Compline
An evening service, the last service in the Daily Office.
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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.
Concelebration
Joint celebration of the Eucharist by a chief celebrant and one or more concelebrants.
Confessor
A priest or bishop who hears a private confession of sin during the sacramental Reconciliation of a Penitent, and pronounces absolution, a declaration of forgiveness.
Confirmation
The sacramental rite in which candidates “express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (BCP, p. 860).
Consecration
To set something or someone apart for a sacred purpose. The church provides for the consecration of various spaces and elements, including bread and wine for the Eucharist, church buildings, altars, graves, and columbaria. Chrism oil is used to consecrate the newly baptized. Deacons, priests, and bishops are consecrated during the service of ordination.
Constance, Thecla, Ruth, Frances, Charles Parsons, and Louis Schuyler
The Martyrs of Memphis, a collection of nuns and priests who died in the Tennessee city while tending to the sick in the yellow fever outbreak in 1878. Feast day: Sept. 9.
Constitution of The Episcopal Church
The foundational governing document of The Episcopal Church defining its structure, authority, and relationships between dioceses, governing bodies, and officers, and establishing the framework within which the Canons operate. First adopted by General Convention in 1789.
Contrition
Full repentance for sin and a firm intention for amendment of life.
Convent
A religious community and residence, traditionally for women, where members live under vows and a common rule of life devoted to prayer, communal worship, and service.
Convocation
A grouping of congregations in a geographical area for the purpose of collaboration, support, and fellowship. Clergy and lay representatives typically meet on a regular basis. Also called a deanery, region, or mission area.