Sacristie

Sacristie, often anglicized as sacristy, is a room in a Christian church used to store vestments, sacred vessels, and liturgical books, and to prepare for worship. The term derives from the Latin sacristia, from sacra meaning sacred things. In practice, the sacristy serves as the preparation space for clergy and servers before services and for securing items used in rites.

In daily use the sacristy houses liturgical garments such as chasubles, stoles, albs, and maniples; vessels like chalices, patens, and ciboria; oils used for sacraments; candles and incense; and liturgical books such as the Missal and Lectionary. It may contain a washing facility (lavabo) for cleansing vessels and hands, a work table for vesting clergy, shelves, and cupboards. Before services, clergy and servers vest here and prepare incense and procession items. The sacristy is typically kept secure and is accessed by clergy, altar guilds, or a designated sacristan.

Location and layout vary; it is usually near the chancel or apse and may connect to a vestry or sacristy corridor. In many churches the sacristan, a layperson or clergy, oversees inventory, maintenance, and the timely laying out of vessels, vestments, and books, as well as the locking of the church after services. Some denominations have similar spaces with different names; for example, in Protestant churches the adjacent room may be called a vestry while the function is similar.