The Church: Henry's Medieval Occupations Quiz

Answer: Curate

Meaning "cure of the souls", the curate is the priest who is entrusted by the bishop to take care of a parish. If the parish is on freehold land, the parish priest is called a "curatus perpetuus", or perpetual curate, and his assistant is the plain curate, or "curatus temporalis".

The terms "perpetuus" and "temporalis" are not references to length of service. The perpetual curate is paid by the bishop, while the plain curate is paid by the parish priest with parish funds.

Answer: Nun

A nun dedicates her life to serving God. The leader of the abbey or monastery, called an abbess, is usually elected from the community of nuns for life. Although it varies, usually she must be at least forty years old, with a virtuous record as a nun.

She cannot hear confessions and she cannot celebrate Communion, as these things can only be done by a priest, but she does have full authority over her convent. Many abbeys and monasteries for women are known for their fine needlework and care of the sick.

Answer: Primate

"Primate" is a title that is given to some bishops. Usually a primate has jurisdiction over one or more bishops of a province or cultural area. Primates have the authority to call and preside at synods, and even have the right to crown the monarch!

Answer: Chantry Priest

Masses are said to benefit the souls of the dead, and it is commonplace to say prayers on the anniversary of death as well. Many churches and monasteries have confraternity agreements where they say masses and offer prayers for the dead souls in each others communities. We believe that the more prayer, the better!

Answer: Abbot

An abbot is the head and chief governor of a community of monks. At first both the abbot and his monks were expected to attend the nearest church to the monastery for the reception of sacraments, but now most of the abbots are priests. Like the abbess, the abbot is normally elected by his community.

In a large monastery, he will have other officials under him, such as the librarian, cellarer, and chorister. In England the abbots of the really major monasteries, such as that at Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk), were called 'mitred abbots' and could carry out some of the functions of bishops.

They also ranked as on a par with barons and sat in the House of Lords.

Answer: Friar

Sometimes called a fray, a friar is a member of a mendicant order; in other words, he depends on charity for his livelihood. He does not own property, and spends all of his time, like Christ, doing religious works. Like monks, friars will take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

However, rather that sequester themselves in a monastery, they work among laypeople in the secular world.

Answer: Cantor

One of the highest ranking churchmen, the cantor is the chief singer and instructor at a monastery, cathedral, or church. His position varies considerably from place to place, but the office can also be connected to a military or government assignment. Cantors must be able to choose and conduct music for the choir, as well as begin any chant on demand.

Answer: Sacristan

This office is an honorable one, and it is usually held by a priest. He is in charge of taking care of the sacristy, a room where vestments, or garments, are stored. The room also contains other furnishings and church records. In addition, his responsibilities include preparing for the Holy Eucharist (he could not celebrate the Holy Eucharist unless he was a priest), the baptismal font, holy oils, and any sacred relics held by the church.

He decorates the Church for different seasons, and is in charge of making sure that whatever is needed for various ceremonies is available. Wow! It is a huge job!

Answer: Almoner

There are many poor people, and the almoner provides a very important service to those who are deserving. Monasteries are required to give 10% of their income to the poor; bishops and kings usually employ their own almoner.

Answer: Ostiary

The ostiary is the doorkeeper who is really in charge of the building and its contents. He can be a priest or layman. His responsibilities are to ring the bell, to open the church and sacristy, and to open the book for the priest. While deacons are priests who guard the door during worship, the ostiary guards the door when the service is not being held.

He can really wield a bit of power, especially in our age, where religion and going to heaven are so important. If the church is closed and someone wants to come in and pray, he makes the decision as to whether or not that is possible.