Verger

Set up the church for funerals. Set it up for weddings. Prepare the church for services. Is it a Communion service? If so have we supplied enough bread. Has the p.a. system been switched on? Is there a battery in the mike? Are the toilets clean? Have all doors, including fire doors, been opened? Is there water in the pulpit for the clergy , etc, etc.

Verger (Virger): A lay official who carries a symbol of office before church dignitaries; also one who is responsible for cleanliness and good order in the church.

The office of verger has its roots in the earliest days of Anglican history. In earlier years vergers were responsible for the order of the house of worship, including preparations for the liturgy, the conduct of the laity, the care of the church building, and often grave-digging. They led processions holding their verge (a device akin to the battle mace) to discourage animals and unruly folk from interfering with the processions.

The Verger Today. Although modern vergers no longer dig graves or have to deal with animals and unruly folk, the office has evolved into a ministry that clergy throughout the Episcopal Church have come to appreciate within their congregations. Vergers often relieve the clergy of the burden of liturgical detail so that they can concentrate on their priestly duties to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. No longer found primarily in cathedrals and large parishes, vergers are assets to small churches as well.

The Verge. The verge is a staff that a verger carries in procession. The name comes from the Latin virga, which simply means a rod or staff; hence, a verger is one who carries a staff. The verge has a history originating in the ceremonial maces carried before civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries. The Maces of State used in the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament as well as the maces carried in academic processions in colleges and universities both in Great Britain and in the United States are examples of other modern uses of the medieval symbols. Originally a weapon used to clear the way for processions, the verge's use is now principally honorific.

The Verger’s Vestments. The basic vestment of a verger is a black cassock or a white alb. In some places, especially cathedrals, the cassock or alb may be of another color. Over the cassock or alb, when performing a ceremonial function, the verger wears a sleeveless gown somewhat resembling a bishop’s chimere.
Verging is a strictly Anglican form of lay ministry. One seldom finds it practiced in other branches of the Church.