|
Word
|
Definition
|
| abba
| Syriac or Coptic bishop
|
| ablegate
| papal envoy or legate
|
| absconce
| lantern used in monasteries and night offices
|
| abthane
| monastic region of the old Irish church
|
| accensor
| acolyte
|
| adiaphoron
| tenet or belief on which a theological system is indifferent
|
| adoptionism
| belief that Christ was the adopted and not natural son of God
|
| advowson
| right of presentation to church living
|
| adytum
| sacred part of a temple or church; church chancel
|
| affusion
| pouring on; as of baptismal water
|
| agape
| selfless Christian love; a feast in celebration of such love
|
| agapeistic
| characterized by Christian love
|
| agapetae
| churchwomen who live platonically with celibate men
|
| aggiornamento
| modernization of ideas of the Catholic church
|
| agrapha
| sayings of Jesus not found in the canonical gospels
|
| alb
| long white robe worn by priests
|
| almoner
| giver of alms; social worker in a hospital
|
| altarage
| payment to priest for mass; offerings at altar
|
| ambo
| early Christian raised reading desk or pulpit
|
| ambry
| recess for church vessels; cupboard or niche
|
| ambulatory
| aisle down the east end of a church
|
| amice
| strip of fine linen worn as cloak or wrap by priest at mass
|
| ampulla
| vessel for holy oil or wine for coronations or rituals
|
| anamnesis
| reminiscence; prayer recalling death and resurrection of Jesus
|
| anchorite
| one withdrawn from the world for religious reasons
|
| ancress
| female religious recluse
|
| anele
| to administer extreme unction to
|
| angelus
| prayer said in morning, at noon and at sunset
|
| antechapel
| anteroom to a chapel or church
|
| antependium
| covering or cloth over pulpit or altar
|
| antilegomena
| books of the New Testament not part of early Christian Bible
|
| antipedobaptism
| denial of validity of infant baptism
|
| antiphon
| anthem sung as a response during church service
|
| apocatastasis
| final restitution of all things at the appearance of the Messiah
|
| apocrisiary
| papal secretary
|
| apologetics
| defense and proof of Christianity or other doctrine
|
| apse
| rounded extension of church or other building
|
| archimandrite
| head of a monastery or convent
|
| aspergillum
| vessel for sprinkling holy water
|
| aspersory
| vessel for holding holy water
|
| aureole
| radiant light around head or body of holy personage
|
| autocephality
| ecclesiastical self-government
|
| auto-da-fe
| burning of a heretic
|
| autotheism
| belief that one is God incarnate or that one is Christ
|
| baldaquin
| covering or canopy over a throne or altar
|
| baptistery
| part of church reserved for performing baptisms
|
| bardocucullus
| hooded cloak worn by monks
|
| basilica
| Roman Catholic church given special privileges
|
| beadle
| church caretaker or usher
|
| beadsman
| monk or almoner who prays for benefactor
|
| bema
| raised part of an Eastern church containing the altar
|
| benefice
| ecclesiastical office to which revenue is attached
|
| bethel
| a place of worship for seamen; nonconformist chapel
|
| biretta
| square three-ridged cap worn by Catholic clergy
|
| breviary
| book containing daily church service
|
| bulla
| round seal attached to a papal bull
|
| bullantic
| capitalized and ornamented, as letters used on papal bulls
|
| bullary
| collection of papal bulls
|
| bursary
| treasury of a monastery or college
|
| burse
| square cloth case to carry the corporal during Communion service
|
| caesaropapism
| control of the church by a secular ruler
|
| calefactory
| a monastery sitting room
|
| calotte
| Roman Catholic skullcap
|
| camerlengo
| papal treasurer
|
| campanile
| freestanding bell tower on church property
|
| canoness
| woman living in a community under a religious rule
|
| canticle
| short holy song or sung prayer
|
| cantorial
| located on the north side of the choir in a church
|
| capuchin
| pointed hooded cloak worn by friars
|
| cardinalitial
| of, like or pertaining to church cardinals
|
| cartulary
| keeper of monastic records
|
| cassock
| close-fitting ankle-length clergyman's garment
|
| catabaptism
| belief in the wrongness of infant baptism
|
| catechumen
| one undergoing instruction prior to conversion to Christianity
|
| cathedra
| chair or throne of office for a bishop or other high official
|
| cathisma
| short hymn used as response
|
| catholicos
| primate of Armenian or Nestorian church
|
| cellarer
| monastery official in charge of provisions
|
| cenacle
| room where the Last Supper was eaten
|
| cenobite
| monk; member of religious group
|
| cenoby
| monastery or convent
|
| censer
| vessel for burning incense in religious rituals
|
| cephalophore
| decapitated saint depicted with head tucked under arm
|
| chancel
| part of church containing altar and seats for choir
|
| chancery
| church office dealing with legal matters and archives
|
| chantry
| chapel or altar built for prayers for its benefactor's soul
|
| chaplet
| circlet or wreath for the head; short string of prayer beads
|
| charterhouse
| Carthusian monastic building
|
| chasuble
| sleeveless ecclesiastical garment
|
| chevet
| east end of a church
|
| chiliasm
| belief that Jesus will reign on Earth for a thousand years
|
| chimere
| loose sleeveless robes worn by Anglican bishops
|
| chrism
| consecrated or holy oil
|
| chrismation
| sacrament of baptism in Eastern churches
|
| chrismatory
| vessel for holding holy oil
|
| chrisom
| white robe put on newly baptised child
|
| christophany
| appearance of Christ to men
|
| churching
| church ceremony given to women after childbirth
|
| churchism
| devotion to church rules over religious precepts
|
| ciborium
| freestanding canopy to cover altar; vessel for holding eucharistic bread
|
| cilice
| haircloth shirt worn as penance
|
| cimeliarch
| church vestry or treasury
|
| cincture
| to gird or surround; belt worn around ecclesiastical vestment
|
| cingulum
| girdle or girdle-like structure; priest's belt
|
| circumincession
| the reciprocal existence of three parts of the Trinity in each other
|
| classis
| a group; governing body of Reformed churches
|
| clerestory
| upper storey of a church; windows near the roof of a building
|
| coadjutor
| bishop assisting a diocesan bishop and having the right of succession
|
| collegialism
| theory that church is independent from the state
|
| colporteur
| peddler of religious tracts and books
|
| compaternity
| spiritual relationship between child's parents and godparents
|
| compline
| prayer service held just before bedtime
|
| comprecation
| prayer meeting
|
| concelebrate
| to jointly recite the canon of the Eucharist in unison with others
|
| concordat
| agreement between the pope and a secular government
|
| confirmand
| candidate for religious confirmation
|
| confiteor
| prayer of confession of sins
|
| consistory
| a solemn assembly or council; a church tribunal
|
| consultor
| advisor to a Catholic bishop
|
| conventicle
| secret or illegal church assembly
|
| corporal
| white cloth on which Communion bread and wine are placed
|
| credence
| small table for holding sacred vessels
|
| credo
| concise statement of doctrine; section of Mass followed by offertory
|
| crosier
| pastoral staff or crook held by bishop or abbot
|
| cruet
| vessel used in religious ceremonies, especially to hold the Eucharist
|
| curate
| assistant to a parish priest
|
| curia
| papal court and its officials
|
| custos
| guardian, custodian or keeper, especially of convents or monasteries
|
| dalmatic
| ecclesiastical robe or other outer vestment
|
| datary
| papal officer who registers and dates bulls and edicts
|
| decanal
| located on south side of the choir in a church
|
| decretal
| papal decree deciding a point of church law
|
| deiparous
| bearing a god
|
| deodate
| a gift to or from God
|
| diaconicon
| sacristy for sacred vessels in Orthodox churches
|
| diphysitism
| belief in the dual nature of Christ
|
| diptych
| pair of pictures on hinged panels; register of bishops and saints
|
| discalced
| without shoes; barefoot; a religious order wearing no shoes
|
| ditheletism
| doctrine that Christ had two wills
|
| donative
| benefice presented to church without reference to bishop
|
| dossal
| ornamental cloth hung behind and above an altar
|
| doxology
| hymn or verse of praise to God
|
| dulia
| inferior veneration of saints and angels in comparison with God
|
| ecclesiastry
| affairs of the church
|
| eirenics
| theological doctrine of religious unification
|
| encolpion
| reliquary; cross worn on the breast
|
| encyclical
| letter sent by the pope to multiple bishops
|
| eparchy
| diocese of an Eastern church
|
| epiclesis
| calling on the Holy Spirit to consecrate the Eucharist
|
| epistoler
| reader of the epistle in Anglican service
|
| epitrachelion
| stole of an Orthodox priest or bishop
|
| eremite
| hermit; religious recluse
|
| eschatology
| doctrine of life and afterlife
|
| eschaton
| end of the world; end time
|
| euchology
| prayer book
|
| exarch
| viceroy; rank below patriarch in Eastern church
|
| exeat
| permission from bishop for clergyman to work elsewhere
|
| exedra
| semicircular bench beside episcopal throne; outdoor bench or recess
|
| exegetic
| explanatory, especially of Scripture
|
| exequy
| funeral rites; funeral procession
|
| faldstool
| desk from which the Litany is read at church service
|
| fanion
| cloth worn on priest's arm and used for handling holy vessels
|
| fenestella
| recess in church wall for storing communion vessels
|
| feretory
| shrine for relics during a procession or for a funeral bier
|
| feria
| weekday of a church calendar on which no holiday falls
|
| festilogy
| treatise on ecclesiastical festivals
|
| flèche
| narrow wooden spire on church roof
|
| florilegium
| anthology of writings, especially of church fathers
|
| fossarian
| clergyman moonlighting as a gravedigger
|
| frankalmoign
| land tenure requiring religious obligations on part of tenant
|
| friary
| a fraternity or group of friars
|
| frontal
| cloth hanging over front of altar
|
| galilee
| porch in front of church
|
| glebe
| church land granted to clergyman
|
| gradual
| part of mass between epistle and gospel
|
| guimpe
| wide cloth covering neck and shoulders worn by nuns
|
| hagioscope
| opening in wall to enable viewing of altar
|
| hanap
| chalice used in communion whose cover is a second chalice
|
| hassock
| kneeling cushion in a church
|
| hearsecloth
| cloth lain over coffin during funeral
|
| hegumene
| head of a nunnery
|
| hieratical
| priestly; bound by religious convention
|
| hieromonach
| monk who also serves as a priest
|
| holobaptism
| belief in baptism with total immersion in water
|
| homolegomena
| books of the Bible used in early Christianity
|
| housel
| the eucharist; the act of taking the eucharist
|
| hymnal
| collection of church hymns
|
| hymnody
| hymns collectively; hymn-singing
|
| hyperdulia
| veneration of the Virgin Mary above saints and angels
|
| iconostasis
| screen or partition in Eastern churches with tiers of icons
|
| incardination
| acceptance by a diocese of clergyman from another diocese
|
| indulgence
| former Catholic pardon granted for remission of punishment for sins
|
| indult
| special temporary dispensation granted by the Catholic church
|
| internuncio
| messenger between two parties; low-ranking papal legate
|
| intinction
| administering communion by dipping bread into wine
|
| introit
| psalm or hymn sung at beginning of church service
|
| invination
| presence of Christ's blood in sanctified wine
|
| invitatory
| psalm or anthem sung before prayer during church service
|
| jube
| ornamental choir-screen
|
| jubilarian
| one who celebrates a jubilee, especially a priest, monk, or nun
|
| jubilate
| the third Sunday after Easter
|
| kamelaukion
| tall cylindrical hat worn by Orthodox priests
|
| kenosis
| Christ's rejection of his divine side upon assuming human form
|
| kerygma
| preaching of the Christian gospel
|
| kerygmatic
| of, like or pertaining to preaching the Gospel
|
| kirking
| first attendance of a couple at church after marriage
|
| kyrie
| religious petition for mercy
|
| labarum
| moral standard; ecclesiastical banner bearing Christ's monogram
|
| laic
| of, like or pertaining to lay people rather than clergy
|
| laicisation
| process of returning a clergyman to lay status
|
| laicism
| doctrine of opposition to clergy and priests
|
| lappet
| fold or flap on a garment or headdress worn by priest
|
| latria
| highest degree of veneration, assigned to God over saints
|
| lauds
| prayer service held at dawn following matins
|
| lavabo
| ceremony in which priest washes his hands; basin for the ceremony
|
| lavatory
| wash-basin for washing bodies of newly dead; room where lavabo kept
|
| lavra
| group of recluses’ cells
|
| lectern
| desk or stand from which church lessons are read
|
| lection
| reading; lesson read in church
|
| lectrice
| female reader in church
|
| litany
| prayer of supplication in responsive style
|
| liturgician
| one who studies or recites church rituals
|
| locum
| clergyman temporarily replacing regular priest
|
| lustration
| ritual washing; ablution
|
| lychgate
| roofed gate of a churchyard
|
| magisterium
| teaching function of the Catholic church
|
| magnificat
| canticle in praise of the Virgin Mary
|
| manciple
| steward of a college or monastery; purveyor
|
| mandorla
| oval panel containing a work of art; elliptical halo around holy person
|
| mandriarch
| founder or leader of a monastic order
|
| maniple
| clerical vestment worn on the left arm
|
| mantelletta
| knee-length sleeveless garment worn by Catholic cardinals and bishops
|
| Mariolatry
| worship of the virgin mother
|
| Mariology
| study of the Virgin Mary
|
| marrano
| Jew converted to Christianity to avoid persecution
|
| martyrium
| shrine erected in memory of a martyr
|
| martyrolatry
| excessive devotion to martyrs
|
| martyrology
| study of martyrs
|
| matins
| prayer service held in early morning hours
|
| mendicant
| member of impoverished religious order
|
| menology
| register or calendar of saints’ days
|
| mersion
| dipping; as in baptism
|
| messianism
| belief in a single messiah or saviour
|
| metropolitan
| archbishop holding authority over other bishops
|
| midlenting
| custom of giving gifts to parents on mid-Lent Sunday
|
| minster
| church associated with a monastery
|
| misericord
| ledge in church to lean against while standing; forgiveness or mercy
|
| missal
| book containing complete service for mass
|
| miter
| high headdress worn by bishop or archbishop
|
| modalism
| belief in unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit
|
| monergism
| theory that the Holy Spirit alone can act
|
| monial
| a nun
|
| monkery
| monks in general; monasticism; behaviour of monks
|
| monophysitism
| belief that Christ was primarily divine but in human form
|
| monotheletism
| belief that Christ had only one will
|
| monstrance
| vessel used to expose the Eucharist
|
| mozzetta
| short cape with ornamental hood worn by Catholic prelates
|
| mystagogical
| of, like or pertaining to religious ritual initiation
|
| naos
| temple; inner cell of a temple
|
| narthex
| small entrance or porch to a church
|
| nave
| largest part of church where congregation sits
|
| nipter
| ecclesiastical ceremony of washing the feet
|
| nones
| prayer service held at 3 p.m.
|
| novena
| series of Catholic church services held on nine successive days
|
| nuncio
| one who brings tidings; high-ranking papal legate
|
| obit
| religious office for a dead person
|
| oblate
| layman living in a religious community under modified rule
|
| oblation
| act of offering; a sacrifice; anything offered in worship
|
| oculus
| round window, especially over main door in church
|
| orant
| representation of praying figure in early art
|
| orarion
| deacon's stole in Orthodox church
|
| orarium
| book of private devotions
|
| orarium
| handkerchief; scarf attached to bishop's staff
|
| oratory
| small chapel for private prayer; lectern for prayer
|
| ordinal
| book containing religious rites, especially for ordination
|
| ordo
| calendar with list of services for each day of the year
|
| oremus
| Roman Catholic liturgical prayer
|
| orison
| prayer
|
| orphrey
| gold or other rich embroidery on clerical robes
|
| osculatory
| carved tablet kissed by priest during celebration of mass
|
| ostensory
| container for holding consecrated Communion wafers
|
| paedobaptism
| doctrine of infant baptism
|
| pall
| covering cloth laid upon Communion chalice
|
| pallium
| white woollen band symbolising archbishop's authority
|
| panegyricon
| collection of sermons for Orthodox church festivals
|
| pannicle
| thin sheet-like vestment
|
| pannychis
| all-night vigil in preparation for Orthodox church feast
|
| paraclete
| advocate or intercessor; the Holy Spirit acting in such a role
|
| parclose
| railing in church enclosing altar, chapel or tomb
|
| pardoner
| one who raises money for religious works by selling indulgences
|
| parousia
| second coming of Christ
|
| parvis
| enclosed space at the front of a church
|
| passalorynchite
| one who takes a religious vow of silence
|
| paten
| plate; metal disk used to hold Communion bread
|
| pax
| tablet decorated with sacred figure and kissed by participants in mass
|
| peculiar
| parish or church exempt from jurisdiction of the bishop of its diocese
|
| pentateuch
| the first five books of the Old Testament
|
| pericope
| an excerpt or passage read during religious services
|
| pernoctate
| to pass the night in vigil or prayer
|
| phonascus
| person who maintains rhythm in church choir
|
| pieta
| representation of Virgin Mary with dead Christ across her knees
|
| pietism
| unquestioning or dogmatic religious devotion
|
| piscina
| basin set in wall of church to drain away ceremonial water
|
| plebania
| mother-church having authority over several local churches
|
| pluvial
| floor-length open-fronted ecclesiastical garment
|
| pneumatomachy
| denial of the divinity of the Holy Ghost
|
| pneumatophany
| appearance of a spirit; especially the Holy Ghost
|
| poppyhead
| raised ornament on top of upright end of seats in churches
|
| postlude
| closing piece of music at end of church service
|
| postulant
| candidate for a religious order
|
| postulator
| official who presents case for canonization or beatification
|
| prebend
| stipend or salary paid to clergyman
|
| prebendal
| of, like or pertaining to stipends issued by a church
|
| precentor
| leader of the singing of a church choir
|
| predella
| platform for altar; portable altar or decoration upon it
|
| prelacy
| episcopal church government
|
| prelate
| bishop or abbot of superior rank
|
| presbytery
| part of church reserved for officiating clergy
|
| prie-dieu
| prayer stool or kneeling bench in a church
|
| prime
| prayer service held at 6 a.m.
|
| procathedral
| parish church serving as a cathedral
|
| pronaos
| vestibule in front of a temple
|
| proper
| elements of Christian mass that are variable
|
| proseuche
| place of prayer; oratory
|
| prothonotary
| chief registrar of a court; keeper of canonisation records
|
| psalmodist
| singer of psalms
|
| psalmody
| act of singing psalms in church services
|
| pseudepigrapha
| apocrypha; non-canonical books of the Bible
|
| pseudepiscopy
| existence or rule of a spurious bishop
|
| psilanthropism
| denial of Christ's divinity
|
| pulpitum
| gigantic stone screen separating cathedral choir from the nave
|
| purificator
| cloth used to wipe Eucharist chalice
|
| pyx
| box or vessel in which coins or consecrated Eucharist are kept
|
| quaestionary
| religious pardoner
|
| qualificator
| one who prepares ecclesiastical cases for trial
|
| quaresimal
| Lenten; having the meagreness of Lenten meals
|
| quartodeciman
| early Christian who celebrated Easter on Passover even if not a Sunday
|
| rantize
| to sprinkle with water during baptism
|
| rasophore
| lowest rank of Greek Orthodox monk
|
| recusant
| one who refuses to attend Catholic church services; nonconformist
|
| refectory
| dining-hall of a monastery or other institution
|
| regula
| rule of a religious order
|
| reliquary
| a small box or shrine used to hold relics
|
| repository
| side altar in Catholic church
|
| requiem
| lament or mass for the dead
|
| requiescat
| prayer for the dead
|
| reredos
| screen behind altar
|
| rescript
| answer of pope or emperor to any legal question; edict or decree
|
| responsory
| set of responses sung or said after liturgical reading
|
| retable
| shelf or ornamental setting for panels behind an altar
|
| retrochoir
| space in choir behind high altar
|
| ridel
| altar curtain
|
| rochet
| surplice-like vestment of a bishop or abbot
|
| rogation
| asking or supplication, especially in an ecclesiastical sense
|
| rood
| cross or crucifix at entrance to church chancel
|
| sacerdotalism
| belief that priests are necessary mediators between God and mankind
|
| sacramentarianism
| belief that sacraments have unusual properties
|
| sacrarium
| place where sacred objects are kept
|
| sacristan
| church official in charge of vessels and the sacristy
|
| sacristy
| room in church where sacred objects are kept
|
| saltire
| X-shaped cross
|
| samarra
| flame-decorated cassock worn by those condemned by the Inquisition
|
| scapular
| badge of monastic order worn on the shoulders
|
| schola
| church choir led by a cantor
|
| scholasticate
| preparatory college for those intending to enter Catholic order
|
| scriptorium
| writing room; room used by monastic scribes
|
| sedilia
| stone seats for clergy in wall of chancel
|
| sempect
| extremely elderly Benedictine monk
|
| sepulchre
| receptacle in an altar for holding religious relics
|
| sext
| prayer service held at noon
|
| sexton
| church caretaker or bellringer
|
| shrive
| to hear a confession from and give absolution
|
| sigillum
| seal of the confession
|
| simony
| buying or selling of ecclesiastical offices
|
| sinecure
| ecclesiastical office or other job requiring little work
|
| situla
| a holy bucket
|
| slype
| covered passage between walls, or between transept and chapterhouse
|
| solifidianism
| doctrine that faith alone will ensure salvation
|
| soteriology
| study of theological salvation
|
| soutane
| priest's cassock
|
| squarson
| clergyman who is also a land-holding squire
|
| starets
| Eastern Orthodox spiritual advisor
|
| staurolatry
| worship of the cross or crucifix
|
| sticharion
| vestment like an alb worn by Orthodox priests
|
| sticheron
| short hymn
|
| stole
| narrow ecclesiastical vestment or scarf
|
| stoup
| vessel for holding holy water
|
| stylite
| monk who spends much time on tops of pillars
|
| succinctorium
| band or scarf worn from the Pope's girdle
|
| suffragan
| assistant bishop
|
| superhumeral
| ecclesiastical garment worn over the shoulders
|
| surplice
| loose-fitting ankle length overgarment worn by clerics
|
| synaxarion
| account of a saint's life
|
| synod
| ecclesiastical assembly or council
|
| synthronus
| joint throne for an Orthodox bishop and his presbyters
|
| tabernacle
| ornamental container for storing Communion bread and wine
|
| taperer
| one who bears a taper during a religious procession
|
| terce
| prayer service held at 9 a.m.
|
| tester
| canopy over a bed, pulpit or altar
|
| tetragrammaton
| sacred word or acronym of four letters
|
| tetramorph
| artistic representation of the four evangelists in one figure
|
| theanthroposophy
| system of belief concerning Christ as god and man
|
| theodidact
| student of God; one who is taught by God
|
| theody
| hymn in praise of God
|
| theolepsy
| seizure or possession by a god
|
| theologaster
| petty or shallow theologian
|
| theometry
| measurement or estimation of God
|
| theophany
| manifestation or appearance of a god to people
|
| theotokos
| title given to the Virgin Mary as bearer of God
|
| thurible
| censer
|
| thurifer
| altar boy who bears censer
|
| tiara
| three-tiered crown worn by or carried in front of the pope
|
| tippet
| long black scarf worn by Anglican clergy
|
| tonsure
| shaving of small area on the crown of head of a priest or monk
|
| transept
| part of a church off to one side of main structure
|
| transubstantiation
| miraculous changing of bread and wine into body and blood of Christ
|
| tremendum
| feeling of overwhelming awe associated with religious experience
|
| trental
| commemoratory service held thirty days after burial
|
| triduum
| period of three days of prayer preceding Roman Catholic feasts
|
| triforium
| gallery or arcade over an aisle; gallery over nave and choir
|
| tritheism
| belief that the members of the Trinity are separate gods
|
| tropology
| figurative language; moral interpretation of the Bible
|
| tunicle
| short ecclesiastical vestment worn by bishop or subdeacon
|
| tympanum
| space within an arch; arched recess at entrance of cathedral
|
| ubiquitarianism
| belief that Christ is everywhere
|
| ultramontane
| south of the Alps; supporting the Pope
|
| unalist
| priest holding one benefice
|
| unaneled
| without extreme unction
|
| unction
| anointing as right of consecration or healing; warmth of address
|
| undercroft
| crypt or vault under a church
|
| unhouseled
| not having received the Eucharist shortly before death
|
| verger
| church usher and attendant
|
| vernicle
| cloth with image of Christ's face impressed upon it
|
| versicle
| short verse in church service normally followed by response
|
| vespers
| prayer service held in early evening
|
| vestry
| priest's dressing room
|
| vesturer
| keeper of vestments
|
| viaticum
| money or provisions for journey; Eucharist for a dying person
|
| vicegod
| hostile appellation applied to the Pope
|
| wicket
| small door forming part of larger door of a church or castle
|
| wimple
| cloth covering for head and neck worn by nuns
|
| xerophagy
| eating of dry food; fast of dry food in the week preceding Easter
|
| zeta
| small room or closet in a church
|
| zucchetto
| round skullcap worn by Catholic clergy to indicate rank
|
| zymite
| priest using leavened bread during communion
|
