Many of us like to sleep in a little on Sunday morning, leisurely drink a tea or coffee and maybe read a little news.
Not the 8 o’clock altar guild (or sacristan) team. Those assigned for the early service will be at the door of the cathedral ready to work by 7 am. The team, men and women, set the credence table on the chancel with the wafers, silver, crystal and crisp fresh linen. The credence table is at the back of the chancel under the candles. The team members get everything prepared for the Eucharist so that they can help the clergy vest and take care of unexpected needs before the 8 o’clock bell is rung by an usher. After the service, the sacristans clean up the vessels used in the service and a new team comes in to prepare for the 10:30 service. These team members will work until after 12 with the cleanup for the later service. Each team is assigned to work regularly one weekend a month.
Major preparations are done on Saturday before, preparing for the service. Cleaning, polishing, repairing and generally making everything right for the Sunday in the season we are celebrating.
Altar guild can prepare a movable feast: we take our chalices, patens, linens, and other needed items out into the world. We have set up Eucharist at Pride Parades, Diocesan conventions in hotels, churches of a different denomination, the border, Balboa Park and in private homes. We are just waiting for the next off-campus place where Dean Penny or Bishop Susan wants to bring the Eucharist out into the world. Wherever the Eucharist is offered, cathedral, a park, the border, a hotel, it is the same, the congregants are coming to meet Jesus at his table.
Our jobs are not restricted to the Communion services. We help with Baptisms, weddings, memorial services and other special services that are held at St Paul’s. We are a team that is not always seen by those attending the service but if we don’t do our job of preparation it is noticed by everyone. If we do our job properly the clergy can completely concentrate on their role in the service and not worry about how many wafers are available, etc.
St Paul’s is prepared for Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter by our teams. All the members gather for work parties for polishing and cleaning the silver, brass, and wood; draping of the crosses and images, the preparation of the palms that are distributed, and decorating our magnificent cathedral with flowers and plants during each special season.
One of the most important characteristics for our team members is to be flexible. Have you noticed how many changes there have been in our cathedral space in the last few years? Altar Guild gets the credence table set up and the altar with the proper frontal , no matter where they have been placed.
When you come St Paul’s the next time, look at the altar and the credence table. Notice how everything shines and the linen glistens white. Many hands have prepared the space for you to meet Jesus at the altar rail. If you’d like to know more, contact our Canon Sacristan Konnie Dadmun at Konnie.dadmun@gmail.com.
May you be blessed there.
Konnie Dadmun
Canon Sacristan
I marvel every time I step into St Paul’s for any service at the work that has gone on to prepare and show us at our best. As an usher I sometimes get a peek at the sacristans as they prepare for the next service. I’m usually back there to pick up the plates for the service or to get a communion kit. Everyone on the Altar Guild seems intent on making sure everything is ready. They are amazing people doing holy work. I think it all makes the difference in what makes us “St. Paul’s”.
Many parts work together to complete the work of Christ. Thanks to all of the Alter Guild
for their dedication and dependability in having everything ready for the church service.
Your work does not go unnoticed. Thank you, thank you.
Miss Konnie, I marvel. every time I come to the Cathedral and see how perfectly prepared the community is. Your ministry does a great deal behind the scenes to make us, the regular, or irregular attenders, comfortable to know that all will go well.
Thank you for everything that you do and for the humor that carries you all through what needs to be done!