the.com/parishioner
Someone whose relationship with God comes with assigned seating.
means A person who belongs to, or regularly attends, a particular parish church.
from Traces back through Anglo-French 'parosshian' to Late Latin 'parochia' and ultimately Greek 'paroikia' — meaning 'a sojourning,' from 'para-' (beside, near) plus 'oikos' (house, dwelling). The same root gives us 'parish.' The Greek sense was of a community of people dwelling 'alongside' one another, often used for early Christian communities living as resident strangers in a place — fitting, for a word that now means someone with a designated pew.
- origin
- from Greek paroikia, meaning sojourner near the house
- duty
- shows up, tithes, judges latecomers silently
- distinction
- not clergy, not visitor, officially on the roster
- modern twist
- attendance now optional, guilt still mandatory