Hertingfordbury Parish News: December 2002
Questions I have been asked?
What is the difference between a Vicar, a Rector and a Priest in Charge? A Rector has Freehold, and where glebe (land assigned to the Church for its maintenance) was, the Rector was entitled to rent this out for the maintenance of both the Church AND his Ministry. A Vicar formerly served in a Monastery to perform Parochial Duties, the Monastery had the glebe rights, therefore the Vicarage is Leasehold. These differences are mainly historical rather than practical today, though the terms Freehold and Leasehold are still attached to the licenses. It may be a point of interest to note that the Rector of a Parish still has the right to graze his sheep or goats in the Churchyard! What is an Incumbent? An Incumbent is presented to the Bishop by the Patron or Patron's Representative. The Incumbent is then put in possession of the cure (or care) of souls, by a process known as institution. The Incumbent is under duty to reside in the parsonage house or gain Bishop's permission to live elsewhere if the house is unsuitable (even outside the Parish). It is the duty of the Incumbent to convene the annual Parochial Church Meeting and act as Chairman. With the Churchwardens, he/she is responsible for disposing of the monies given at the Communion Services and jointly with the PCC, for the allocation of other money collected in the Church. What is a Priest in Charge? A Priest in Charge is usually appointed when a Parish is put in suspension. This often happens in smaller Parishes (like ours) and when a Priest is licensed part time (like me). In general a P in C has the same duties as an Incumbent. The appointment of a P in C will usually continue so long as the Parish (or Benefice) is in suspension. If the P in C wishes to resign, three months notice must be given in writing to the Bishop. For information - a Parson is a name from the Old English, respect for the priest as the "personage" who symbolized the Church locally. There will be further 'explanation' of terms and rituals in future issues of our Parish Magazine. Rev'd Rosemary.Please note: Although the Hertingfordbury Parish News is produced by St. Mary's PCC, the opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC.