Hildegard of Bingen
A 12th-century German abbess who was influential as a mystic, scholar, composer, scientist, and physician. Feast day: Sept. 17.
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Glossary
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church
Glossary definitions adapted from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, edited by Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY.
Hobart, John Henry
A 19th-century American bishop, high church leader, author, and a founder of General Theological Seminary. Feast day: Sept. 12.
Holy Communion
See Eucharist.
Holy Cross Day
A major feast observed on Sept. 14 in honor of Christ’s self-offering on the cross for our salvation.
Holy Days
Any day set apart for special observance because of its significance for faith.
Holy Innocents
Male infants slaughtered by King Herod the Great in Bethlehem in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the king of the Jews. Feast day: Dec. 28.
Holy Mysteries
An early name for the Eucharistic liturgy. The term has several overlapping meanings: the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, the mystery of faith, the sacraments, and the truth that surpasses all rational understanding.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders refers to the three ordained ministries—deacon, priest, and bishop—to which people are called and ordained. Eligibility is determined by baptism, discernment, and canonical requirements, not by gender, race, ethnicity, or marital status.
Holy Saturday
The Saturday after Good Friday, which recalls the day when the crucified Christ descended to the dead while his body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
Holy Spirit
Defined by the catechism in the BCP as “the Third Person of the Trinity, God at work in the world and in the Church even now.” (BCP, p. 852)