Definition

A person responsible for the care and maintenance of a church's sacred objects and the sacristy, which is the room where these items are kept.

Example

The sacristan prepared the altar for the Sunday service.

Conversation

Do you know who the sacristan is at our church?

Yeah, I think it's Mr. Thompson. He takes care of everything in the sacristy.

That makes sense; I always see him organizing the ceremonial items.

Exactly! He really keeps everything running smoothly.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sacristan → It is formed from "sacrista" (from Latin *sacrista*, meaning a keeper of sacred things) and the suffix "-an" (meaning a person who). A sacristan is a person who takes care of the sacred objects and the sacristy in a church.

Memory Tip

Think of a person who is a 'keeper' of 'sacred things' — that's what a sacristan does.

Visually Confused Words