Most Episcopal Churches have a sign saying "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You," a reception for both visitors and parishoners alike. In fact, it's been said that no sign is more recognizable on American streets and highways. Keeping with that lofty tradition, we do our best to welcome everyone at St. Patrick's, and thus the reason we've provided "What's That?" as a reference guide to answer all your questions.

Abbey: A collection of buildings, including a monastery clustered around a church or cathedral.

Abbot, abbess: Title given to the head of a monastic community, derived from the Aramaic word abba, meaning "father." The abbot or abbess is elected for life and recieves authority from a bishop.

Ablutions (ah.BLOO.shunz): Ritual cleansing of the chalice and paten after all have received bread and wine during the eucharist. This task is usually performed by the deacon, celebrant, or chalice bearer, and includes consuming leftover bread and/or wine, rinsing the paten and chalice with water, and drying them with a purificator. The ablutions usually take place at the altar, the credence table, or in the sacristy before the post-communion prayer.

Absolutions (aB.so.LOO.shuns): Formal pronouncement of God's forgiveness of sins at the end of the General Confession at the eucharist or in the daily offices. It is also pronounced over the individual in the rite of Reconciliation of a Penitent.

Acclamation: Term for the opening sentences at the beginning of the eucharist, usually "Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Alternative acclamations are provided for Lent and the Easter season.

Acolyte (AK.eh.lite): Lay person who assists in worship by carrying the processional cross or crucifix, lighting and extinguishing candles, holding a torch at the reading of the gospel, helping with the presentation of the bread, wine, and gifts of the people, and assisting the deacon or priest in the preparation of the altar for communion.

Administration, sentences of: Words spoken by the celebrant and other servers while distributing bread and wine: "The Body (Blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in every lasting life" or "The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven; the Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation."

Adoration: Refers to any act of worship but specifically to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or Benediction, a ritual act of reverence for the consecrated bread of the eucharist.

Advent: The first season of the church's liturgical year, beginning of the fourth Sunday before Christmas (1 Advent) and ending with the first eucharist of Christmas. Advent is traditionally regarded as one of the two penitential seasons (the other being Lent). But Advent is better thought of as a season of solemn preparation for remembering Christ's incarnation at Christmas and for anticipating the eschatological fulfillment of his promise to return in power and great glory. The season's biblical readings focus on the endtime and on God's promises for the people of Israel and the church of Christ. The color of the season is purple or deep blue.

Advent Calendar: A special calendar to mark the passing of days in the Advent season. Advent calendars usually have a series of small windows to open, revealing a different scene for each day in the season and concluding with a nativity scene on Christmas Eve, December 24.

Advent Wreath: A circle of evergreen foliage with four candle holders. A candle is lighted on the First Sunday of Advent and another each week until all four candles are lighted on 4 Advent. Sometimes, a rose or pink candle is used on 3 Advent, reflecting the tradition that the lessons for this Sunday are celebratory rather than penetential. Small Advent wreaths can be a focus for family devotions during the season.

agape (ah.GAP.eh or ah.gah.pay): Greek word used in the New Testament to mean the love we are called to have for one another as Christians. St. Paul's famous summary, "faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13), uses the word agape for love. In the first few centuries of the church's existence, worship on the Lord's day took place in the form of an agape meal, or "love feast."

Agnus Dei (AN.yoos DAY.e): Latin term for "Lamb of God" and the name of the anthem that is said or sung after the breaking of bread in the eucharist (BCP 337).

Alb: White or natural-colored tunic reaching from the neck to the ankles and often gathered at the waist by a rope or cincture, worn by the celebrant and other ministers in the altar party at the eucharist. It may be worn together with a detachable collar or may have its own collar or hood.

All Saint's Day: A major feast day of the church that celebrates the communion of the saints. All Christians are members of one another in the body of Christ. The feast is celebrated on November 1st, but may also be observed on the following Sunday.

All Soul's Day: The day following All Saint's Day on which all the faithful departed on remembered.

Alleluia verse (ah.leh.LU.ya): A short verse of scripture, preceded and followed by the word "alleluia," that is said or sung during the gospel procession and before the gospel reading.

Alms: Traditionally, a term for money given to the poor, but now most often referring to the money received from the congregation at the offertory. These offerings are received in an alms basin that is passed among parishioners.

Altar: Table on which the bread and wine are placed during a celebration of the eucharist. Early altars were free-standing; the celebrant faced the congregation across the altar. Later, altars were made out of stone and stood against the east wall of the church building so that the celebrant stood facing away from the congregation. Today, however, many churches have returned to the more ancient custom of a free-standing table.

Altar book: Large bound or loose-leaf book that is placed on the altar, containing the texts and music used by the celebrant during the eucharist. Sometimes called the altar missal or service book.

Altar cloth: Long strip of white material that extends the width of the altar, covering the top of the altar and hanging down over the ends. It is usually decorated with a cross embroidered in each corner and another embroidered at the middle along one edge.

Altar cross: Cross or crucifix that hangs above or stands upon the altar.

Altar guild: Parish group organized for the purpose of preparing the altar for worship at the eucharist, the daily office, weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies. The work of the altar guild includes making sure that the altar hangings are the correct liturgical color, arranging the altar flowers, preparing the chalice, paten, purificators, corporal, and burse, and cleaning up after each service.

Altar rail: Railing that runs around the outside of the altar, often on three sides, behind which the people stand or kneel to recieve communion. It is helpful for assisting those who receive bread and wine of the eucharist in kneeling position to get up and down, and also to provide them with a place to rest their elbows.

Amice (AM.is): Rectangular piece of white or natural-colored cloth with tape ties that is worn at the neck to conceal clothing underneath and protect the fabric of the vestments.

Anamnesis (AN.am.KNEE.sis): A Greek word meaning "remember" or "recall." It refers to those parts of the eucharistic prayer that retell the history of our salvation as God's saving actions in history. More than a simple act of memory, it implies a reliving in the present. In the eucharist, we do not simply remember Jesus' passion, but also participate in it directly.

Angelus (AN.je.lus): Rite of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, traditionally recited in the morning, at noon, and in the evening in response to the ringing of the parish Angelus bell, but now sometimes recited at the end of the eucharistor before the daily office. The name comes from the opening word of the original Latin text, which begins (in English), "The Angel of the Lord announced unto Mary." See also Hail, Mary.

Anglican chant: Traditional music that is set for the psalms and other canticles in which the primary part of each half-verse is sung on a single note and then a rhythmic tune is used for the second part of each half-verse.

Anglicanism: A tradition based in the Church of England that is seemingly distinct from other Christian denominations. Its central tenets are summarized in the Lambeth Quadrilateral, which suggests that Anglicanism is a tradition that finds its identity in what its members do together (worship), rather than in a distinctive set of beliefs. Anglicanism combines a Protestant emphasis on the importance of scripture and individual conscience with a Catholic concern for worship, hierarchy, and tradition. While many Anglicans consider themselves to be Protestant; others, especially Anglo-Catholics, see themselves as non-protestant. See also: Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral.

Anglo-Catholicism: A movement in Anglicanism that emerged from the Tractarians of the nineteenth century and called for a return to the doctrinal traditions and practices of the early and medieval church. It placed a strong emphasis on apostolic succession and on the primacy of the sacraments in Christian life, recalling the church to its identity as a divine society whose relationship with God is expressed primarily through the sacraments of baptism and eucharist. Anglo-Catholics also encouraged the revival of religious orders, a return to the sacrament of confession, as well as other neglected devotional practices, and a richer ceremonial life (candles, music and chant, vestments) in parish churches. Sometimes called the "high church" party in order to distinguish the movement from the "low church" or evangelical wing of Anglicanism. See also: Tractarians.

Annual meeting: Required meeting of each parish every year at which the rector, vestry, and othe church leaders report to the congregation on the state of the parish. In addition, the annual budget is presented and new vestry members are elected.

Annunciation, Feast of the: Feast commemorating the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she was to give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-38). This feast is celebrated on 25 March, exactly nine months before Christmas.

Anointing: Rite of applying consecrated oil in baptism, confirmation, and Ministration to the Sick. Traditionally signifying the gift of the Holy Spirit, anointing is also used in rites where an individual is set apart for special reasons, such as ordination. See also: chrism; unction.

Anthem: English form of the word antiphon, usually referring to muscial settings of biblical texts that are used in the liturgies of the church. In many churches, the choir sings an anthem at the offertory during the main service.

Antiphon (AN.teh.fon): Originally, a text sung alternatively by two choirs, the term now refers to sentences from scripture or traditional sources that are said or sung before and after the psalms and canticles of the daily office, the eucharist, and other services.

Apocrypha (ah.POK.rih.fah): Term referring to a collection of importaint ancient religious texts not universally accepted as part of the canon of scripture. It refers to those books of the Bible that are printed as a supplement between Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament. These books--such as Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and the Wisdom of Solomon--appeared only in the Septuagint, which is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible used in the dispersed Jewish communities at the beginning of the Christian era. These books were excluded from the canon of scripture established by rabbis in Jerusalem in 70AD, but Jerome included them in his fourth-century Vulgate Bible even though he did not accept their authority. The medieval church accepted them as authoritative, but the churches of the Reformation did not. Episcopalians and all Anglicans use the Apocrypha in liturgical readings and for guidance in spiritual matters, but do not consider them authoritative in doctrinal in doctrinal matters.

Apostles Creed: Ancient statement of faith that probably derives from early baptismal formularies. This creed is recited in the daily office and as part of the baptismal rite, and also forms the basis of the text of the baptismal covenant and the renewal of baptismal vows. Along with the Nicene Creed, it is one of the historic statements affirmed by the Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1888 as fundamental to the nature of the church.

Apostolic Succession: The belief that the church today is in direct continuity with the church of the apostles and is, thus, part of the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church." For Anglicans, apostolic succession is symbolized by the rites of ordination and consecration, in which bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained through the laying on of hands by a bishop who is, in theory, linked in an unbroken chain back to the apostles themselves. One of the responsibilities of the office of bishops is to ensure that the faith taught today is the faith of the apostles.

Archbishop: Title used in the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and other branches of the Anglican Communion for bishops who have responsibilities beyond the limit of their dioceses. For example, there are two archbishops in England, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, each of whom is responsible for a province containing many dioceses. The title for an archbishop is the Most Reverend. See also: Canterbury, Archbishop of.

Archdeacon: Originally, the chief deacon who assisted the bishop, this is now the title of an ordained person who serves on a diocesan bishop's administrative staff. The archdeacon is usually responsible for communications with other clergy and may also oversee stewardship and Christian education, as well as work with small churches in the diocese. An archdeacon's title is the Venerable, and he or she may wear a purple cassock.

Articles of Religion: A document written chiefly by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer outlining the main theological tenets of the Tudor Church of England. First published with forty-two articles in 1553, they were revised into thirty-nine articles and reprinted as part of the Elizabethan Settlement of Religion in 1571. These articles articulate sixteenth century Anglican positions on a wide range of doctrinal, procedural, and practical matters. Although clergy of the Church of England are still required to subscribe to them, they are primarily of historical interest to Episcopalians. Also known as the Thirty-Nine Articles, they appear among the historical documents of The Book of Common Prayer (BCP 867-76).

Ascension Day: Feast day commemorating Christ's ascension at the end of his post-resurrection appearances to his disciples. It occurs forty days after Easter and always on a Thursday.

Ash Wednesday: Day of atonement, fasting, and penitence that marks the opening of the Lent season. The name of Ash Wednesday derives from the traditional rite in which the celebrant makes the sign of the cross in ashes on the foreheads of parishioners, a practice that has its roots in the Hebrew Bible, where sachcloth and ashes are signs of mourning and repentance. In the early church, public sinners who had been excommunicated from the church began a forty-day period of penitential discipline on this day so that they could be readmitted to communion on Easter Sunday. The latter is a custom that is at the root of congregational Lenten observance today. The ashes themselves often come from the burning of palms from the previous Palm Sunday. See also: imposition of ashes.

Aspergilllium (AS.per.JILL.um): Tube with holes at one end and a handle at the other that is used to sprinkle holy water on the altar and congregation, an act called the asperges that signifies baptismal renewal.

Aspirant (AS.per.ant): One who aspires to ordination and who is accepted by the bishop into the ordination process. Aspirants in turn become postulants, candidates, and ordinands if they are nor redirected into other expressions of their Christian vocation. The term also refers to those who seek admission to a religious order: these aspirants may test their vocation by living with the community for a period of several months.

Athanasian Creed (ATH.ah.NA.zhin): An ancient doctrinal statement that came to be called the Creed of Saint Athanasius not because it came from him, but because it was believed to contain the faith he taught. By the thirteenth century, it was widely used as a teaching aid and test for orthodoxy, but later fell out of use. The Latin name for this creed is Quicunque vult; it is found only among the historical documents of The Book of Common Prayer (BCP 864-65) and is never used in liturgy.

Aumbry (AHM.bri): A recess or cupboard on the east wall of the sanctuary near the altar that is used to store the reserved sacrament and sometimes the chrism, according to the practice of the parish. In some parishes, a sanctuary lamp hangs over the aumbry to indicate when it contains the reserved sacrament. See also: lamp, sanctuary; reserved sacrament; tabernacle.

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