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Please note:  Many of these terms have more than one meaning. The definitions that are presented here are the ones that apply to Trinity Episcopal Church. Many of these definitions are based on A New Dictionary for E-pis-co-pa-lians by The Reverend John N. Wall. Jr..

Acolyte - Lay person who assists in worship by performing such functions as lighting and extinguishing candles, and helping with the presentation of the bread and wine, usually while wearing an alb.

Alb -White or natural-colored vestment, reaching from the neck to the ankles and often gathered at the waist by a rope or cincture.

Altar Guild - Parish group organized for the purpose of preparing the altar for celebrations of the Eucharist. Work includes making sure altar hangings are the right color and cleaning up afterwards.

Banns of Marriage - Announces a forthcoming marriage publicly in church. The banns are published on the three Sundays prior to the marriage.  This custom derives from medieval practice intended to insure that those getting married were not closely related to each other and had not made prior commitments to marry others. It now is a delightful way of letting a congregation share in the anticipation of the engaged couple.

Bishop - The chief sacramental officer of the church, and the office which gives our church its name. The Latin word for bishop is episcopus, and so the original name of the Episcopal Church said of us that we were the Protestant church with bishops in the United States. Bishops are the chief pastors for their dioceses; they are responsible for ensuring that the faith proclaimed in parishes is the faith of the church. Bishops have the special office to ordain priests and deacons, and together with other bishops to ordain or consecrate other bishops. They are also the chief ministers in the rite of Confirmation. The Bishop for Trinity Church and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is The Right Reverend Nathan Baxter.

Celebrant - The bishop or priest who officiates at the altar during a celebration of the Eucharist, as opposed to any assisting clergy.

Collect - A short prayer containing an invocation, a petition, and a claiming of the right to appeal in Christ's name or an ascription of glory to God. For Episcopalians, the word is usually thought of as referring to the variable prayer which is called the Collect for the Day and which immediately precedes the reading of the lessons. The Collects are found in the Book of Common Prayer.

Columbarium - A space reserved in a wall of a church building or its grounds where the ashes of dead church members can be placed and noted with a marker. Traditionally graveyards were adjacent to church buildings, but this practice is less and less possible today. The columbarium makes it possible for people's remains to be in or near their parish churches, reminding us of the communion of the saints, both living and dead. The one for Trinity Church is located above and to the back of the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Epiphany Season - January 6 is the day of the Epiphany regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. The annual Church Year begins with the first Sunday of Advent each year, which is four weeks before Christmas. This is followed by a 12-day Christmas season that begins on December 25. On January 6 the Christmas season ends and the season of the Epiphany begins. The word Epiphany means, "to show forth, to manifest, to reveal." Throughout the Epiphany season the scripture lessons each Sunday will begin to reveal to us more about the one whose birth we celebrate on December 25. The Church color for the season of the Epiphany is green. The first Sunday after January 6 is always known as the Baptism of our Lord Sunday. Finally, the Epiphany season ends with Ash Wednesday, which of course begins the Lenten season.

Eucharist - From the Greek word meaning "thanksgiving"; now perhaps the most common name for what is also known as the Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Mass. The Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord's Day, and other major Feasts. The Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ's resurrection and his ongoing presence at work among us. The Eucharist has two major divisions—the Liturgy of the Word (for Bible reading, preaching, prayer of intercession, confession, and the Pass­ing of the Peace) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (in which the bread and wine are offered and blessed, the bread is broken, and all receive).

Greeter - The role of a greeter can be summarized in one word: hospitality. The greeter greets people as they enter the church. A handshake or hug or a simple "Good morning" or "We're glad you're here" is quite appropriate. Also, the greeter is to identify visitors and help make them feel at home.

Liturgy - Word deriving from two Greek words meaning "work of the people"; the public prayer and worship of the people of God gathered in community; also, the texts of the rites that enable public worship to take place.

Nicene Creed - The Nicene Creed is used as the definitive state­ment of faith throughout Christendom.  It takes its name and part of its text from the Council of Nicea in a.d. 325. This creed developed out of the baptismal affirmations of those uniting with the Christian community and establishes the framework for the continuing reflection of the church on the simultaneous humanity and divinity of Christ. The creed evolved from that statement of Nicea into a full affirmation of the faith of the church by around a.d. 450.

Passing the Peace - The Passing of the Peace has its origins in the New Testament. In the letters of St. Paul there are several references to greeting one another with "a holy kiss". In the worship of the early church this took on a specific function in the liturgy. Usually it occurred after the sermon or just before the distribution of communion. Its function was to visibly demonstrate that all who were present were one in the faith and that no sin stood in the way of their unity. Over time the actual kiss of peace has given way to either a handshake or an embrace. The purpose, however, is the same: a visible demonstration that we are members of the one body of Christ. Because we have been reconciled to the Father through the death of His Son, we therefore are also reconciled with one another.

Parish - It is the local administrative unit of the diocese. It is self-supporting and is governed by a vestry composed of lay members of the congregation elected at the annual parish meeting. The vestry hires the rector, who is the chief liturgical and sacramental officer of the parish and functions as the celebrant or officiant at worship and also works to enable all members of the congregation to find and live out their different vocations.

Priest - Traditional translation of the Greek presbyteros. The priest is ordained to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as a pastor to the people; to share with the bishop in the overseeing of the Church; to proclaim the Gospel; to administer the sacraments; and to bless and declare pardon in the name of God. This means that the priest is authorized to be the celebrant at the Eucharist, to baptize when the bishop is not present, and to pronounce absolution of sins to the penitent. The priest also is trained in pastoral care and the conduct of public worship and is authorized to preach.  Because of the nature of this office, most priests are rectors of parishes.

Rector - The chief sacramental officer and ordained person in a parish. If there is more than one priest, the one who is in charge is called the rector.

Sanctus - Latin for "holy"; thus one name for the hymn of adoration beginning "Holy, holy, holy, Lord," said or sung in the Eucharistic Prayer at the end of the Preface  It derives from Isaiah 6:1-3.

Sanctuary - In a traditional church building, the name for the area around the altar, especially the space inside the altar rail.

Sanctuary Lamp - A lamp hanging in front of the altar. At Trinity there is a white one hanging over the high altar and a red one hanging over the altar in the chapel. Traditionally, the lamp burned at all times that the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in the aumbry, which is a wall safe in a church where the Reserved Sacrament was contained.

Sexton - The parish custodian, whose job it is to keep the church buildings and facilities clean and in good working order.

Tenebrae Service - The word ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy.   Tenebrae  involves the gradual darkening of the church by progressive extinguishing of candles while Psalms and biblical texts are being read. The building is finally in total darkness when a loud noise (recalling the earthquake during Christ's passion) is made and the last candle is brought back, lighted. The congregation leaves by its light.

Verger - Trinity follows the English custom of designating a volunteer concerned with the care of the church building. This person is called the verger. The verger carries a wand, or staff of office, called the "verge" and has a ceremonial part in the conduct of worship.

Vestry - A group consisting of the rector of a parish and layfolk elected by the congregation at the annual parish meeting to be the legal governing and decision-making group in the parish. This group is called the vestry because at one time it customarily met in the vestry of the church. It is the vestry's responsibility to be the final deci­sion-making body which hires the rector, approves the parish budget, makes parish policy decisions, and spends the parish's money.