A Glossary of Catholic Terms and Phrases Used in Doubt

Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley takes place in a Catholic school and church in The Bronx in 1964. Because of this, there are many terms and people mentioned in Doubt: A Parable that might be unfamiliar to those who do not practice the Catholic faith. Below you will find a list and definitions of all Catholic terms in the play to help you better understand the world of the play and the role Catholicism plays in the conflict for the characters of the play.

People of the Church

ALTAR BOY/SERVER: Altar boys are youth who assist the priest at Mass. Their duties include carrying the cross and processional candles, holding the book for the priest when he is not present at the altar, assisting the priest in washing his hands, and presenting the bread, wine and water to the priest. Today, girls can also be altar servers, though that was not the case in 1964.

BISHOP: A high-ranking role in the Catholic church, the bishop oversees a diocese (a geographical area) as its chief pastor. Bishops are responsible for the care of their diocese which includes overseeing priests, deacons, and others to ensure the teachings of the Catholic faith. The bishop is an advisor and mentor to priests. 

FATHER/PRIEST: Used in the New Testament, “father" refers to a spiritual teacher. Also known as priests, they are assistants to the bishop and serve different roles across the diocese. A priest performs duties and rituals including Mass and is considered to be the religious mediator between man and God.  

HOLY FATHER: A title for the pope.

LAY PERSON: A person who is not a member of the clergy. 

MONSIGNOR: An honorary title given to a priest by the pope.  

NUN/SISTER: A woman belonging to a religious order. She takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She is more commonly referred to as “Sister.” Sisters often engage with the community by working in schools, hospitals, parishes and other social services, though some nuns lives are spent in prayer and working within their convent or monastery. Both Sister Aloyisius and Sister James are members of the Sisters of Charity, a community founded by Elizabeth Ann Seton in 1809, with a mission to serve the community, starting with an orphanage and expanding in many areas of charity and social justice.  

PASTOR: Also known as a parish priest, a pastor a priest that is responsible for the spiritual welfare of a parish.

POPE: Chosen through an election process by Cardinals of the church, the pope is considered the head of the church and Vicar of Christ on earth. As the Bishop of Rome, he is head of the Roman Catholic Church’s central government and his main role is to make decisions on issues of faith and morality for Catholics around the world. The pope in 1964, the year Doubt: A Parable takes place, was John VI. 

Places Within the Church

CONVENT: A residence or local religious community especially for nuns.

PARISH: A portion of a diocese overseen by a priest, often centered around a specific church. Members of a church are referred to as parishioners. 

RECTORY: The residence of a priest.

Rituals in Catholic Practice

CONFESSION: A ritual where Catholics confess their sins to a priest for the purpose of seeking absolution and forgiveness from God. 

HYMN: A spiritual song to praise God.

MASS: The central act of worship in the Roman Catholic Church. Mass consists of a reading from the Scripture, a sermon and prayer, followed by the Eucharist, or communion, during which bread and wine is consecrated at the altar, becoming the body and blood of Jesus, and shared by worshipers.

SERMON: Also known as a “homily,” it is a short speech given by a priest during Mass which provides religious instruction based on the day's scripture readings.

VOWS: A promise made to God that is binding.  For example, a nun takes a solemn vow of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Common Sayings 

“THE FATHER, THE SON, THE HOLY GHOST”: Spoken by a priest at the beginning and end of a Mass, it is a prayer symbolizing the cross and the Trinity (God as three persons: the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit/Ghost). This prayer asks God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for power over all one’s being during this prayer. 

“MAN OF THE CLOTH”: A term that refers to a priest, bishop, or other clergyman, derived from the cloth or robe they wear. 

Saints

SAINT: A saint is a person in heaven who lived a virtuous life, offered their life for others, or were martyred for their faith. The Catholic Church recognizes saints through a formal process called canonization. Cathlics honor and pray to saints, often asking them for help with specific problems the saint is thought to be connected to: for example, many pray to St. Anthony when they’ve lost an item, as he is widely recognized as the patron saint of lost things.

MOTHER SETON: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in 1774 in New York City and died in 1821. She was the first American to attain sainthood. Originally an Episcopalian, she converted to Catholicism. Prior to becoming a nun, she was married with five children. After the death of her husband, William, Seton became drawn to the Catholic faith. She officially converted to Roman Catholicism in 1805 and was confirmed in 1806, a decision that was controversial and resulted in personal finacial struggle and social discrimination. In 1808, she opened a school for girls in Baltimore, Maryland. Catholic women from all over the world came to join her work, they formed a community and convent and formed the Sisters of Charity. She was officially made a saint in 1975, nine years after the play Doubt: A Parable takes place.  

SAINT ALOYSIUS:  Born into a family of enormous wealth in 1568, he renounced his wealth and title to study to become a preist. During a plague epidemic in Rome, Aloysius helped the victims but succumbed to the disease himself. St. Aloysius is the patron saint of youth, students, Catholic schools, widows, and seafarers.

SAINT ANTHONY: Saint Anthony was born Padua, Italy in 1195. He became a priest and had the reputation of a miracle worker. He died in 1231.

SAINT JAMES: He was one of the 12 apostles, or early followers of Jesus. St. James is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament. He is the patron saint of hatmakers and laborers. 

SAINT NICHOLAS: Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in modern-day Turkey in the 4th century. He was known for his generosity toward the needy, his love of children, and his concern for sailors and ships. He died in 346 AD and the anniversary of his death, December 6, became St. Nicholas Day. The stories of his generosity and love of children grew into the character of Santa Claus.

SAINT PATRICK: The patron saint of Ireland. He is famously associated with the (false) story of banishing all snakes from Ireland. 

Other Catholic Terms

ABSOLUTION: The forgiveness of sins. In Catholicism, the power to absolve one’s sins lies with a priest. 

ALTAR WINE: Wine blessed by a priest and for the Eucharist and other Catholic ceremonies. 

HABIT: The clothing a nun wears. It symbolizes their vows and is a sign of poverty. A habit consists of many layers to ensure modesty including a long black tunic, scapular, belt and veil.

LENT: Forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. During Lent, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays and engage in other acts of self-discipline. In Doubt: A Parable, Sister Aloysius gives up sugar for Lent.  

MORTAL SIN: This is the gravest of sins and is done with full knowledge of the gravity of the sinner. For example, murder and taking advantage of the poor are both mortal sins. The sinner is cut off from God’s grace until he/she confesses to a priest and is repented. Those who do not repent a mortal sin are believed to descend into hell upon their death.

NATIVITY: A theme in Christian art depicting the birth of Christ with the Virgin Mary. During Christmas, a Nativity play or Christmas pageant might be performed to recount the story of the Nativity of Jesus.

OUR LADY: Refers to Mary, mother of Jesus.

PARABLE:   A simple story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson using a comparison or parallel of one thing to another. 

SACRISTY: A room in the church where the vestments, church furnishings, and sacred vessels are kept and where clergy meet. 

SECULAR: Not having any connection with religion; non-religious.

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