Catholic Church Hierarchy

6 words in this vocabulary list

legate mother superior sacristan abbot general abbot primate abbots general

legate

noun A deputy or representative

  • The ambassador appointed a legate to represent the country at the international conference.
  • The delegation sent their legate to negotiate the terms of the trade agreement.
  • The boss's right-hand man is basically his legate, handling all the important tasks.
  • In the world of finance, the CEO is often seen as the legate of the shareholders, making decisions on their behalf.

mother superior

noun A title for the head of a community of nuns

adjective Describing the superior status or rank of a mother figure

  • The mother superior of the convent is highly respected by all the nuns.
  • The mother superior is in charge of everything around here.
  • Don't mess with the mother superior, she's got eyes everywhere.
  • In the corporate world, the CEO is like the mother superior of the company.

sacristan

noun a person in charge of a sacristy, especially in a church

  • The sacristan was responsible for preparing the church for the morning service.
  • The sacristan always makes sure everything is ready before the church service.
  • The sacristan is like the behind-the-scenes boss of the church.
  • The sacristan's attention to detail was like a symphony conductor orchestrating a flawless performance.

abbot general

noun A male head of an abbey of monks

  • The abbot general oversees all the monasteries within the order.
  • The abbot general is like the boss of all the monks.
  • The abbot general is the big cheese in the monastery world.
  • As the abbot general of the family, she made sure everyone was taken care of.

abbot primate

noun A member of a religious order who is the head of an abbey or monastery, and also holds the title of primate within the order.

  • The abbot primate is the head of all the monastic orders worldwide.
  • I heard the abbot primate is visiting our monastery next week.
  • The abbot primate is like the boss of all the monks.
  • Being the abbot primate of the monastery is like being the king of a spiritual kingdom.

abbots general

noun a title given to the head of certain monastic orders or congregations

  • The abbots general are responsible for overseeing the entire order of monks.
  • The abbots general are like the bosses of all the monks.
  • Those abbots general sure have a lot of power in the monastery.
  • The abbots general are the shepherds guiding their flock of monks.