conventiculum

Conventiculum is a Latin term meaning a small gathering or little assembly, derived from conventus with the diminutive suffix -iculum. In historical and ecclesiastical scholarship, it refers to a clandestine religious meeting, typically held by Protestant dissenters who sought to worship or study scripture outside official parish life. The term is most closely associated with early modern Europe, particularly the Anabaptists of the 16th and 17th centuries in the Holy Roman Empire, the Low Countries, and neighboring regions, where authorities restricted nonconformist worship. Such conventicula were usually conducted in private homes, barns, or other concealed venues, often led by lay believers rather than ordained clergy, and included prayer, Bible study, preaching, and mutual aid. Because they took place outside sanctioned church structures, they could be prosecuted as illegal religious assemblies, leading to fines, imprisonment, or other penalties when discovered. The concept and term are widely used in historical writing to distinguish these secret gatherings from regulated public worship, and the English term conventicle is often used as a direct cognate for these private religious assemblies, while conventiculum remains the Latin label used in scholarly discourse.