A church officer responsible for maintaining the church building and grounds, often including duties such as ringing bells, digging graves, and assisting with services. In some contexts, a minor church official or caretaker.
From Medieval Latin 'sacristanus' (keeper of sacred objects), via Old French 'secrestain.' The word evolved from 'sacer' (sacred) and originally referred to one who looked after sacred vessels and vestments, gradually expanding to include general church maintenance.
The sexton's role bridges the sacred and mundane - they might ring church bells to mark holy hours, then spend the afternoon fixing a broken heating system. This position represents one of the oldest job descriptions in Western society, essentially unchanged for over a millennium.
Church and graveyard sextons were historically male; the term rarely applied to women in equivalent roles, creating occupational gender segregation in religious/burial labor.
Use 'church caretaker', 'grounds keeper', or 'sexton' with acknowledgment of women's erasure from these roles; consider 'sexton or equivalent professional' if historical accuracy needed.
["church caretaker","grounds keeper","custodian"]
Women performed equivalent labor in religious and burial contexts but were titled and compensated differently. Recognizing this erasure honors their unacknowledged work.
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