GLOSSARY acolyte. Assisting minister who serves anointing. Marking the head or body roles such as crucifer, torchbearer, banner with oil. bearer, book bearer, candlelighter, and server. antependium. Parament for pulpit and lectern. Advent. Season of the church year beginning four Sundays before December ashes. Symbol of repentance and 25; a time of preparation for celebrating mortality used in the Ash Wednesday the birth of Christ. liturgy; made by burning palms from previous year. Advent wreath. A wreath with four candles, used during the four weeks of assembly. The people gathered for Advent. worship. affirmation of baptism. Rite in which assisting minister. Liturgical leader who previously baptized persons make public assists the assembly in worship, preferably affirmation of their baptismal promises a layperson. and the church affirms God’s baptismal baptism. The sacrament of water and gift. the Holy Spirit, in which we are joined alb. White robe worn by liturgical leaders; to Christ’s death and resurrection and may be worn by newly baptized. initiated into the church. alms basin. Large plate or basket in which baptismal font. See font. the smaller offering plates or baskets baptismal garment. White robe with are received and carried in the offering which the newly baptized may be clothed; procession. see also alb. altar, altar-table. A principal furnishing baptistery. The area in which the in the worship space, the altar is the table baptismal font is located. and place where communion is celebrated and around which God’s baptized family blue. Liturgical color for Advent; gathers to share this meal. symbolizes hope. ambo. Single reading stand for the bobeche (BOH-besh). White plastic or proclamation of the readings and cardboard drip protector for a candle. preaching. brazier. A container for holding fire, amice (AH-miss). White linen cloth especially the “new fire” at the Vigil of resembling a collar, which may be worn Easter. with an alb. Glossary 131 burse. Square fabric-covered case in Christmas. A twelve-day time of rejoicing which the communion linens are often over the birth of Christ; also the Nativity carried to and from the altar. of Our Lord (December 25) and its vigil, Christmas Eve (December 24), which candlelighter. Long-handled device used begin the Christmas season. to light and extinguish candles. ciborium (sih-BOR-ee-um). Tall, candlestick. Ornamental base holder for covered vessel that holds wafers for holy candle. communion. cassock. Full-length black “undergarment” cincture (SINK-chur). Rope belt worn worn under surplice or cotta. with an alb. catechumen (cat-eh-CUE-men). Youth columbarium (KOLL-um-BARR-ee-um). or adult preparing for baptism and first Wall or other structure with niches for communion. burial of ashes from cremation. catechumenate (cat-eh-CUE-men-ut). commemorations. Days on the calendar Process through which youth or adults celebrating persons or events, sometimes may prepare for baptism and first distinguished from the more important communion. lesser festivals. censer. Vessel in which incense is burned; compline (COM-plun). See night prayer. also called a thurible. confirmation. See affirmation of baptism. cercloth (SEAR-kloth). Traditionally, with stone altars, the first cloth placed on the cope. Long cape worn by worship leader mensa; usually made of wax-treated linen. for certain processions and ceremonial occasions. chalice (CHAL-iss). See cup. corporal. Square white linen cloth placed chancel. Section of the worship space on the center of the fair linen on the where altar-table, ambo/pulpit, and mensa, on which the communion vessels leaders’ chairs are located. are placed. chasuble (CHA-zuh-bul). Poncho-like corpus. Carved figure of Christ attached vestment often worn over an alb and stole to a cross; together, cross and corpus are by presiding minister at the communion a crucifix. service. cotta (KOTT-ah). Short white vestment chrism (krizm). Oil used for anointing at worn over cassock by acolytes and choir baptism. (unless albs are worn). credence (KREE-dentz). Shelf or table at chancel wall, which holds sacramental vessels and offering plates. 132 Altar Guild and Sacristy Handbook crosier (KROH-zher). Crook-shaped staff evening prayer. A form of daily prayer often carried by a bishop in his or her own designed for and prayed in the evening, synod as a sign of shepherding authority. traditionally near sunset; vespers. crucifer. The acolyte who carries the ewer (YOO-er). A pitcher used for processional cross. carrying water to the baptismal font. crucifix. Cross with a corpus attached. fair linen. Top white linen cloth covering the mensa of the altar and thus serving as cruet. Glass vessel containing wine for the tablecloth for the Lord’s supper. holy communion, oil for anointing, or water for the lavabo. fall. Old term sometimes used for paraments on altar-table, pulpit, and cup. Primary vessel used for serving the lectern. wine of holy communion. feast. A day on which Christ’s death and daily prayer. A form of prayer service, resurrection is celebrated; includes every originating in monastic worship, Sunday as well as principal and lesser including morning prayer (matins), festivals of the church year. evening prayer (vespers), and night prayer (compline, prayer at the close of the day). festivals. See feast; also, particular celebrations of God’s saving action in dalmatic (dal-MAH-tik). Eucharistic Christ, often focused on events in the life vestment sometimes worn over the alb of Christ or on the lives and witnesses of by the principal assisting minister during apostles and other followers. festive celebrations of holy communion. flagon (FLAG-un). Pitcher-like vessel Easter. A fifty-day time of rejoicing over from which wine is poured into the the resurrection of Christ; also the festival chalice for holy communion. of the Resurrection of Our Lord, the beginning of Easter. font. The basin or pool of water where the sacrament of holy baptism takes place; Easter Vigil. See Vigil of Easter. one of the principal furnishings of a worship space. elements. The earthly elements used in the celebration of the sacraments: bread freestanding altar. An altar-table that and wine in holy communion, and water is not attached to the wall, and behind in holy baptism. which the ministers stand (facing the assembly) for the celebration of holy Epiphany. Festival of Christ’s incarnation communion. on January 6. frontal. Parament that covers the entire eucharist (YOO-ca-rist). From the Greek front of the altar-table, from the top edge for “thanksgiving”; a name for holy of the mensa down to the floor; see also communion; the celebration of the word Laudian frontal. of God and the eucharistic meal. Glossary 133 frontlet. Narrow altar-table parament lectionary. Set of three scripture readings usually hung in pairs and extending only and a psalm appointed for each Sunday partway to the floor; not now commonly and principal festival of the church year; used. or a book containing these readings; see also Revised Common Lectionary. funeral pall. A large covering draped over a coffin while it is in the church; if an urn lector. See also reader. is used for ashes, a small white cloth is used to cover it. Lent. The season of the church year beginning with Ash Wednesday and gold. Liturgical color for the Vigil of concluding with the Three Days (or Easter and Easter Day. Maundy Thursday). Greek cross. Ancient form of the cross in lesser festivals. Days in the church year which the four arms are of equal length. that fall in importance between the principal festivals, such as Christmas, green. Liturgical color for the time after Ascension, and Pentecost, and Epiphany and the time after Pentecost. commemorations. Holy Week. The week between the Sunday linens. Refers to three groups of white of the Passion (Palm Sunday) and Easter. linen cloths: altar linens (cerecloth, protector linen, and fair linen), host. Wafer made of unleavened bread. communion linens (corporal, pall, host box. Short, round, covered container purificators, and veil), and other linens that holds the supply of hosts for (lavabo towel and baptismal towel). communion; see also pyx. liturgy. The patterns, words, and actions incense. Mixture of resins for ceremonial that form the worship of the Christian burning, symbolic of our prayers rising assembly; in some settings, used to God. interchangeably with worship. intinction. Method of distributing lucernarium (loo-cher-NAHR-eeum). communion in which the bread is dipped From the Latin for “light”; the service of into the wine and then eaten. light at the beginning of evening prayer. Laudian frontal. A type of frontal that matins. See morning prayer. entirely covers the top and all sides (to the memorial garden. Usually a courtyard floor) of a freestanding altar. garden on church property in which ashes lavabo bowl (lah-VAH-boh). Bowl used are mixed with the soil for interment after for the act of cleansing the minister’s cremation. hands before the great thanksgiving or mensa. From the Latin for “table”; the top after the imposition of ashes. surface of the altar. lectern. Reading stand, sometimes distinguished from pulpit; see also ambo. 134 Altar Guild and Sacristy Handbook missal stand. Stand or cushion on the paraments. Cloth hangings of various altar-table on which the leaders book or seasonal liturgical colors used to adorn ritual book is placed. the altar-table and ambo/pulpit. miter (MY-ter). A liturgical hat worn by paschal (PAS-kul). In Christian use, the a bishop. passage of Jesus Christ from death to life. morning prayer. A form of daily prayer paschal candle. Tall, white candle lit at designed for and prayed in the morning; the Easter Vigil, during the Easter season, matins. and at baptisms and funerals. morse. The clasp used to fasten a cope.