Noun

Singular parish

Plural parishes

parish (plural parishes)

1. In the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church or certain civil government entities such as the state of Louisiana, an administrative part of a diocese that has its own church.
2. The community attending that church; the members of the parish.
3. A civil subdivision of a British county, often corresponding to an earlier ecclesiastical parish.
4. An administrative subdivision in Louisiana that is equivalent to a county in other U.S. states.

Derived terms

• parishioner
• parish church
• parish register

A parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. It refers to a local, ecclesiastical community or territory, including its main church building, perhaps one or more chapels of ease and other property. In some countries, ecclesiastical parishes have become the basis for secular administrative divisions, also called "parish", but more precisely described as civil parishes, a subject which is dealt with separately.

Ecclesiastical parishes

A parish is a territorial subdivision of a diocese, eparchy or bishopric, within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. The word "parish" is also used more generally to refer to the collection of people who attend a particular church. In this usage, a parish minister is one who serves a congregation.