The following is a list of some ecclesiastical terms and explanations
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Absolution: Forgiveness of sin |
| Abstinence: Refraining from eating meat |
| Advent: Period before Christmas, waiting for Christ's arrival |
| Agnus Dei: (Latin) Lamb of God |
| Alleluia: Exclamation of joy |
| Amen: Expression of agreement |
| Altar: Raised surface at which the religious ceremony is performed |
| Antiphon: A chant or song of devotion sung in response at the liturgy |
| Assumption: When Mary was taken into Heaven (15th August) |
| Ave Maria: (Latin) Hail Mary |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Baptism: Act of welcome into the Christian community, the Primary Sacrament of Initiation washing away sins in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit |
| Benediction:Short service of prayer and hymns with blessing of the congregation with the consecrated Host |
| Bible: Collection of writings including accounts, prophecies, letters, songs etc. divided into the Old and the New Testament |
| Bishop: Shepherd, Teacher and Leader of the whole Diocese, successor to the apostles, appointed by the Pope |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Canon Law: The rules governing the life and mission of the whole Church, ordained and lay |
| Candidate: Baptised person preparing to be received into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church |
| Cantor: One who leads the congregation in singing during a service |
| Catechism: Manual of Christian doctrine |
| Catechumen: Candidate for baptism |
| Cathedra: The chair or throne on which the Bishop sits |
| Cathedral: The church where the Bishop has his seat or cathedra |
| Chalice: Goblet used to hold and dispense the consecrated wine at Mass |
| Chrism: Sacred oil blessed by the Bishop and used in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders |
| Christ: The Anointed One |
| Ciborium: Receptacle to hold consecrated bread, often lodged in the tabernacle |
| Commandments: The 10 Commandments as passed to Moses, the foundation of the moral teaching of Jesus and his Church |
| Communion: The act of entering into direct association and partnership with Christ, the Church and each other, especially through receiving the Body and Blood of Christ |
| Confirmation: When people confirm their membership of the Church |
| Confiteor: Latin for the first word in the prayer: 'I confess …' |
| Consecration: When something is blessed in the name of the Lord |
| Council: Assembly of the Bishops in communion with the Pope to promote the mission and governance of the Catholic Church e.g. The Second Vatican Council |
| Covenant: Agreement as between God and Man |
| Crucifix: Cross bearing the image of Christ |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Decade: The Hail Mary repeated 10 times in saying the Rosary |
| Diocese: The region under the guidance of one Bishop |
| Doxology: Thanksgiving, a short formula of praise to God |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Ecumenical: Concerned with ecumenism |
| Ecumenism: Movement to unite the whole Christian Church |
| Eucharist: Thanksgiving: Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ |
| Extreme Unction: Anointing of the Sick. Given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity and those near to death |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Gloria: Song of Praise |
| Godparent: A member of the Church who accompanies the Catechumen towards full initiation. |
| Gospel: The Word of God as recorded by the 4 disciples Matthew, Mark, Luke and John |
| Grace: The life of God within us |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Holy Communion: The act of entering into direct association with Christ |
| Holy Days of Obligation: Special Feasts on which Catholics have an obligation to attend Mass as on a Sunday |
| Holy Orders: The Sacrament conferring the ministry of Bishop, Priest and Deacon |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Infallibility: The doctrine that, after the fullest consultation, the Pope may pronounce the mind of the Church on matters of faith or morals |
| Introit: Introduction to the Mass |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Jesus: The Saviour |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Kyrie: Part of the penitential rite of the Mass (Greek: Lord) |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Lent: Period of abstinence before Easter: Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday |
| Liturgy: The public worship of the Church incl. The Eucharist |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Mamre: The grove of oak trees where God's message was first conveyed to Abraham |
| Marian: Of/concerning/relating to Mary |
| Marriage: One of the seven sacraments whereby a man and a woman commit themselves to each other for life |
| Mass: Public celebration of the life, death and resurrection of Christ involving the central act of the Eucharist |
| Ministry: The role and responsibility of the individual in/to the Church |
| Mission: The task/responsibility of the individual to proclaim to the world that Jesus is the Son of God |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Nave: The central body of the Church leading to the altar |
| Novena: Nine days of prayer |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Offertory: The act of bringing gifts to the altar during Mass |
| Orate Fratres: Latin: Pray, brethren |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Papal: Of/from/belonging to the Pope |
| Parish Priest:Co-worker of the Bishop with particular responsibility for the pastoral concerns of a parish |
| Parish: Geographical unit in the Diocese generally served by a Parish Priest |
| Pascal: Of/from/belonging to/relating to Easter |
| Pater Noster: Latin: Our Father, opening words of the prayer Jesus taught us to say |
| Patten:The plate from which the host is served |
| Pax vobiscum: Latin: Peace be with you |
| Penance:Sacrament of reconciliation or a token of sorrow for sin |
| Pentecost:The feast which celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles |
| Pew: Bench in Church |
| Pope: The Bishop of Rome, the senior Bishop, supreme representative on earth of the world-wide Catholic Church |
| Prayer: The act of speaking to God |
| Psalm: Sacred song |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| RCIA: Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: programme for Catechumens and Candidates to be baptised and received into Full Communion with the Church |
| Reconciliation:Making peace in confession through the sacrament of penance |
| Religious:Term applied to those dedicating their life to God's work e.g. nuns, monks |
| Rite:Formal procedure in the Liturgy |
| Rite of Election: Final commitment to initiation into the Church |
| Rite of Peace:Expression of peace and solidarity among the congregation |
| Rosary: A series of beads arranged in a specific order to facilitate prayer |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Sacrament: The outward sign of inward grace e.g. baptism, confirmation, first communion, marriage, reconciliation, holy orders and extreme unction |
| Sanctus: Prayer after the offertory giving praise to the Lord (Latin: Holy) |
| Scripture: The writings of the prophets, the Apostles etc. |
| Sponsor: A member of the Church who accompanies the Candidate towards Full Communion |
| Synod: A formal gathering of Bishops possibly from a particular region |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Tabernacle: Receptacle, often on the wall behind the altar, for keeping the consecrated Hosts |
| Testament: The Bible is divided into two sections, the New Testament including Books forming the record of the new dispensation belonging to the Church, and the Old testament which includes those Books shared with Judaism |
| Transfiguration: The change of state as exemplified by Christ before Peter, James and John on the mountain (Celebrated 6 August) |
| Transubstantiation: When the blood and wine change substance during Mass |
| Trinity: Central Christian belief that the one God exists in three persons and one being: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Vigil: Time of waiting and preparation in the evening before a major celebration |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z |
| Year A, B, C:The Church works in a three-year cycle of readings etc. |