Glossary of Terms
Rood Screen
The term “rood,” from Old English, means cross. Rood screens were used as early as the twelfth century to separate the chancel or choir from the nave. The rood screen was surmounted with a rood beam on which was placed a crucifix or Christus Rex. Candles and other figures such as the Virgin Mary and […]
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
(Jan. 30, 1882-Apr. 12, 1945). Thirty-second President of the United States, 1933-1945. He was the leader of the United States in the face of the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt was baptized at St. James' Episcopal Church, Hyde Park, New York, and later served as senior warden of St. James'. He graduated from […]
Rosary
A Marian devotion that leads to Jesus. It combines repetitions of familiar prayers with meditation on fifteen mysteries of faith. Meditation on each mystery is accompanied by recitation of the Lord's Prayer, ten (a “decade”) Hail Marys, and the Gloria Patri. The mysteries are divided into three sets of five, which are known as chaplets. […]
Rose Gates College, Okolona, Mississippi
This school opened at Okolona, Mississippi, in 1859. Bishop William Mercer Green was president of the board of trustees. It was named after Rose Gates, the daughter of Col. Charles Gates, who bought the property. The headmaster was the Rev. William S. Lacey (d. 1867), who served until the school closed in 1862.
Rose Sunday
See Laetare Sunday; see Gaudete Sunday.
Rose Window
A circular stained glass window with radiating tracery in the form of a rose. The rose window is usually placed on the west façade of the church. This window may be quite large, dominating the west end of the nave. A rose window may also appear in the triangular ends of transepts. Undecorated circular windows […]
Rose, Lawrence
(Nov. 2, 1905-Oct. 17, 1987). Priest and educator. He was born in Monterey, Mexico, and received his B.A. from Harvard in 1923 and his S.T.B. from the General Theological Seminary in 1928. He was ordained deacon on June 2, 1926, and priest on May 24, 1927. After ministries in Brooklyn, New York, and Phillipsburg, Montana, […]
Rota
A rotating service schedule that identifies who will serve in a particular ministry (such as acolytes or lectors) at scheduled services throughout a given period.
Round (Musical)
See Canon (5).
Routley, Erik
(1917-1982). A British Reformed Church minister, composer, hymn writer, hymnal editor, and teacher. He was born in Brighton, Sussex, England, and educated at Lancing College and Mansfield College, Oxford. He was one of the most influential hymnodists of his time. He served as minister of Congregational and reformed churches in England and Scotland. At various […]
Rowson, Susanna Haswell
(c. 1762-Mar. 2, 1824). Novelist and educator. She was born in Portsmouth, England. When she was seven her family settled in Nantasket, Massachusetts. Her first novel, published in 1786, was Victoria. It received good reviews. In 1791 she published Charlotte, a Tale of Truth, which was also known as Charlotte Temple. It was the leading […]
Ruach
See Episcopal Women's Caucus.
Rubric
A ceremonial or other direction given in the BCP, now typically printed in italics. Rubrics were printed in red in medieval service books. The term “rubric” is derived from the Latin word for “red.” See Black Rubric, The.
Rule of Faith
A term designating a summary of orthodox faith (regula fidei) in the first Christian centuries. It was a confession of faith in the three divine Persons that included a confession of faith in the Incarnation of the Word. It eventually designated three traditional creeds: the Apostles' Creed, which grew out of the confessions of faith […]
Rule of Life
1) A set of guidelines and commitments directing one's life. The rule usually includes set times of daily prayer and meditation, study (such as reading the Bible), and acts of charity. It can also include regular attendance at the Holy Eucharist, making retreats, placing oneself under a spiritual director or confessor, and fasting or other […]
Rural Messenger, The
See Rural Workers' Fellowship.
Rusch, Paul. See KEEP
(Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project), American Committee for.
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.