| A | B |
|---|
| Apostasy | Abandoning of what one has believed in; giving up one’s faith. |
| Apostles | From the Greek term meaning “one who is sent” |
| Apostolic Fathers | Christian writers of the first and second centuries who are believed to have had personal contact with the apostles. |
| Ascension | After the resurrection, the event in which Jesus passed totally into the presence of his father |
| Basilica | A church or cathedral having this honorary title or rank bestowed by the pope. |
| Bishop | A successor to the apostles, usually the head of a diocese. |
| Canon | The authoritative list of sacred writings accepted officially as the scriptures for a religion. |
| Canonize | To officially name someone as a saint |
| Cardinal | A bishop of highest rank (an honorary title) who is appointed by the pope to assist and advise him in the government of the Church. |
| Catholic | Term first used by Ignatius of Antioch (died 107) to describe the Church in a letter to Smyrna (modern day Turkey). |
| Chi-Rho | The two Greek letters that are the two first Greek letters for the word Christ |
| Church | The gathering of baptized persons who profess faith in the risen Jesus and his message and who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, strive to live that message in their daily lives. |
| Council | A meeting of Church officials to discuss points of doctrine and faith. |
| Creed | A statement of the main things we believe about God and his relationship to us. |
| Crosier | The staff held by the bishop which is shaped like a shepherd’s crook. . |
| Deacon | Comes from the Greek word for service. |
| Diocese | The territory over which a bishop exercises ecclesial (church) jurisdiction. |
| Disciple | From the Greek term meaning “one who follows”. |
| Doctors of the Church | This is a very special title given by the Church to certain saints. This title indicates that the writings and teachings of such a person are useful to Christians “in any age of the Church.” |
| Doxology | A short prayer or hymn praising God usually in a Trinitarian format. |
