The present Verger for the Parish
of St Michael and All Angels with St Mary's Bradenstoke Church
was appointed in June 1996. Though this is an Honorary Position,
you will find the Verger most days in the Church or the Church
hall. If you read through the history of
Lyneham Church you will find that a Verger was appointed
in the 1800's and the payment was £1.00 per annum.
The present Verger only receives payments for Weddings and
Funerals. The current verger is Mrs Babs Taylor [pictured
below].
The Function of The Office of Verger
The Office of Verger (Virger, Sub-Sacrist, Serjeant of the
Vestry, or even 'Church Mouse') is an ancient one and means
'He/She who carries the Virge before the procession'. The
'Verger' is the rod of office (Latin-Virga; Old French-Vergier),
and was used to ensure that the many processions were not
impeded during worship.
This was an important duty in the Middle Ages, and on important
festivals two Vergers were on duty. However, the Verger's
duties have developed over the centuries, and now combine
tasks, which were often carried out by individuals.
Today, Verger's continue to have an important ceremonial
role, but add management responsibilities, with the care
of people and a variety of other duties, including the behind-the-scenes
management of worship and the care of vestments, plate and
other valuable objects.
Vergers are committed Christians dedicated
to serving Our Lord Jesus Christ and his Church. Their
work brings them into contact with a whole spectrum
of people who visit our churches and cathedrals, and
they must be sensitive to the widely varying needs of these
visitors. Many will be seeking historical information or
just the time of the services, but others may be in emotional
or spiritual distress, and to these the verger must offer
a sympathetic ear, guiding them towards appropriate counselling
if required.
At a practical level vergers will often
bear the immediate responsibility for the care and security
of the building and particularly in many parish churches
- the presence of the verger guarantees that the building
can remain open outside service times as a place of prayer
and of Christian witness to the local or wider community. |
