A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
Sacristy with a sacristy credens (a cabinet with wide and very shallow drawers in which vestments and hangings are stored). A chasuble and stole are laid out on top of it, ready to be put on.
Interior of the sacristy at St. Michael Church in Keminmaa, Finland
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Lutherans and Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. For Catholics and Lutherans, a sacrarium is "special sink used for the reverent disposal of sacred substances. This sink has a cover, a basin, and a special pipe and drain that empty directly into the earth, rather than into the sewer system". Precious or sacred items are disposed of, when possible, by returning them to the ground. They are in some cases used to dispose of materials used in the sacraments and water from liturgical ablutions. They are found in Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and a similar vessel is used in Eastern Orthodox churches.
16th-century double piscina at the Franciscan friary in Kilconnell, Ireland
