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Glossary
People in the church have funny names for certain things. These are some of the words you
might hear and what they mean.
Parts of the Church
- Epistle side: -when looking into a church from the back it would be the right hand side. This has been the traditional side from which to read the Epistle.
- Gospel side: -when looking into a church fromt he back it would be the left hand side. Traditionally this has been the side where the Gospel was read from and where the pulpit stood.
- narthex: -the section of the church between the entrance and the main seating section, called the nave.
- nave: -the main part of the church where the pews or chairs are located.
- sacristy: -the room that stores liturgical items used in a church
- sanctuary: -the area at the front of the church surrounding the altar. In St. Mary's this would include all of the raised area.
Objects in the Church
- antependium: -the hanging in the liturgical colour for the season that hangs from the pulpit
- aumbry: -a wall safe or cupboard that holds blessed bread and wine, as well as ashes and holy oils
- font: -the basin on a pedestal at which baptisms are celebrated
- lectern: -the stand from which Bible readings and prayers take place; also called an ambo
- paschal candle: -"Paschal" is another word for Easter. The paschal candle is new every Easter, and is blessed at the Easter Vigil. It is lit during the Easter Season, for baptisms and for funerals.
- pulpit: -the place where a sermon is preached (our main church no longer has a pulpit and sermons are preached from the ambo)
People
- acolyte: -a server who carries a processional candle, there would always be two acolytes, one on the Epistle side and one on the Gospel side
- clergy: -ordained people, priests, bishops and deacons
- communion server: -a term we've been using at our church to describe the server who assists the deacons or ministers in preparing the Eucharist. The term server typically includes acolytes, crucifers and communion servers
- crucifer: -a server who carries the processional cross and leads processions
- curate: -a minister in training. They would typically spend about two years in a parish after completing their more formal education.
- deacon: -the assistant minister whose liturgical roles are to read the gospel, set the altar for Eucharist and dismiss the people. There are two groups of people who would be called deacons. Those who are to be ordained priests are first ordained as a deacon for about one year. We also have 'vocational deacons', those who's ministry is similar to the deacons of the first century. Their work is primarily in the community and they maybe a deacon and have another full time job. There are currently two vocational deacons at St. Mary's.
- incumbent: -synonymous with rector
- intercessor: -someone who leads the prayers of the people
- lector: -someone who leads the readings (there is an older role refered to as a lector which his a much more than a reader, however, we no longer use that term.
- minister: -synonymous with priest in the context of our church
- priest: -synonymous with minister in the context of our church
- rector: -a priest given charge of a parish by the bishop. There may be many ministers/priests in a parish, but only one is considered the rector.
- server: -those who assist the presiding priest during the celebration of Eucharist; also called acolytes and crucifers. In our church the young peopel fulfill this roll, in other churches adults may be servers.
- subdeacon: -the person who assists the priest by turning pages, acts as a chalice bearer, and reads and leads the prayers if necessary
Vestments
- alb: -the white or off-white robe worn by servers and priests for Eucharist
- chasuble: -the cape sometimes worn by the presiding priest, in the liturgical colour for the season
- cincture: -the rope belt
- stole: -the coloured scarf-like thing worn by priests around the neck
Communion 'stuff'
- burse: -a flat pocket-like container, covered with the colour for the liturgical season
- chalice: -the cup used during communion
- cruet: -a glass vessel that contains the wine and water for use in Eucharist
- paten: -the plate on which the bread is placed
- purificator: -the napkin-like cloth used to wipe the chalice during communion
Parts of the Service
- ablutions: -the cleaning of the vessels used during communion. This is done by the
chalice bearers and subdeacon in the sacristy.
- collect: -the opening prayer, offered by the presiding priest, which collects all the
themes for the day into one prayer
- Eucharist: -from the Greek word for "thanksgiving," this is another word for
communion
- gospel: -the first four books for the new testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- gospel reading: -a reading from the life of Jesus
- liturgy: -from the Greek for "work of the people", means any public worship
- procession: -any formal movement of a group of people from one place to another; at St. Mary's, besides the procession at the beginning and end of the service, we also have processions around the church for special services; these are led by the crucifer
If you have any other terms you would like to see added, or if you want to know what a
religious term means, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
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