Religious glossary

Also called: hegumen, archimandrite

The head of a monastery.

Clergy & community

A hymn of praise and supplication to Christ, the Mother of God or a saint, said standing.

Services & rites

Also called: vigil

The long night service on the eve of great feasts and patronal days, combining Vespers and Matins.

Services & rites

Also called: blessed bread

The pieces of blessed bread given to the faithful at the end of the Liturgy; it is not Communion.

Sacred objects

A cloth consecrated by the bishop, showing the burial of Christ; the Liturgy cannot be celebrated without it.

Sacred objects

Also called: side apses

The semicircular or polygonal end of the church, usually to the east, where the altar stands.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: deanery, protopresbyter

The priest who coordinates the parishes of an area (deanery) on behalf of the bishop.

Clergy & community

Also called: Botezul

The rite of entry into the Church, by immersion in water or pouring, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Services & rites

Also called: font

The large vessel in which children are baptised; in Catholic and Protestant churches often a stone basin near the entrance.

Sacred objects

Also called: belfry

The tower or structure in which the bells hang; it can be attached to the church or stand separately.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: hierarch

The spiritual leader of a diocese; ordains priests and consecrates churches.

Clergy & community

Also called: Brâncoveanu style

The late-17th-century architectural style of Wallachia, with columned porches and rich stone carving.

Art & iconography

Also called: psaltic music, eight tones

The traditional monophonic chant of the Orthodox Church, organised in eight modes ("tones").

Services & rites

Also called: lumânărar

The faithful light candles on entering the church: separately for the living and for the departed.

Sacred objects

Also called: chanter, psaltis

The person who sings the responses and hymns from the choir stall.

Clergy & community

Also called: riassa

The long, usually black robe worn by Orthodox priests and monastics.

Vestments

Also called: monastic cell

The room where a monk or nun lives; also a small hermitage.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: thurible

The metal vessel on chains in which incense burns; the priest censes the icons and the faithful.

Sacred objects

Also called: caliciu

The consecrated cup, usually of precious metal, holding the wine for the Eucharist.

Sacred objects

The wooden stalls in the church; the cantors sing from the stalls in front of the iconostasis.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: holy chrism

The sacrament given right after Baptism, by anointing with holy chrism; it seals the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Services & rites

Also called: Nativity

The feast of the Nativity of Christ on 25 December (or 7 January for those who keep the Old Style).

Feasts & fasts

Also called: diptych

The list of names of the living and the departed given to the priest to be remembered at the Liturgy.

Sacred objects

Also called: repentance, penance

The sacrament in which the believer confesses sins before a priest and receives forgiveness.

Services & rites

Also called: holy matrimony

The sacrament of marriage; crowns are placed on the couple, who walk three times around the table.

Services & rites

Also called: archdeacon, protodeacon

The first degree of ordained ministry; the deacon assists the priest, leads the petitions and reads the Gospel.

Clergy & community

Also called: side doors

The two side doors of the iconostasis, used by deacons and servers; archangels are usually painted on them.

Architecture & spaces

The inscription above the entrance stating who built the church, when, and under which ruler or bishop.

Art & iconography

Also called: paten

The consecrated plate on which the bread for the Eucharist is placed.

Sacred objects

Also called: Liturgy

The main service of the Church, in which the Eucharist is celebrated; held on Sundays and feast days, usually in the morning.

Services & rites

Also called: Resurrection

The feast of the Resurrection of Christ, the greatest of the Christian year; Orthodox and Catholic dates sometimes differ.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: interchurch dialogue

The effort towards rapprochement and dialogue among Christian Churches; the name "Ecumenica" comes from it.

Other

Also called: Russian cross

A cross with three horizontal bars: a short top one, a long one and a slanted lower one.

Art & iconography

Also called: diocese

The territory led by a bishop, made up of deaneries and parishes; Catholics call it a diocese.

Clergy & community

Also called: Ajunul, Iordanul

In the days before Epiphany, the priest visits homes and blesses them with holy water.

Services & rites

Also called: shroud

The cloth depicting the burial of Christ, brought out on Good Friday and carried in procession.

Sacred objects

Also called: priestly stole

The long band worn by the priest around the neck and hanging down in front; the sign of priestly grace.

Vestments

Also called: Trebnik

The priest’s book with the services of the sacraments and blessings.

Books & texts

Also called: fish allowed

A fasting day on which fish (or wine and oil) is exceptionally allowed.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: foundation

The person who built or funded a church or monastery; the church is called their foundation.

Clergy & community

Also called: mural painting

Painting done on wet plaster; the colours bond with the wall and last for centuries.

Art & iconography

Also called: sponsor

The person who holds the child at Baptism and promises to guide them in faith; also the main witness at a wedding.

Clergy & community

Also called: Lent

The period of fasting and prayer (seven weeks for the Orthodox) before Easter.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: monastery guest house

The guest house of a monastery, where pilgrims and visitors are hosted.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: List of Historic Monuments

A building protected by law for its historic or artistic value; it has a code in the national List of Historic Monuments.

Other

Also called: Eucharist

Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine, after fasting and confession.

Services & rites

Also called: sacraments

The seven sacred acts through which the faithful receive God’s grace: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Ordination, Marriage and Unction.

Services & rites

Also called: altar table

The table in the middle of the sanctuary on which the Eucharist is celebrated; the Gospel, cross, tabernacle and antimension rest on it.

Sacred objects

Also called: anointing of the sick

The sacrament of prayer for healing, ideally celebrated by seven priests, with anointing with blessed oil.

Services & rites

Also called: agheasmă

Water blessed by a priest; the Great Blessing is done at Epiphany, the Lesser at any time.

Sacred objects

Also called: Book of Hours

The book containing the daily services and common prayers.

Books & texts

Also called: lesser blessing of water

A short service blessing water, used to bless a home, a new building or a new beginning.

Services & rites

A sacred image painted according to ancient rules on wood, glass or a wall; the faithful venerate it rather than worship it.

Art & iconography

Also called: templon

The wall of icons that separates the sanctuary from the nave; it has three doors and icons arranged in a fixed order.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: frankincense

Aromatic resin burned in the censer; its smoke symbolises prayer rising to God.

Sacred objects

Also called: skufia

The black cylindrical hat of Orthodox clergy; monks wear it with a black veil.

Vestments

Also called: boiled wheat

Sweetened boiled wheat decorated with a cross, brought to church for memorials of the departed.

Sacred objects

A scene usually painted on the west wall showing the end of the world: Christ judges, the righteous go to Paradise and sinners to hell.

Art & iconography

Also called: Orthros

The morning service, held in parishes before the Sunday Liturgy.

Services & rites

Also called: panikhida

The service of remembrance for the departed, with koliva, bread and wine.

Services & rites

Also called: metropolis, archbishop

The bishop who leads a metropolis — a group of dioceses in a region.

Clergy & community

The headdress of a bishop (and, as an honour, of some priests), worn at solemn services.

Vestments

Also called: skete, metochion

A monastery is a community of monks or nuns; a skete is a small, often remote monastery; a metochion belongs to a larger monastery.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: monastic

A man or woman who has taken vows (obedience, poverty, chastity) and lives in a monastery.

Clergy & community

Also called: vestibule

The room at the entrance of the church, before the nave, where candles are lit and catechumens once stood.

Architecture & spaces

The central part of the church where the faithful stand during services, between the narthex and the sanctuary.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: Julian calendar

The Old Style is the Julian calendar, 13 days behind the civil one; some communities keep feasts by it (Christmas on 7 January).

Feasts & fasts

Also called: pallium

The broad band with crosses worn by a bishop over the shoulders, symbol of his pastoral care.

Vestments

Also called: deacon's stole

The long band worn by the deacon over the left shoulder, raised to signal the petitions.

Vestments

Also called: Christ the Almighty

The image of Christ the Almighty painted in the main dome, blessing with the right hand and holding the Gospel in the left.

Art & iconography

A small church or chapel (in a monastery, hospital or residence); also a service of supplication to a saint.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: parish priest, parishioner

The community of believers in a village or neighbourhood, with its church and its priest.

Clergy & community

Also called: Patriarchate

The bishop who leads an autocephalous Orthodox Church; the Romanian Orthodox Church has been a Patriarchate since 1925.

Clergy & community

Also called: patron saint, dedication

The saint or feast to which a church is dedicated; on that day the community holds a great celebration.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: Whitsun, descent of the Holy Spirit

The feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, 50 days after Easter.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: chasuble

The wide, sleeveless outer vestment worn by the priest at the Liturgy.

Vestments

Also called: pilgrim

A journey of faith to a holy place: a monastery, the relics of a saint, Jerusalem, Mecca or the tomb of a tzaddik.

Services & rites

Also called: exonarthex

The covered space at the entrance of the church, open or closed, before the narthex — typical of Romanian architecture.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: Father

The cleric ordained by a bishop who celebrates the sacraments and shepherds a community; called "Father".

Clergy & community

Also called: prescură

The round leavened bread stamped with "IC XC NIKA", brought by the faithful for the Liturgy.

Sacred objects

Also called: prayer rope

A deep bow to the ground with the sign of the cross; also the knotted prayer rope used to count prayers.

Services & rites

Also called: Book of Psalms

The book of the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament, read and sung in every tradition.

Books & texts

Also called: ambo

The raised place from which the Gospel is read and the sermon preached; in Protestant churches it is the focal point.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: Law 489/2006

A religious community officially recognised by the Romanian state; Romania has 18 under Law 489/2006.

Other

Also called: red-letter day

The sign marking great feasts in the Orthodox calendar.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: trapezărie

The dining hall of a monastery, where monks eat together in silence while listening to readings.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: holy relics

The bodies or parts of the bodies of saints, kept with honour in reliquaries.

Sacred objects

Also called: Holy Doors

The central doors of the iconostasis, through which the Gospel and the Holy Gifts are carried; the Annunciation is painted on them.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: Holy Altar

The holiest part of the church, facing east behind the iconostasis, where the Liturgy is celebrated.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: wooden board

A long wooden board (or metal plate) struck rhythmically to call people to prayer, especially in monasteries.

Sacred objects

Also called: homily

The talk by the priest or pastor explaining the biblical readings; in Protestant churches it is the central part.

Services & rites

Also called: Krsna slava

The feast of the family patron saint, specific to Serbian Orthodox families; passed down from father to son.

Feasts & fasts

The raised step in front of the iconostasis, from which the priest addresses the faithful and gives Communion.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: memorial Saturdays

The Saturdays dedicated to remembering the departed, with memorial services and alms.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: confessor

The priest to whom a believer regularly confesses and who guides their spiritual life.

Clergy & community

Also called: alb

The long, sleeved vestment worn by deacons and, underneath, by priests and bishops.

Vestments

Also called: artophorion

A metal casket, often shaped like a church, on the Holy Table, in which Communion is kept for the sick.

Sacred objects

Also called: prothesis table

The small table on the left of the sanctuary where the priest prepares the bread and wine and commemorates names.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: Baptism of the Lord

The feast of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan on 6 January, when the Great Blessing of Waters takes place.

Feasts & fasts

The tower rising above the church, usually over the nave; inside, Christ Pantocrator is painted at its top.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: evening service

The evening service that begins the liturgical day.

Services & rites

Also called: oil lamp

A small vessel with oil and a wick that burns before icons in church and at home.

Sacred objects

The painting showing the founders offering a model of the church to Christ, the Mother of God or the patron saint.

Art & iconography