A Retired Rector's Reflections

Many charities rely on the kindness and generosity of everyday unpaid volunteers. Churches, indeed, from my experience, could not run carefully and well without them. Nowadays churches run the risk of ‘professionalising’ such everyday work, and lay people are commissioned, or authorised to do tasks. Of course, such authorisation can add credibilty and affirmation to the role.

Nevertheless, there are many lay people in churches who perform supportive and helpful roles, and whose roles have existed for centuries. They do so without episcopal commission or license. Here I honour the SACRISTAN, on the feast of St Guy of Anderlecht (c.1012, feast day September 12th).

In every church I have worked in, including prison chapels, there has been an individual (sometimes more than one) who carefully looked after the church linen, who polished the silver, kept the glass cruets sparkling, and often prepared the altar for the celebration of the mass. The people I have known as sacristans come from a huge variety of people. Some were students, some life sentenced prisoners, some elderly retired men or women, some black, some white, some straight, some gay … Each performed the time honoured work of the sacristan with great care. I am very grateful for what they did, and I am encouraged as I go round churches today to see this lovely serving role still being done so well.

Guy of Anderlecht came form a humble rural background in modern day Belgium. His parents were too poor to pay for an education for him. However, they passed on faith to him and he grew in prayer and service. At Laeken, near Brussels he met the parish priest who was impressed by the simple but willing and devout young man, and trained him to be the sacristan of the church.

The work suited Guy’s nature and skills, as it suits sacristans today. When we talk of vocations, and ministry, I like to recall the people who, like St Guy are happy to quietly enable the life and work of the church to go on by their day to day acts of service.

Guy served the church simply and wholeheartedly. Life took him away from Laeken, but he finally settled in Anderlecht, Belgium where he is honoured today. Guy is the patron saint of sacristans, and today, as I think of his life I thank God for those who have supported me in ministry, and above all in celebrating mass, by carefully taking care of the sacred vessels and linens, and preparing and setting the table of the Lord. God bless them for their quiet dedication and work.