Parishs

A parish is a territorial entity associated with a church community, and in some countries also a civil administrative unit. The concept has roots in the Christian church and has diversified into different structures in different places. The term is commonly used to describe both an ecclesiastical jurisdiction and a local government area, depending on country and context.

Ecclesiastical parish: In the Catholic, Anglican, and many Orthodox traditions, a parish is a defined community of the faithful within a diocese or equivalent jurisdiction, served by a priest or pastor. Its boundaries are established by the church and govern sacramental life, liturgical responsibilities, and pastoral care. The parish typically maintains a church building and may run schools, charities, or other ministries; governance is usually by a pastor with a parish council or equivalent lay leadership.

Civil parish: In England, Wales, Ireland, and some other regions, civil parishes are the smallest units of local government or reflect historical boundaries. In England and Wales, civil parishes may have a parish council responsible for community buildings, local planning input, and amenities. In Scotland, civil parishes persist mainly for statistical and land-registration purposes. In Ireland, civil parishes are historical boundaries still used in land records and certain administrative contexts. Some countries use the term differently, with varying roles for local governance or purely ecclesiastical authority.

Louisiana provides a notable exception in the United States, where the term parish is used for what elsewhere would be a county, with its own elected officials and administrative functions.

Etymology: The word parish derives from Old French paroisse, from Latin parochia, from Greek paroikia, meaning a local church or a community living near a church.