Editing Parish church

{{worldwide|date=November 2022}}
{{short description|Church which acts as the religious centre of a parish}}
[[File:Gampern_-_Kirche_(1).JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Catholic]] parish church of [[Gampern]], [[Upper Austria]]]]
[[File:Hasfield Parish Church.jpg|thumb|upright|A parish church in [[Gloucestershire]], [[England]]]]
[[Image:parish.church.combemartin.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Combe Martin|Parish Church of Combe Martin]] in North Devon, England]]
[[Image:St Lawrence's Church nave and chancel, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.jpg|thumb|right|Inside the parish church of [[Saint Lawrence]] in [[Bourton-on-the-Water]] in [[Gloucestershire]], England]]

A '''parish church''' (or '''parochial church''') in [[Christianity]] is the [[Church (building)|church]] which acts as the religious centre of a [[parish]]. In many parts of the world, especially in [[rural]] areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The [[Church architecture|church building]] reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many [[village]]s in [[Europe]] have churches that date back to the [[Middle Ages]], but all periods of architecture are represented.

==Roman Catholic Church==
Each diocese (administrative unit, headed by a bishop) is divided into parishes. Normally, a parish consists of all Catholics living within its geographically defined area. Within a diocese, there can also be overlapping parishes for Catholics belonging to a particular rite, language, nationality, or community.<ref name="canon518">{{citation|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P1U.HTM#2.2.2.3.6.0.518|title=Canon 518|work=Code of Canon Law}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Parish and place : making room for diversity in the American Catholic church|author=Bruce, Tricia Colleen|year=2017|isbn=9780190270346|oclc=999442986}}</ref>

Each parish has its own central church called the parish church, where religious services take place. The parish church is the center of most Catholics' spiritual life since it is there that they receive the [[sacraments]]. On Sundays and perhaps also daily, [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] is celebrated by a priest resident in the parish. [[Sacrament of Penance|Confession]] is made available and perhaps [[Vespers]] in the larger or more progressive parishes. There are also laity-led activities and social events in accordance with local culture and circumstances.

Roman Catholics are not obliged to worship only at the parish church to which they belong, but they may for convenience or taste, attend services at any Roman Catholic church.<ref name="canon1248">{{citation|url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P4L.HTM|work=1983 Code of Canon Law|title=Canon 1248 §1}}</ref> However, their parish church is the one, where members of the parish must go to, for [[baptisms]] and [[weddings]], unless they are permitted by the [[parish priest]] for celebrating those sacraments elsewhere. One sign of that is the parish church being the only one to have a [[baptismal font]].

Some larger parishes or parishes that have been combined under one parish priest, may have two or more such churches, or the parish may be responsible for chapels (or chapels of ease) located at some distance from the mother church for the convenience of distant parishioners.

In [[Massachusetts]], towns elected publicly funded parish churches from 1780 until 1834, under the [[Constitution of Massachusetts]].{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

==Church of England and Church of Scotland==
In [[England]] and many [[British Overseas Territories]] as well as former British territories, the [[Church of England]] parish church is the basic administrative unit of [[Episcopal polity|episcopal]] churches. Parishes cover almost the whole area of England. In addition to [[Parish|ecclesiastic parishes]], with which this article is concerned, there is also a system of [[Parish (administrative division)|civil parishes]], which represent the smallest tier of administrative units. However since the 19th century these have not shared the same boundaries, or often the same names. (In other territories arrangements may differ, e.g. in Bermuda civil and church parishes still share the same boundaries, see [[Anglican Church of Bermuda]]). Most ecclesiastical parishes have an [[Church of England parish church|Anglican parish church]], which is [[consecration|consecrated]]. If there is no parish church, the [[bishop]] licenses another building for worship, and may designate it as a [[Parish Centre of Worship|parish centre of worship]].<!--Note that this phrase is not capitalized in the laws which define it., as per http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/2011/3/section/43 and http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/1983/1/section/29/2006-10-01.--> This building is not consecrated, but is dedicated,{{clarify|date=January 2019|reason=It is only used by the church?}} and for most legal purposes it is deemed to be a parish church.<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/2011/3/section/43 Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011, s.43]</ref> In areas of increasing secularisation or shifts in religious belief, centres of worship are becoming more common, and many larger churches have been sold due to their upkeep costs. Instead the church may use [[community centres]] or the facilities of a local church of another denomination.

{{anchor|Mission church}}
While villages and small towns may have a single parish church, larger towns may have a parish church and other smaller churches in various districts. These other churches do not have the legal or religious status of a parish church, and may be described by a variety of terms, such as ''[[chapel of ease]]'' (this term more often refers to an additional church in a geographically extensive rural parish) or ''mission church''. Often the parish church will be the only one to have a full-time [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]], who will also serve any smaller churches within the parish. (For example, St. Peter's Church in St. George's Parish, Bermuda, is located on [[St. George's Island, Bermuda|St. George's Island]]; hence, a chapel-of-ease, named simply ''Chapel-of-Ease'', was erected on neighbouring [[St. David's Island, Bermuda|St. David's Island]] so that the island's residents need not cross [[St. George's Harbour, Bermuda|St. George's Harbour]].)<ref>[http://www.stpeters.bm/ChapelofEase St. Peter's Church: Parish Chapel-of-Ease]</ref>

In cities without an Anglican [[cathedral]], the parish church may have administrative functions similar to that of a cathedral. However, the [[diocese]] will still have a cathedral.

The [[Church of Scotland]], the [[established church|established]] [[Presbyterian]] church also uses a system of parish churches, covering the whole of [[Scotland]].

==Protestant resurgence==
Toward the end of the 20th century, a new resurgence in interest in "parish" churches emerged across the United States. This has given rise to efforts like the [[Slow Church]] Movement and The Parish Collective which focus heavily on localized involvement across work, home, and church life.<ref name="Slow Church">{{cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slowchurch/|title=Slow Church blog|access-date=2014-07-07}}</ref><ref name="ByFaith magazine">{{cite web|url=http://byfaithonline.com/redefining-the-parish-model-an-old-concept-finds-revival-within-the-pca/|title=Redefining the Parish Model|date=June 2012 |access-date=2014-07-07}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Catholic parish church]]
*[[Church of England parish church]]
*[[Saint-Sauveur Abbey Church of Redon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Types of Christian organization]]
[[Category:Types of church buildings]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]