Reliquary
A container for religious relics.
The Episcopal Church
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY
212-716-6000
800-334-7626
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.
Remigius of Reims
A bishop of the fifth and sixth centuries known as the Apostle of the Franks, who baptized King Clovis of the Franks and 3,000 of his followers on Christmas Day, 496. Feast day: Oct. 2.
Remission of Sins
Forgiveness and absolution.
Renunciation (of Holy Orders)
If not subject to disciplinary proceedings, a member of the clergy may renounce his or her orders and be removed from the active exercise of the ordained ministry.
Requiem
Mass or Eucharist offered on behalf of the dead.
Reredos
Decorations behind or above the altar, typically a wooden screen.
Retable
A raised shelf or ledge behind the altar, which may hold a cross, candles and flowers.
Richard of Chichester
A 13th-century British scholar, bishop and clerical reformer known for his piety, humility, and serving the poor. Feast day: April 3.
Ridley, Nicholas
A 16th-century British bishop and Protestant martyr, burned at the stake by order of Queen Mary I. Feast day: Oct. 16, along with Thomas Cranmer and Hugh Latimer.
Right Reverend
Originating in medieval English ecclesiastical usage, an honorific for a bishop, commonly abbreviated as the Rt. Rev. From the Latin reverendus meaning “worthy of respect” with the addition of right as an intensifier meaning “very” or “properly.”