
Luke 1: 38 And Mary said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”.
A Sacristan can be seen as an officer of the church, appointed by the Parish Priest, charged with the care of the Sacristy, the Ornaments and Vestments of the church.
A Sacristan sees that all things needed in the service of the church are provided and kept in good order, and that everything needed in any service is ready beforehand.
A Sacristan works for the glory of God and the convenience of the clergy and the duties become a form of worship. All duties are preceded by a prayer and accompanied by knowledge of “housekeeping” for one’s loved one, Jesus Christ. A Sacristan should do their work in the spirit of sincere devotion. The work brings one constantly into the sanctuary of God. By doing this carefully and reverently, the devotion of others can be helped. A sacristan’s own devotion should never be in doubt.
This might sound difficult but one does not have to be perfect. However one must be sincere, with a reverent attitude towards the work. Familiarity with holy things should deepen one’s reverence for them. It is an honour to be a Sacristan and it brings one into close proximity with some of the most sacred and wonderful things in the church and provides an opportunity to get to know the meaning and symbolism of many things that pass unnoticed in the church.
These are some of the things you get to know well if you are sacristan:
The meaning of the Architecture of a church building.
- The Altar Linens
- The Communion Silver
- The Altar Furnishings
- The Liturgical Year
- The Liturgical Colours
- The Vestments
St Andrews has 8 Sacristans. We have a roster and a Sacristan is on duty approximately every 6 weeks with the week day service duties shared out. We would like to encourage others to become sacristans. If you would like to learn more about the work and becoming a Sacristan please contact
Rosemary Wallace Ph: 021 761 5814
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