Site Glossary

A person, lay or ordained, who serves a chapel, or exercises a specialized ministry in institutions such as schools, hospitals, prisons, and military facilities.

Derived from a Greek word meaning universal, catholic (lowercase “c”) emphasizes continuity with the undivided early church. Often used interchangeably (and imprecisely) with “Roman Catholic.”

The city in southeastern England that became the ecclesiastical center for England and, eventually, the Anglican Communion.

Candidacy follows postulancy in the canonical process leading to ordination and requires the consent of both the bishop and the standing committee. A candidate is in the final phase of preparation and formation before ordination. “,Canon,1.) The list of books in the Bible; 2.) An ecclesiastical law; 3.) A member of the staff of a…

A 20th-century German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and author who was hanged in 1945 because of his opposition to Hitler. Feast day: April 9.

A colloquial term referring to the compendium of triennial reports to the General Convention from commissions, committees, task forces, agencies, and boards.

A second-century enslaved girl and one of 48 Christians martyred at Lyons, France, in 177. Feast day: June 2.

A priest elected bishop by a diocese but not yet ordained and consecrated.

A sixth-century Italian monastic and author of the Rule of Benedict, the foundation for Benedictine spirituality. Feast day: July 11.

A fourth-century Egyptian bishop and theologian, regarded as the theologian of the incarnation for his insistence on the full divinity of the second person of the Trinity. Feast day: May 2.

A 19th-century American social reformer, newspaper editor, and advocate for women’s rights and temperance. Feast day: July 20 along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth.

An elected bishop with the right of succession upon the resignation of the diocesan bishop.