Sacristie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A room or space in a church used for storing sacred vessels and vestments
2. A retreat for religious figures to prepare for services and manage liturgical items
3. A designated area within a place of worship where ceremonial attire and religious artifacts are kept and organized

Etymology: In medieval Latin, "sacrista" named the church official in charge of the sacred objects, and the room where those objects were kept, "sacristia," took its name from him. The office came first, and the place was named after the person who worked there. Both words come from the Latin "sacer," meaning holy or set apart. In Roman usage, "sacer" could also describe something dangerous to touch, and a person declared "sacer" lost the protection of the community. The same root gives English "sacred" and "sacrament." French kept the medieval Latin form as "sacristie," and English later took it over as "sacristy," the spelling in common use today.

Synonyms: sacristy, vestry