The Vergers Guild of the Diocese of Dallas - Billet Vatican

Purpose and Activities

The guild pursued several specific goals that defined its daily operations and community impact. These purposes were designed to support both the personal development of its members and the broader needs of the diocese.

• Fellowship: Members enjoyed conversation and food with one another and learned about the different churches within the diocese. The guild also maintained communication with vergers from the Church of England.
• Worship: Members and their guests joined together to worship in a communal setting.
• Education: The guild shared information on the work of a verger and offered educational programs on a wide range of topics. It served as a resource for those seeking more detailed information about the ministry.
• Prayer: Members listened to each other’s prayer requests and prayed daily. The guild chaplain, a member of the clergy, also heard their prayer needs and joined them in this practice.
• Outreach: The guild served others through work and financial gifts.
• Communication: Vergers and clergy communicated on a variety of topics and discussed events on the calendar.
• Service: Members were contacted to serve at diocesan events such as conventions, convocations, ordinations, and diocesan confirmations. On occasion, with permission from clergy, vergers served at other parishes to help fill a special need. If one church had a large event but not enough vergers, they could ask their fellow vergers to assist.
• Training: The guild was a resource for training new vergers. Some parishes did not have a verger ministry, so the guild could talk to the clergy and those interested in the ministry to assist in the development of a guild at that parish if needed.
• Retreats: From time to time, vergers scheduled overnight retreats to relax and enjoy each other’s company.

Liturgical Duties and Procedures

The guild provided detailed guidance on the specific duties of vergers in various liturgical contexts. These instructions were designed to ensure that services ran smoothly and that the verger knew exactly what was expected of them.

Wedding Duties

Vergers were instructed to arrive about an hour earlier than for a regular Sunday service because there were additional responsibilities. This allowed time to vest, find people, and determine what needed to be done without rushing. The verger’s duties were nearly the same as for a regular service, but with specific additions. They were required to reserve sufficient pews at the front of the church on the Epistle side, based on the size of the wedding party discussed with clergy. The verger would place bulletins in the pews and a box of Kleenex. The groom and his men typically gathered in the oratory, while the bride and her ladies were in the parlor, which was near the ladies’ lounge. The verger would put a pitcher of ice water and glasses in both rooms and guide family members to the correct room as they gathered.

The verger usually reminded the groom and men not to leave the cathedral after the service, as the photographer typically wanted to take photographs of the entire wedding party before they went to the reception. The verger would encourage the men to help with this task and not wander off, shake hands, or look for coffee and restrooms. The Best Man could often be a great help, as dads and grooms were often distracted. The verger would find a time to remind the wedding party to turn cell phones to silent or airplane mode, remind them that flash photography was discouraged, and make them spit out their chewing gum. A few minutes before the service, the priest would usually meet with the wedding party to tell them what to expect. The family gathering included members of the parish as well as friends and family who went to church elsewhere.

During the service, in many cathedral weddings, the clergy and men processed first into the nave. The verger needed to know which hymn went with what part of the wedding to know when to enter. They would check the men to make sure they were not chewing gum and process in with them. The clergy and men usually stood at the crossing, and the verger went up to the verger bench near the oratory. From that point on, the verger usually had normal worship service duties, except perhaps to guide people as they came up to the rail from the center aisle and cue them to leave through the side door. Clergy, acolytes, and the verger usually did not process out following the service.

The Ministry of Thurifer

The ministry of thurifer at the Cathedral Church of Saint Matthew was fulfilled by lay persons. The thurifer carried the incense in a thurible, swinging it back and forth at several points during the service. Incense was always used at the seven principal feasts of the Church: Easter Day, All Saints Day (November 1), Ascension Day, Christmas Day, the Epiphany (January 6), Day of Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost). Incense was also used at ordinations and the festival Eucharist for the patron saint, Saint Matthew. Additionally, incense was used for the Stations of the Cross when following the way of the outdoor stations. Incense might be used on other occasions as determined by the Dean of the Cathedral.

The thurifer served at four times during the worship service: at the procession into the church, at the reading of the Gospel, at the Holy Eucharist, and at the procession out of the church. The thurifer should arrive about 45 minutes before the worship service. The boat boy or boat girl should arrive no less than twenty minutes before the service.

Forty-five minutes before the service, the thurifer collected the charcoal, fire starter, lighter, incense, thurible, and boat (the brass bowl that holds the incense) and took these items to the Bishop Garrett Meditation Garden. The thurifer lit the fire starter and put coals on the rack above the flames to heat them. The thurifer met with the lead verger of the service, and they reviewed the bulletin to determine when the verger should get the thurifer. The thurifer normally needed about five minutes lead time, so they reviewed the bulletin, readings, psalms, and hymns to determine appropriate times. The thurifer then vested and returned to the garden to work the coals. The dress code was strict: black pants, black shoes, no exceptions. If sleeves showed, the shirt must be white.

Fifteen minutes before the service, the verger looked for the boat boy or girl and sent them to the garden once vested. Ten minutes before the service, the thurifer put incense into the boat and gave the boat and a spoon to the boat boy or girl. The thurifer then tapped the coals to knock off ash and placed four coals flat into the thurible. Before leaving the garden, the thurifer added some coals to the fire so that coals would be ready for the next part of the service. The thurifer carried the thurible in the left hand with the lid raised so that air could pass over the coals to keep them hot. The thurifer and boat boy or girl walked outside along the church and waited for the celebrant. When the celebrant arrived, they waited for the cue to come over. The thurifer raised the thurible. If the bishop was the celebrant, the thurifer should kneel down on one knee and raise the thurible. The celebrant took the boat from the boat boy or girl, put incense on the coals, and blessed the incense. The celebrant handed the thurible to the thurifer and the boat back to the boat boy or girl. The thurifer bowed to the celebrant and closed the lid of the thurible tightly. The thurifer and boat boy or girl moved to the front of the procession.

At the procession into the church, the thurifer processed immediately behind the verger and in front of the crucifer. The boat boy or girl stayed to the left of the thurifer anytime they were inside the church. They processed at a stately pace, swinging the thurible in long graceful swings. The thurifer and boat boy or girl processed at a distance of four or five pews behind the verger. In large open areas, the thurifer swung the thurible in long graceful swings. In confined areas, the thurifer should minimize swings. The thurifer and boat boy or girl processed onto the chancel and into the sanctuary. They moved around to the altar and stood near the bishop’s throne out of the way of the altar party arriving behind them. The thurifer should secure the lid of the thurible, as it was likely to come loose during the procession. The celebrant came over sometime before the processional hymn ended. The thurifer handed the thurible to the celebrant and bowed. The celebrant bowed and then circled the altar censing it, then returned the thurible to the thurifer. The thurifer bowed to the celebrant. The thurifer and boat boy or girl left the sanctuary and returned to the Bishop Garrett Meditation Garden. The thurifer dumped out the coals and incense and scraped the bowl of the thurible with a spoon to remove all melted incense. The thurifer tended to the coals to prepare for the next trip into the church.

At the reading of the Gospel, the verger gave notice to the thurifer about five minutes before the Gospel was to be read. The thurifer gave the boat and a spoon to the boat boy or girl. The thurifer then tapped the coals to knock off ash and placed four coals flat into the thurible. Before leaving the garden, the thurifer added some coals to the fire so that coals would be ready for the next part of the service. The thurifer carried the thurible in the left hand with the lid raised so that air could pass over the coals to keep them hot. The thurifer and boat boy or girl walked to the ambulatory near the chancel. The verger opened the door to the chancel. The thurifer and boat boy or girl walked through the chancel and inside the sanctuary directly up to the celebrant. The thurifer raised the lid to the thurible. If the bishop was the celebrant, the thurifer should kneel down on one knee and raise the thurible. The celebrant took the boat from the boat boy or girl, put incense on the coals, and blessed the incense. The celebrant handed the thurible to the thurifer and the boat back to the boat boy or girl. The thurifer bowed to the celebrant and closed the lid of the thurible tightly. The thurifer and boat boy or girl moved to the chancel about half way to the chancel steps. They turned around and faced the altar and waited for the Deacon of the Word, subdeacon, and torches to line up. When they turned around, the thurifer and boat boy or girl turned around and walked into the nave. The thurifer and boat boy or girl stopped at about the fourth pew and stepped to the side. The torches and subdeacon passed by. The deacon stopped even with the thurifer. The deacon announced the reading then turned to receive the thurible. The thurifer handed the thurible to the deacon. The deacon censed the Bible and handed the thurible back to the thurifer. The thurifer and boat boy or girl stepped behind the deacon. The thurifer swung the thurible gently left and right during the reading. At the end of the reading, the thurifer and boat boy or girl turned around, walked onto the chancel, and exited through the side door, and returned to the Bishop Garrett Meditation Garden. The thurifer dumped out the coals and incense and scraped the bowl of the thurible with a spoon to remove all melted incense. The thurifer tended to the coals to prepare for the next trip into the church.

At the Holy Eucharist, the verger gave notice to the thurifer about five minutes before the Great Thanksgiving was to be read. The thurifer gave the boat and a spoon to the boat boy or girl. The thurifer then tapped the coals to knock off ash and placed four coals flat into the thurible. The thurifer carried the thurible in the left hand with the lid raised so that air could pass over the coals to keep them hot. The thurifer and boat boy or girl walked to the ambulatory near the chancel. The verger opened the door to the chancel. The thurifer and boat boy or girl walked through the chancel and inside the sanctuary directly up to the celebrant. The thurifer raised the lid to the thurible. If the bishop was the celebrant, the thurifer should kneel down on one knee and raise the thurible. The celebrant took the boat from the boat boy or girl, put incense on the coals, returned the boat to the boat boy or girl, and blessed the incense. The thurifer secured the lid to the thurible and handed the thurible to the celebrant. The celebrant took the thurible. The celebrant and thurifer bowed to each other. The celebrant circled the altar censing it and returned the thurible to the thurifer. The thurifer took the thurible, bowed, stepped back, and censed the celebrant with three sets of doubles. The celebrant and thurifer bowed to each other. The thurifer and boat boy or girl turned and walked into the chancel all the way to the steps, then turned around and faced the altar party. The thurifer bowed, and then censed the altar party center, left, right with big swings. The thurifer bowed and turned around. The thurifer bowed, and then censed the congregation center, left, right with big swings. The thurifer bowed and turned around. The thurifer and boat boy or girl turned around and walked back to the altar rail and kn