A parish church (or parochial church), in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches.
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 building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.
Nearly every part of England is in a parish, and most parishes have a parish church, which is consecrated. If there is no parish church, the bishop licenses another building for worship, and may designate it as a Parish Centre of Worship, a building which is not consecrated, but dedicated, and for most legal purposes it is deemed to be a parish church. In areas of increasing secularisation or a shift in religious beliefs, centres of worship are becoming more common place as often larger churches are sold due to their upkeep costs, instead the church may use community centres or facilities of a local church of another denomination.
In cities without a Cathedral of a certain denomination, the Parish church may have administrative functions similar to that of a cathedral, however the diocese will still have a cathedral.
While smaller villages may only have a parish church, larger towns may have a parish church and then also smaller churches in various districts which do not have the status of 'parish church'. Often the Parish church will be the only one to have a full-time minister, who will also serve any smaller churches within the parish.
In the Roman Catholic Church, as the seat of worship for the parish, this church is the one where the members of the parish must go for baptisms and weddings, unless permission is given by the pastor for celebrating these sacraments elsewhere. One sign of this is that the parish church is the only one to have a baptismal font.
The Church of Scotland, the established Presbyterian church, also uses a system of parish churches, covering the whole of Scotland.
Famous quotes containing the words parish and/or church:
“When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls, and the stars begin to flicker in the sky,”
—Mitchell Parish (1901–1993)
“The hippopotamus’s day
Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;
God works in a mysterious way—
The Church can sleep and feed at once.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)