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Church worker with grave responsibilities (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sexton

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'church worker' is the definition.
(term for a church caretaker)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

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(Other definitions for sexton that I've seen before include "Sacristan" , "They went and told the -, and / The - tolled the bell (Thomas Hood)" , "Person who tends a church and churchyard" , "Church officer who attends the clergy" , "One might dig" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News, The Globe and Mail and The Irish Independent.
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