Words you may hear in an Episcopal Church

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• Absolution - A declaration by a bishop or priest, announcing forgiveness by God to those who have confessed their sins and repented.
• Acolyte - A lay person, usually a young person, who assists the priest during a worship service.
• Advent - The time of preparation immediately before Christmas.
• Advent Wreath - A wreath used during the season of Advent. Four candles are placed in a circle, and a fifth may be placed in the center. One candle is lit on the first Sunday in Advent, two on the second Sunday, three on the third and four on the fourth Sunday in Advent. On Christmas day, the fifth candle is lighted.
• All Saints' Day - November 1st - a day we commemorate all the saints of the Church, plus those we know who've joined the saints in heaven. Originally known as "All Hallows Day," and followed "all hallows eve" (Halloween).
• Altar - A raised table placed centrally in front of the congregation that is used for the celebration of the Eucharist.
• Amen - From Hebrew, meaning, "So be it." Episcopalians say " ah -men," while most other denominations say " a- men."
• Anglican - Derived from the Latin Ecclesia Anglicana, meaning the English Church. The word is applied to the world wide group of churches which are in communion with and were derived from the Church of England.
• Apostolic Succession - The unbroken line of spiritual heritage back to the first apostles of Jesus.
• Archbishop - The chief bishop, sometimes referred to as the "first among equals." The Archbishop of Canterbury in England is the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
• Archdeacon - A bishop's administrative officer; also engaged in the practical, legal, and pastoral work in a diocese
• Ash Wednesday - The Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent, often observed as a day of fasting and spiritual preparation. In the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the celebrant puts ashes on a person's forehead as a mark of their mortality, with the words "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
• Baptism - A sacrament whereby a person is admitted to the Christian Church. At our baptisms, we are cleansed from sin and adopted by God into His family, and made heirs of His eternal Kingdom. Since we can only be adopted once, baptism is a final, non-repeatable act.
• Bible - The primary source of inspiration and the single most important book for Christians.  In Episcopal Churches, three or more Bible readings are included in a typical worship service. Over 80% of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Bible.
• Bishop - The senior order of ministry, beginning with Deacon, then Priest, and then Bishop. A Bishop is usually the minister in charge of a diocese.
• Bishop Coadjutor - A priest who is elected by a particular diocese and is consecrated to become the next bishop of that diocese when the current bishop retires.
• Book of Common Prayer - The primary guide to worship in the Anglican Church since its inception in 1549.  Commonly called the "prayer book," it is a collection of classic and contemporary prayers, devotions, services and psalms designed to allow the entire Church to worship in common union. Two-thirds of the prayer book comes directly from the Bible.
• Canon - A priest appointed to serve at the Bishop's church in a senior capacity. A member of the clergy on the staff of a cathedral or collegiate church.
• Canons - The written rules governing church policy, structure and procedure.
• Canterbury - The top diocese in the Church of England, and by tradition, the entire Anglican Church. Although the branches of the Anglican Church are autonomous, each maintains a traditional connection with England, and therefore looks to the Archbishop of Canterbury as the spiritual leader of the Church.
• Cassock - A garment of full length fastened at the neck, normally black. May be worn as an outdoor garment by clergy and vergers.
• Catechism - An elementary instruction in the principles of Christianity, in the form of questions and answers. In past generations, one had to memorize the entire catechism before he or she could be confirmed.
• Cathedral - The principal church of a diocese which contains the Bishop's chair. The Bishop's headquarters.
• Catholic - While this word is often used in reference to the Roman Catholic Church, the word "catholic" literally means "universal" or "found everywhere."  It actually refers to the whole church and its worldwide extension, its unbroken tradition going back to the Apostles, and its adherence to the wholeness of the Christian belief.
• Celebrant - The priest who officiates at the Eucharist.
• Censer - Incense container. Also called the thurible.
• Chalice - The cup used during the Eucharist for the sacramental wine
• Chancel - The center part of a church (often called the sanctuary), usually the area containing the altar.
• Chanting - Not exactly singing, nor reading, chanting is a recitation midway between singing and reading. Chanting originated in the monastic orders in the early centuries of the Church.
• Chapel - A smaller area set aside for worship within or near the larger church.
• Chaplain - A priest or deacon, usually attached to an institution for pastoral ministry. Also the post of an assistant to the bishop.
• Christian - The name given (by others) to the followers of Jesus Christ.
• Christmas - The annual celebration of Christ's birth. The December 25 date was influenced by the Roman practice around the year 366AD.
• Choir - The organized body of singers that assist in the music of worship services. The more recent spelling of the earlier word Quire.
• Chorister - A member of the choir, often referring to a younger choir member.
• Church - A building for public Christian worship. Also a general name applied to all Christians.
• Ciborium - Vessel in which consecrated bread is kept.
• Clergy - A general term for a body or group of ordained people
• Cloister - The covered walkway around an enclosed area.
• Collect - A short prayer that makes one request.
• Columbarium - A place designated for the interment of the cremated remains of the dead.
• Compline - A simple evening service used to end the day, included for the first time in the 1979 prayer book. It is pronounced "comp- lyn ," not "comp- line ."
• Confirmation - The sacrament when the Bishop lays his hands on the head of a person, when that p erson makes a mature, public confession that he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Savior, therein taking responsibility for the vows made earlier at his or her baptism .
• Cotta - An Old English word for "cover", a cotta is a short white outer garment sometimes worn by choir members and acolytes over their cassocks.
• Crosier - A s taff carried by the Bishop symbolizing the Good Shepherd.
• Crucifer - Person carrying the processional cross.
• Crucifix - A crucifix is a cross with the likeness of the body of Christ on it.
• Curate - An assistant minister, either a priest or a deacon. A curate is often one who is in the process of "learning the ropes" or "curing."
• Cursillo - A Spanish word meaning "short course." Cursillo is a contemporary movement of Christian renewal. The Cursillo experience begins with an intense, profound, and often life-changing weekend retreat, and continues with periodic small group gatherings and special devotions. It is pronounced "cur-see-yo".
• Deacon - The first order of ordained ministry, below the priest and bishop.
• Dean - The chief priest at a cathedral. H eadmaster in a collegiate or cathedral church.
• Diocese - The area or district under the pastoral and administrative care of a bishop.
• Easter - The oldest feast of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

• EFM - Education for Ministry is based on the principle that all "ministry" is not ordained ministry. The four-year EFM program provides lay people with the basics of a theological education. Our program comes from the extension department of the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee.
• Epiphany - January 6; a feast celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Epiphany marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas (the Christmas season). The Season of Epiphany runs from January 6 to Ash Wednesday.
• Episcopal - Pertaining to a bishop - episcopacy - the government of churches by bishops. Also the common name of the Christian denomination which is St. Mark's.
• Epistle, The - In a Sunday service, the Epistle is a reading from one of the New Testament books other than the Gospels. The Epistle and the Old Testament lessons are typically read by a Lay Person.
• Eucharist - The sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. It is a n act of thanksgiving, the central act of Christian worship, also referred to as the Mass, the Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper.
• Eulogy - A short talk or homily about the deceased at a funeral. Traditionally, a eulogy was not done in Episcopal funerals, but in recent times the practice has gained favor in some churches.
• Evangelism - Proclaiming the Christian gospel; an activity designed to spread Christianity.
• Evensong - An Evening Prayer service set to music, with hymns and sung prayers.
• Fast Days - Special days designated for abstinence. On these days, one typically eats less, or eats nothing at all. While any day may be observed as a fast day, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are officially designated as fast days.
• Font - A container for water in the church used for the sacrament of baptism.
• Godparents - Godfathers and godmothers are persons who sponsor or stand up for an infant or young child at his or her baptism. Godparents make vows that they will, by their example, help the child know what it means to be a Christian, so that later in his or her life the child can confirm that fact for himself or herself at Confirmation.
• Good Friday - The day in Holy Week in which we remember Christ's arrest, crucifixion, and death.
• Gospel - The Good News of Christ proclaimed in the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We stand for the gospel reading in our Eucharist service, to show reverence for Jesus, since He is speaking to us when the gospel is read.
• High Church - One of the styles of worship in an Episcopal Church. "High Church" worship services emphasize liturgical formality, with parts or all being sung or chanted. High church services often include incense and sanctus bells.
• Host - The bread or wafer consecrated at the Eucharist.
• Holy Communion - The central act of Christian worship: thanksgiving; the receiving of the consecrated bread and wine as in Eucharist.
• Holy Week - The week preceding Easter, the last week in Lent. Holy Week is the most important period of the church year, beginning with Palm Sunday, and includes Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
• Homily - A short sermon, often on a single topic of devotion. The main difference between a sermon and a homily is their length.
• House of Bishops - All the bishops of the Episcopal church sitting as a legislative and judiciary body of the church, at General Convention.
• House of Deputies - The lay and priests delegates to a General Convention sitting as a legislative body.
• Intinction - The act of dipping the bread or host in the wine.
• Lay minister - A person who is not ordained, but who works closely with a church or religious program. Some lay ministers are un-paid volunteers; some are paid staff members of a church.
• Lay Reader - Any non-ordained person who participates by reading a part in a church service.
• Lectern - A reading desk from which the lessons are read
• Lent - One of the six seasons of the church year, it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Lent is intended to be a period of preparation and penitence marked by fasting, meditation and sobriety.
• Litany - A solemn form of supplication for God's mercy, composed of short responsive prayers.
• Liturgy - The word means "the work of the people, " and is generally used to refer to the entire, complete worship service.
• Low Church - One of the styles of worship in the Episcopal church that is, on the whole, less formal. Most low churches do not chant or sing their services or use incense or sanctus bells. A low church might alternate Morning Prayer with the Eucharist for their primary Sunday worship.
• Magnificat - The Virgin Mary's song of praise to the Lord.
• Mass - A title of the Eucharist used by the Roman Catholic Church and the High Church of the Church of England.
• Mattins - Morning prayers; the morning office, sometimes extended to a full service with hymns and a sermon.
• Maundy - The ceremony of washing the feet, from the Latin mandatum novum, meaning new commandment, on the Thursday before Easter (Maundy Thursday).
• Missal - The altar book - the big book on the Altar containing the services of Holy Eucharist.
• Mission - A local Episcopal congregation that is not able to be financially self-supporting. The priest-in-charge of a mission is commonly referred to as a vicar. When a mission is able to be self-supporting, it may apply for parish status and be admitted to the diocese as a parish.
• Mitre - The bishop's high pointed hat.
• Narthex - Vestibule or entrance area of the church.
• Nave - Main body of the church, the pew area, where the congregation sits.
• Nunc dimittis - The song of Simeon used at Evensong.
• Oblation - An offering.
• Office - The community prayers and readings at set hours of the day (originally a monastic term).
• Ordained (Minister) - A member of one of the three orders of clergy: Bishop, Priest, and Deacon.
• Ordination - The conveying of spiritual authority by a bishop. The laying on of hands by a bishop to make a deacon, ordain a priest, and consecrate a bishop (at least three bishops are required to ordain a priest as a bishop)
• Palm Sunday - The Sunday before Easter, where Jesus' final and triumphal entry into Jerusalem is observed.
• Parish - The group of people in a certain area who are organized into a local, self-supporting church.
• Paten - Plate from which the host is served.
• Peace, The - A part of the service in which members of the congregation, including the clergy, greet one another by shaking hands or speaking or sometimes embracing one another.
• Pentecost - The Festival Sunday that comes fifty days after Easter in which we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the twelve Disciples after Christ's Resurrection. Pentecost is traditionally seen as the birthday of the church, and is also the beginning of the longest season in the church.
• Prayer Book - The Book of Common Prayer is the primary guide to worship in the Anglican Church since its inception in 1549.  Commonly called the "prayer book," it is a collection of classic and contemporary prayers, devotions, services and psalms designed to allow the entire Church to worship in common union. Two-thirds of the prayer book comes directly from the Bible.
• Presiding Bishop - The elected chief administrator and spiritual head of the Episcopal Church in t he United States. The Presiding Bishop has become the American equivalent of an Archbishop. Title: The Most Reverend.
• Priest - An ordained member of the clergy empowered to celebrate the Eucharist and to pronounce the absolution of sins (second in line of ordained seniority: Bishop, Priest, Deacon).
• Primate - The title given to the archbishop of a province.
• Province - A group of dioceses under the care of an archbishop.
• Propers - The designed Collects, Psalms and Lessons.
• Pulpit - A raised structure from which the sermon is preached
• Purificator - A small linen cloth used to wipe the rim of the chalice during Holy Communion.
• Rector - A title given to the chief priest of a Parish.
• Rectory - The residence of a rector
• Reredos - A nornamental screen behind or above the altar.
• Requiem - A funeral service or memorial service. Sometimes the word is preceded by the word 'solemn': ( Solemn Requiem.) and sometimes the word is preceded by 'high': ( High Requiem), which indicates that the service will include communion and singing or chanting.
• Reserved Sacrament - Consecrated bread and wine kept after a Communion service primarily for distribution to the sick of the Church.
• Right Reverend, The - A form of address for a bishop in the Episcopal Church.
• Rubrics - Instructions noted in italics in the Book of Common Prayer.
• Sacristy - A room near the altar where the communion vessels, altar hangings, candlesticks, etc. are kept and cleaned.
• Sacrament - A ceremony or act of the Christian Church regarded as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace, applied to the seven rites of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and matrimony.
• Sanctuary - The area in which the altar stands. In medieval times the right of safe conduct granted to those the fled pursuit and could grasp the church door knocker.
• Sermon - An address proclaiming the gospel
• Sexton - An English title for the person in charge of the church building and grounds; in America the Sexton is commonly head of maintenance and custodial services.
• Shrove Tuesday - The final day before the season of Lent begins, often marked by pancake suppers in the Episcopal Church. Shrove Tuesday is also the final day of Mardi Gras and other Carnivals throughout the world.
• Stole - Narrow scarf worn by a priest. A deacon wears the stole across the left shoulder.
• Surplice - A loose wide-sleeved garment worn by the clergy and assisting lay persons.
• Thurifer - The person who swings the incense in its censer or thurible.
• Transept - The left and right extended areas of the church, forming the cross-shape of the church building.
• Trinity, The - A fundamental symbol of the Christian faith and a critically important, basic, core doctrine in Christianity. The Trinity refers to the oneness and essential unity of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Unction - From Latin, meaning "to anoint.", unction is the process of anointing someone with consecrated oil. Episcopalians use the word to refer to anointing the sick for the purpose of making them well.
• Verger - A lay person appointed to maintain the orderly and proper procession and decorum during services.
• Very Reverend, The - A form of address for a priest who holds the office of dean in a cathedral or school.
• Vestment - A robe worn by the clergy during services.
• Vestry - A group of m embers elected to oversee the programs and finances of a parish. At St. Mark's the 15 member vestry set policy, make long-range plans, and support programs in the parish. Five members are elected annually by the congregation to a 3-year term.
• Vicar - A priest caring for a mission church.
• Vicarage - The house or residence of a vicar.

Disclaimer:

This collection is by no means exhaustive, and is a work in progress. The majority of these definitions came from other church websites. If you have comments or suggestions regarding these words, or would like to have other words added, please send a message to the webmaster.

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