Parish

A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. It is used by some Christian churches, and also by the civil government in a number of countries.

Ecclesiastical parishes

A parish is a subdivision of a diocese or bishopric within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. In Roman Catholicism, each parish has the services of a parish priest, who acts as the chaplain to the area. In some countries, a parish priest may have a fellow priest, called a curate, working along with him. Each parish usually has a central church or chapel, called the parish church, where religious services take place. Some larger parishes may have a number of such churches or chapels.

Related Topics:
Diocese - Roman Catholic Church - Anglican Communion - Eastern Orthodox Church - Church of Sweden - Priest - Chaplain - Curate - Parish church

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With the decline in the numbers of people seeking ordination, in some countries many parishes are now being merged together or are all sharing the services of one priest in a phenomenon known in the United States as clustering. In some countries, parishes are now merely the equivalent of states in the USA, provinces in Canada, or counties in England.

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In the Canadian province of Quebec, there also exist a special type of ecclesiastical parish called a national parish.

Related Topics:
Canadian - Quebec - National parish

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Church of England

In the Church of England, part of the Anglican Communion, the legal right to appoint or recommend a parish priest is called an advowson, and its possessor is known as a patron. The patron can be an individual, the Crown, a bishop, a college, a charity, or a religious body. Appointment as a parish priest entails the enjoyment of a benefice. Appointment of patrons is governed by the Patronage (Benefices) Rules 1987.

Related Topics:
Legal right - Priest - Advowson - The Crown - Bishop - Charity - Benefice

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In mediaeval times and earlier, when the church was politically and economically powerful, such a right could have great importance. An example can be seen in the article on Grendon, Northamptonshire. It now carries little personal advantage.

Related Topics:
Mediaeval - Grendon - Northamptonshire

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• Patronage (Benefices) Rules 1987
• Process for appointing a parish priest