From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. Laval
Part 1 – Magnificent Stories, Stories of Animals, Anecdotes (Cuentos maravillosos, Cuentos de animales, Anécdotas)
035. The Sacristan Who Speaks To the Faithful (El Sacristan Que Habla A Los Fieles.)
One Sunday morning the Priest of a country parish woke up in ill health and encharged the Sacristan to let the towns folks know at a convenient time that he wouldn’t be able to hold mass because he was sick, and that it was enough for them to pray to the rosary beads by themselves; that Thursday was a vigil because Friday was the day of Saints Simón and Jude; and that Pedro Martínez and María Jiménez were going to get married and that they should let him know if there was any impediment.
When it was time to hold mass, the Sacristan appeared in the presbytery and, facing the worshipers, he said:
The Priest is sick, but with prayers he’ll get better; Thursday is Friday, vigil of Pedro Martínez and María Jiménez; Saint Simon and Saint Jude are going to get married, for which if there is any impediment, that they are to present themselves and let him know.
Due to his lack of experience in delivering speeches in the presence of so many people, the poor Sacristan had muddled up all of his points.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Sacristán – (religious) sacristan; sexton; verger. A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents.
Sacristy – a sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
Fieles – (religious) faithful; fiel – (devoted) faithful, loyal; (precise) accurate, faithful; (religious) believer
Parroquia – (temple) parish church; (clients) clientele, customers; (groups of churchgoers) parish, parishioners; (area) parish
Rosario – (string of beads) rosary, rosary beads; (prayer) rosary; (succession) string, series
Contraer – (to become infected) to contract, to catch; (anatomy) to contract, to tighten, to contort; (to get into a habit) to acquire; (to make an obligation) to contract, to incur, to make (commitment); (to make shrink) to shrink
Presbiterio – (architecture) chancel, presbytery; (Presbyterian church body) presbytery; (group of Catholic priests) presbytery, presbyterium (chancel – the space around the altar of a church for the clergy and sometimes the choir, often enclosed by a lattice or railing)
Trastrocar – (to alter) to disrupt, to upset, to change, to change around