A New Sacristan’s Guide to the Traditional Roman Rite

We are very glad to share the news of a recently-published resource which I am sure many of our readers will find extremely useful, A Sacristan’s Guide to the Traditional Roman Rite, by Mr Nicholas Morlin. The 90+ page document is free to download at the following link: https://www.restorethe54.com/media/2020/a-sacristans-guide.pdf.

Donations can be made to the author at the following link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sacristansguide. Inquiries and possible corrections may be sent here: sacristansguide@gmail.com. (One of the benefits of having such resources in electronic format, as opposed to print, is that they are so much easier to revise.)

This guide covers all of the major things which a sacristan needs to know to properly prepare for the celebration of the traditional rite: vessels, veils and vestments, and the use of liturgical colors; other ceremonial items; the altar; the furniture in the sanctuary, with notes for particular ceremonies. There is also a section on the specific events of the whole liturgical year, based on the customs of the Roman Rite before the pre-Conciliar changes (folded chasubles, old Holy Week etc.); the celebration of the other Sacraments, the Divine Office and Benediction.

His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider has written about this publication as follows: “The worldwide rediscovery of the riches of the traditional Latin liturgy, especially in its older (pre-1955) form, has brought about the need for adequate handbooks. The present guide is intended specifically for sacristans who play a usually unseen but nevertheless vital role in preparing for the ceremonies and ensuring that all is done in accordance with the best principles, customs, and authorities. I warmly commend this text and hope that it will bring further beauty to the liturgy and greater glory to God.”

Our own Dr Peter Kwasniewski contributed a foreword, in which he writes “With plentiful experience of the classical Roman Rite at his disposal, Nicholas Morlin has done us all a service by creating the present guide as to how these liturgical ceremonies should be prepared. I thank him for his effort and express my hope that this work will come in handy at places where the traditional liturgy is the norm as well as those that are yet to experience the solemn beauty of the classical Roman Rite. ... As we see a younger generation stepping forward to embrace their inheritance as Catholics, we can offer up thanks to Almighty God that He who inspired our great liturgical tradition to begin with will not in the end abandon it, but will keep it alive in the hearts of believers, and in their churches. ”

A Litany for Sacristans and Those Receiving Minor Orders

Ordination of acolytes (FSSP)

Having in mind institutes and communities that continue to make use of the ancient rites for Minor Orders, seminaries and dioceses that implement the ministries of instituted acolytes and lectors, and Catholics who serve their local parish or chapel as sacristans, I have compiled the following litany of all of the holy sacristans, acolytes, exorcists, and lectors honored by Holy Mother Church in the last edition of the traditional Roman Martyrology. (Please note that anyone listed in the Martyrology as having exercised power over demons has been included.)

This litany is intended for private recitation by those who are either already in one or more of these offices, or who may be soon promoted to them. What could be better than to call upon the intercession of the glorious martyrs and confessors of the Faith who, in their own lifetimes, received the dignity of these offices in the Church and are forever remembered by her in that manner?

As far as I could tell, the Martyrology contains no porters or doorkeepers. If anyone is aware of a porter or doorkeeper who has been acknowledged by the Church as a saint, please let me know so that I may update the litany. In the following, I have adopted the general format of the Litany of the Saints. After the litany are the corresponding entries from the Martyrology.

Over the course of the coming months, I will be publishing similar litanies for Subdeacons and for Deacons. (It would not be possible to do so for priests, since there are far too many in the Martyrology for just one litany.) I also plan litanies for married couples — there are many couples listed in the preconciliar Martyrology, long before the canonization of Louis and Zélie Martin, though one would hardly know it from online commentary — as well as for saints who are mentioned expressly as fighters of heresy and schism, for martyrs killed by Muslims, and for martyrs who died in defense of holy images.

A Litany for Sacristans and Those Receiving Minor Orders

(for private use)

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. 
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. 

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

(Sacristans)
St Abundius, sacristan in Rome of the Church of St Peter, pray for us.
St Constantius, church guardian remarkable for the grace of miracles, pray for us.

(Acolyte)
St Tharsicius, martyr for the Real Presence, pray for us.

(Exorcists)
St. Agatho, burnt up for God’s glory, pray for us.
St. Theodore, notable for works of power over demons, pray for us.
St. Philip, liberator of those possessed by demons, pray for us.
St. Calogerus, freeing the devil’s captives, pray for us.
St. Fortunatus, famous for putting unclean spirits to flight, pray for us.
St. Paulinus, renowned for casting out demons, pray for us.
St. Arsacius, adorned with virtue and authority over demons, pray for us.

(Lectors)
St. Eutropius, falsely accused of arsony, pray for us.
St. Bassian, put to death by fire, pray for us.
Sts. Serapion and Ammonius, witnesses for Christ, pray for us.
St. Theodulus, drowned in the sea, pray for us.
African lector killed while singing the alleluia, pray for us.
St. Marian, strengthened in torment by revelations, pray for us.
St. Jovinian, victim for Christ, pray for us.
St. Dioscorus, favored with a shining light from heaven, pray for us.
St. Desiderius, fettered for the Word of God, pray for us.
St. Viator, faithful companion in years of desert exile, pray for us.
Sts. Fortunatus and Septimus, who refused to yield up the sacred books, pray for us.
St. Synesius, who converted many souls to Christ, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. 

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that the intercession of holy Mary, Mother of God, and of all the holy apostles, martyrs, confessors, and virgins, and of all Thine elect, may everywhere gladden us, that, while we commemorate their merits, we may experience their protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Recipients of minor orders

Source of the Litany: Entries from the Martyrology

Sacristans
-At Rome, St Abundius, sacristan of the Church of St Peter. (Apr. 14)
-At Ancona, St Constantius, guardian of the church, remarkable for the grace of miracles. (Sep. 23)

Acolyte
-At Rome, on the Appian Way, St Tharsicius, an acolyte, whom the heathen found bearing the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, and asked what it was that he bore; but he deemed it unbecoming to cast pearls before swine, and was therefore attacked by them for a long time with sticks and stones, until he gave up the ghost. When his body was moved, the sacrilegious assailants could find nothing of Christ's Sacrament in his hands or among his clothing; but the Christians gathered up the body of the martyr and buried it with honour in the cemetery of Callistus. (Aug. 15)

Exorcists
-At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Cyrion, a Priest, Bassian, a Lector, Agatho, an Exorcist, and Moses, who were all burnt and winged their flight to heaven. (Feb. 14)
-At Constantinople, St Theodore, Confessor, surnamed Trichinas from the rough habit of sackcloth which he wore, who was noteworthy for many works of power, especially against demons. From his body flows an oil which gives health to the sick. (Apr. 20)
-At Agirone in Sicily, St Philip, Priest, who was sent to that island by the Roman pontiff, and converted a great part of it to Christ. His holiness was chiefly manifested in freeing those possessed with devils. (May 12)
At Sciacca in Sicily, St Calogerus, hermit, whose holiness was shown especially in liberating those possessed by devils. (Jun. 18)
-At Todi in Umbria, St Fortunatus, Bishop, who (as blessed Pope Gregory relates) was remarkable for his great power in putting unclean spirits to flight. (Oct. 14)
-At Nola, a town in Campania, birthday of blessed Paulinus, Bishop and Confessor, who, though a man of great riches and nobility, for Christ's sake became poor and humble, and what was more, even gave himself up into slavery to redeem a widow's son, whom the Vandals had taken captive into Africa after the devastation of Campania. He was renowned, not only for learning and for the great holiness of life, but also for his power over demons. SS. Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Pope Gregory set forth his praises in their writings. His body was afterwards translated to Benevento, and thence to Rome, but was eventually restored to Nola by command of Pope St Pius X. (June 22)
-At Nicomedia, St Arsacius, Confessor, who in the persecution of Licinius forsook the life of a soldier and lived as a solitary. He was adorned with so great virtues that he is said to have cast out demons, and by prayer to have slain a huge dragon; at last, after foretelling the future destruction of the city, he yielded up his spirit in prayer to God. (Aug. 16)

Lectors
-At Constantinople, SS. Tigrius, Priest, and Eutropius, Lector, who in time of the Emperor Arcadius were falsely accused of the fire which destroyed the chief church and the Senate House; it was alleged that they had caused the fire to avenge the exile of St John Chrysostom. They suffered under Optatus the prefect of the city, a man attached to the worship of false gods and a hater of the Christian religion. (Jan. 12)
-At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Cyrion, a Priest, Bassian, a Lector, Agatho, an Exorcist, and Moses, who were all burnt and winged their flight to heaven. (Feb. 14)
-At Pentapolis in Libya, the birthday of the holy martyrs (Bishop), Irenxus (Deacon), Serapion and Ammonius (Lectors). (Mar. 26)
- At Thessalonica, the holy martyrs Agathopodes, Deacon, and Theodulus, Lector, who, under the Emperor Maximian and the governor Faustinus, were for their confession of the Christian faith drowned in the sea, with stones tied to their necks. (Apr. 4)
-In Africa, the passion of the holy martyrs who, in the persecution of Genseric, the Arian king, were slain the church on Easter Day; and among them a lector, who, while he was singing the Alleluia in the pulpit, was pierced through throat by an arrow. (Apr. 5)
At Lambesa in Numidia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Marian, Lector, and James, Deacon; the former, when he had overcome the assaults of the Decius persecution in his confession of Christ, was again taken with his renowned companion, and both suffered dire and cruel torments, during which they were twice miraculously strengthened by divine revelations. Finally with many others they were martyred by the sword. (Apr. 30)
-At Auxerre, the passion of St Jovinian, a Lector. (May 5)
-At Heracles in Egypt, St Dioscorus, Lector, against whom the governor practiced many different torments, such as pulling out his nails, and burning his sides with torches. But those who were torturing him fell down, terrified by the shining of a light from heaven: and at last, burnt with hot plates, he completed his martyrdom. (May18)
- At Pozzuoli in Campania, holy martyrs Januarius, Bishop of the city of Benevento; Festus, his Deacon; and Desiderius, a Lector; Sosius, a Deacon of the church of Miseno; Proculus, a Deacon of Pozzuoli; Eutychius and Acutius. All these being fettered and imprisoned were beheaded, under the Emperor Diocletian. (Sep. 19)
-At Lyons in France, St Justus, Bishop and Confessor, a man of wondrous sanctity and endowed with the spirit of prophecy. He gave up his bishopric and departed with Viator, his lector, into an Egyptian
desert and, after leading an almost angelic life for many years, and the fitting end of his labours drew nigh, he passed to the Lord to receive just reward. His holy body, and the bones of blessed Viator, his minister, were afterwards translated to Lyons on September 2. (Oct. 14)
-At Venosa in Apulia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Felix (an African Bishop), Audactus and Januarius (Priests), Fortunatus and Septimus (Lectors), who in the time of Diocletian were by the procurator Magdellian put into irons and for a long time enfeebled in prison in Africa and Sicily. Since Felix would not, in accordance with the emperor's edict, deliver up the sacred books, they were at last slain with the sword. (Oct. 24)
-At Rome, St Synesius, Martyr, who was ordained lector in the time of blessed Pope Sixtus II. After he had converted many folk to Christ, he was accused before the Emperor Aurelian and, being smitten with the sword, obtained the crown of martyrdom. (Dec. 12)

Ordination of a lector in the Eastern Church
(The authentic Roman liturgy and the Byzantine are blood brothers.)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux on the Sacristans of Her Convent

Many readers will be familiar with this wonderful photograph of St. Thérèse, shown posing in her work of filling the ciborium with hosts (among other typical functions of a sacristan) for the daily conventual Mass:

This, of course, is much in keeping with the usual customs of women’s monasteries, where the sisters perform many of the tasks that would otherwise be assigned to clerics, such as leading the entire Divine Office and chanting its readings and prayers; making the responses at low Mass from outside the sanctuary in situations where no servers are available; and, in some rare cases, chanting the epistle at Mass (see Shawn Tribe’s “Carthusian Nuns and the Use of the Maniple and Stole”).

A photo that is much less known, and which I myself saw only for the first time recently, shows Thérèse with, if I may so say, her liturgical assistants in November 1896. Three of them are her blood sisters Marie, Pauline, and Céline (Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart, Mother Agnes of Jesus, and St. Geneviève of the Holy Face) and one is her aunt Marie Guérin (Sr. Marie of the Eucharist). Sr. Marie of the Eucharist, Sr. Marie of the Angels (not in the photo), and St. Thérèse were the sacristans, while her three blood sisters were altar bread bakers[1]:

St. Thérèse was a gifted amateur poet and playwright who composed a surprising amount of literary work in her spare moments during her nine years as a Carmelite nun. Some of her work was intended for public occasions such as recreations, birthdays, and feastdays, while other pieces were more private, sent to one or a few of her religious sisters.

In the same month of November 1896, she wrote a poem called “The Sacristans of Carmel,” in rhyming octosyllabic verse, which I wish to share with readers in honor of the Little Flower’s feast (whether you are celebrating it today on the new calendar or two days from now on the old calendar).

The poem was written for Sr. Marie Philomena, who had asked Thérèse for something she could sing while baking; but it was first read by her aunt. Later, all of the sacristans and altar bread bakers got to know the poem, and apparently sang it regularly in their work, to whatever familiar tune they chose that would match the meter. In this we see a splendid example of the genre of a “work song” that has nearly disappeared from the world of mass-marketed and passively consumed entertainment. One may hope such work songs still survive in the Carmels.

The religious and theological content of the song are quite worth of attention. Here is the ICS translation, slightly modified to make it more literal[2]:

1. Here below our sweet office
Is to prepare for the altar
The bread and wine of the Sacrifice
Which brings to earth—“Heaven”!

2. Heaven, O supreme mystery!,
Hides itself under humble bread,
For Heaven, it is Jesus Himself,
Coming to us each morning.

3. There are no queens on earth
Who are happier than we.
Our office is a prayer
Which unites us to our Spouse.

4. This greatest honors of this world
Cannot compare
To the peace, profound and heavenly,
Which Jesus lets us savor.

5. We bring a holy envy
For the work of our hands,
For the little white host
Which is to veil our divine Lamb.

6. But his love has chosen us.
He is our Spouse, our Friend.
We are also hosts
Which Jesus wants to change into Himself.

7. Sublime mission of the Priest,
You become our mission here below.
Transformed by the Divine Master,
It is He who guides our steps.

8. We must help the apostles
By our prayers, our love.
Their battlefields are ours.
For them we fight each day.

9. The hidden God of the tabernacle
Who also hides in our hearts,
O what a miracle! at our voice
Deigns to pardon sinners!

10. Our happiness and our glory
Is to work for Jesus.
His beautiful Heaven is the ciborium
We want to fill with souls!...

The original draft

I heartily agree with the Carmelite commentators who find this poem both charming and insightful:

The sacristans are the untiring agents of this mysterious exchange [between heaven and earth]. In this poem, they readily call to mind something like Jacob’s ladder. These stanzas are full of “gentleness.” There is the discreet gentleness of the “housewife,” if we dare call it that: of the spouse “happier than a queen” whose heart remains attentive to her Husband, while her hands are diligently working for Him. There is also the discreet gentleness of the Carmelite nun, who is associated with the apostle at the altar in the role that is hers, that of the hidden companion. In both cases, the assistant becomes like the one she assists. …
       Here she [Thérèse] sings of her concrete way of sharing immediately in the “sublime mission of the Priest.” “Transformed” into Jesus by the Eucharist, “changed” into Him, does she not then also become an “alter Christus”…? She cannot leave her cloister to “preach the Gospel,” but Jesus, the first Missionary, walks in her and through her. He “guides her steps,” as He does those of the apostles she prays for, loves, and struggles for.
       She cannot absolve from sins. But Jesus present in her through the Eucharist gives her a share in his ministry of reconciling sinners.
       She will never fill the ciborium with consecrated hosts. But she is spending her life “filling Heaven with souls”—living hosts in which Christ lives alone from then on. …
       So Thérèse has no inferiority complex toward “men” or priests. She has no presumption either. For her, it is Jesus who acts in collaboration with men—and women. Even in 1892, she wrote to Céline: “I find that our share is really beautiful; what have we to envy in priests?”[3]

In fact, if we may use the awkward expression “holy envy,” it will always be the case that each Christian vocation has reason to admire the goods of every other, since these goods are not, simply speaking, compatible with one another. The priest may well “envy” the female religious her total and silent dedication to prayer, which he will almost never attain in his active ministry; the married man or woman may “envy” the consecrated soul its undivided attentiveness or availability for the things of the Lord (cf. 1 Cor 7); the consecrated man or woman may “envy” the married their sacramental realization of the faithful, fruitful union of Christ and the Church, which brings new immortal souls into the world, to complete the number of the elect. In the Mother of God alone do we find united that which nature cannot unite, combining and exceeding all Christian states of life: she is the wife unwed, the child-bearing virgin, mother inviolate, mediatrix of all grace as the inseparable minister of the High Priest. In her all vocations are at one, like white light before it splinters into a spectrum of colors. For the rest of us, the individual colors are distinct, complementary, and beautiful, as they are intended to be, for our individual benefit and for the common good of the Church.

St. Thérèse’s poem serves as a profitable meditation on several intertwined mysteries: the unique, exalted, and irreplaceable nature of the ministerial priesthood; the lofty participation in Christ the High Priest enjoyed by all who are baptized into His sacerdotal and royal dignity; the special position of consecrated religious, who follow the priestly and sacrificial Lamb whithersoever He goeth; and the value in God’s sight of the quiet, humble work done by sacristans whenever they reverently prepare the materials and environs required for worthily offering the sacrifice of praise.

NOTES

[1] For this and other details, I am indebted to the excellent commentary in The Poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, trans. Donald Kinney, OCD (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 1996), 169–70.

[2] The translation is found in Kinney, Poetry, 170–71, as well as at this website. The French is contained in Kinney, pp. 301–302.

[3] Kinney, Poetry, 169–70.

The fair copy