The Sacristan’s Guide Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church Hudson, Florida 1 Table of Contents 1……………...…Role of the Sacristan 2…………………General Instructions 3…………………....Weekday Masses 4……………....Saturday Vigil Masses 5………………………Sunday Masses 6……………….Sanctuary Conversion 7………….Funeral/Memorial Masses 8……………………………..Baptisms 9…………….Exposition/Benediction 10…………………………...Weddings 11…………Setting the Roman Missal 12……………………Phone Directory 2 The Role of the Sacristan Sacristans are not always very obvious but they are not invisible either. Such is the liturgical role of the Sacristan within the parish. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes the Sacristan’s role in Chapter III: Duties and Ministries in the Mass, in a single line 105. A liturgical function is also exercised by: a) The Sacristan, who diligently arranges the liturgical books, the vestments, and other things that are necessary for the celebration of Mass. The Sacristan’s role is, however, further spelled out in a book entitled Caeremoniale Episcoporum or the Ceremonial of Bishops, first published in 1886. The holy preparations in which Sacristans are entrusted are the basic framework for the beautiful and sacred objects that are used and carried out before, during, and after the Mass. It’s a serious job that one must undertake with care and wisdom. In reality, your role as a Sacristan is so much more. You are also accepting responsibility for so many aspects in the preparation for the Liturgy, such as Lectors, altar Servers, greeters/ushers, etc. In a parish of this size, it is important that the Sacristan follows the instructions found in the following pages. Do not develop your “own way” of doing things. The Celebrant should never know which Sacristan is on duty simply by observing how the Altar and sanctuary have been prepared for Mass, or how protocols are observed or not observed. When one Sacristan deviates from the accepted practices and/or norms, they create confusion in the parishioners and other liturgical ministers as to what is acceptable. Thank you for volunteering to serve in the role of Sacristan for our parish. You are an important part of the liturgical team and hope you feel appreciated. 3 II. General Instructions Sacristans are only to serve at the Mass for which they have been scheduled. Dress Code is as follows: o Men: Dress slacks, shirt, tie, and jacket. No athletic shoes, sandals, shorts, untucked shirts, or jeans. o Women: Dress, skirt/blouse, or dress pant suit. No sandals, shorts, capris, jeans, bare shoulders, or sleeveless tops. *Women should also refrain from wearing high heels as the sanctuary steps create a safety hazard. Sacristans should be fully knowledgeable of the roles and responsibilities of all other liturgical ministers (i.e. Lectors, Altar Servers, ushers, etc.) and be prepared to fill in should someone be absent. Sacristans on duty for weekday Mass should arrive at 6:30AM. Sacristans on duty for weekend Masses should arrive one hour prior to the start of Mass with the following exceptions: - The Sacristan on duty at 4:00PM Mass should arrive at 2:00PM. - The Sacristan on duty at 7:00AM Mass should arrive at 5:30AM. Upon arriving, immediately silence your cell phone. Cell phones and other personal belongings which you do not want to carry around with you may be placed in the third drawer in the small sacristy. o All personal belongings that you bring, such as phones, devotional materials, clothing, food products, personal hygiene items, etc. should arrive with you and leave with you. Do not store personal items in the sacristy or anywhere else in the church while you are not here without explicit permission from the Head Sacristan. Any items left in the sacristy or church may be subject to disposal. Only walk around the church/chapel during Mass when absolutely necessary. Once Mass has begun, please take a seat within the church to participate in the Mass. Unless an emergency arises, there is no need for the Sacristans to be moving around the church between the Collect (Opening Prayer) and the Offertory. Likewise, there is no reason to move around the church following the Offertory and before the Lord’s Prayer. This applies to both weekday and weekend Masses. o Note: It is not inappropriate to walk down to the credence table discretely during the Lord’s Prayer. However, it is inappropriate to walk around and cause distraction during the Eucharistic Prayer (from the “Holy, Holy, Holy” to the “Great Amen”). 4 III. Weekday Mass Arrive no earlier than 6:30AM and unlock chapel doors and gates upon arriving. Turn on the chapel valence lights and the light directly in front of the Tabernacle. In the main church, unlock the East Entrance door and left gate. In the usher’s room, turn on the sound system, Tabernacle light, and valence lights. Unlock priest’s sacristy door in the chapel. Check priest’s microphone battery and replace if less than two (2) bars. Set up the Roman Missal with the correct pages marked. Be sure a missalette is open to the correct page for the Mass of the day. See section “Setting the Roman Missal” for instructions. Put new EM sign-in sheet on counter in sacristy for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Put the key in the Tabernacle and check the Sanctuary Lamp (candle). On the credence table next to the Tabernacle, place two cup purificators, a small glass bowl filled with water, and a purificator for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Place the Roman Missal on the Altar to the left side leaving the Celebrant room to reverence the Altar after processing in. Make sure that the book ribbons are appropriately set for the Mass. Place the Lectionary, open to the appropriate page for the day’s readings, on the Ambo. Be sure all readings match what is published in the missalette. Place a missalette open to the entrance antiphon for that day on top of the Lectionary. Place the red binder with the Prayers of the Faithful on the shelf of the Ambo. Be sure the Mass Intention is highlighted for the Lector. While at the Ambo, verify the microphone is on and working properly. If not, make sure it is plugged into the floor next to the Ambo. Be sure that a corporal and crucifix are placed appropriately on the Altar. The corporal should be placed with the small embroidered cross closest to the priest, and the crucifix should be laid at the top center of the Altar. Check the clergy schedule to see which priest is celebrating Mass and be sure to use his chalice. Set up the credence table with the Celebrant’s chalice, paten, and Host, purificator, two communion chalices (if necessary), cruets of water and wine, finger bowl, small pitcher (with water), and a finger towel for the priest. Take out the small circular gold tray for pyxes and place it on the counter next to the sign- in book. On Wednesdays, use the large clear oval tray. As Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the sick check-in, they will fill and place their pyx on the tray. On Wednesdays, the Sacristan will need to fill the nursing home pyxes from the container in the top center cabinet. The amount of Hosts that should go in each pyx will be indicated on the chart found on the inside of the cabinet door. At 7:00AM (30 minutes before Mass), turn on all the remaining lights and spotlights in the chapel. Light the Altar candles. If necessary, check oil levels in the candles before lighting them. If they need to be changed, replacements can be found under the sink in the sacristy. If the candles require small tealight candles, replacements for these will be found on the counter in the sacristy. 5 5 minutes prior to Mass, check the EM sign-in sheet to be sure enough people have signed in. If so, then you may take the tray of pyxes, along with any prayer intention slips from the basket outside the choir room, up to the Altar. The tray of pyxes goes towards to upper right corner of the Altar touching the corporal, and the prayer intention slips should be placed in the basket underneath the Altar. With the exception of the pyxes and prayer intention slips, all other prep work done outside of the sacristy before Mass should be done before 7:00AM and no later, as it can cause a distraction for those arriving early to pray. As soon as Mass begins, please do a head count and notate the total on the card in the sacristy. At the Sign of Peace, approach the credence table and take the cups from the Celebrant if necessary. If the Celebrant does not remove the necessary number of ciboria from the Tabernacle, do so now and place them on the credence table. At Communion, the Celebrant will bring the tray of pyxes and place them on the credence table prior to giving Communion to the Sacristan and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. After receiving the Body of Christ, the Sacristan is to distribute the appropriate elements to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Start with the cups if applicable, and then the ciboria. At this point, everyone proceeds to their station. Following Communion, collect all ciboria and if the Celebrant does not return them to the Tabernacle, do so. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should return all elements (cups/ciboria) to the Sacristan at the credence table. Take the pyxes (and cups if applicable) back to the sacristy after Communion. Ask one of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for assistance if you need help.