At one time, the sacristy was considered a dressing room and the sacristan, the person who locked and unlocked the church doors. Today’s sacristan has an important role in the parish life, involving many talents. As Vatican II states, “The ministry of the sacristan oversees the things needed in preparation of the Liturgy.”
The sacristan’s duties, in part, consist of:
- being caretaker of the sacred vessels and vestments;
- preparation of the ritual books, Sacramentary, Lectionary, Book of Blessings, Rites of Christian Burial and much more;
- attend the needs of the presider, the ministers of the altar and the assembly.
