Appointment of Vergers for St Pancras Church

New Verger Team for St Pancras Church, Euston Road

We are pleased and excited to announce that St Pancras church has appointed a team of two new vergers: George Haggett (senior verger) and Samantha McKeever (verger). George and Sam will commence work at St Pancras church in August; so in September we will be able to open our doors for longer hours, offer a more frequent personal welcome to the church and hold additional services during the week.

The Mid English (c.1400) noun, 'verge' ,derived from Latin (virga, twig or staff) via Old French, came to mean a rod or staff, particularly one of authority or office. The person who carried a verge became known as a verger and the term became most commonly associated with church processions.

While the role of verger today can still include carrying a church's verge in liturgical processions, being a verger is now a diverse role, which includes working with the clergy in relation to services, welcoming people to the church and assisting with the upkeep of the church building.

This modern role happens to fit well with wider derived meanings of 'verge'.

To be 'within the verge', is to be within the protection and authority of the person whose authority is symbolised by the verge. This chimes with the modern role of a verger, as one who has care for people who come into our church, whether as visitors or worshipers.

To be 'on the verge', denotes being at the edge and 'to be on the verge of' something denotes being at the cusp, where a significant event may happen. Here at St Pancras Church we pray each Tuesday as part of our Sanctuary service, "Help us give attention to unexpected happenings at the edges of our lives". This can be prayed in respect of our individual lives but we may also pray this prayer in respect of happenings at the edges of our life as a church community. We have many visitors to St Pancras Church. Some are strangers who come to us carrying a heavy load: perhaps a bereavement, perhaps financial troubles or homelessness, perhaps an anxiousness as they travel to or from a hospital appointment or a visit at UCHL. We hope that our vergers will aid us as a church to be more attentive to those at the edges of our community life. It is when paying attention to those at the edges of our life that we may be a blessing to them and equally we may be blessed through them.