INTRODUCTION

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLIC CHURCHES

TERMS AND COLOURS USED FOR CHURCHES

TERMS AND COLOURS USED FOR OTHER BUILDINGS

A NOTE CONCERNING DIRECTIONS

TERMS AND COLOURS USED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND HISTORIC CHURCHES SECTION OF THIS SITE

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS DIVIDED INTO VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS OF WHICH THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE ARCHDIOCESES, DIOCESES AND PARISHES. WITHIN EACH UNIT THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF CHURCH BUILDINGS AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER RELIGIOUS CONSTRUCTIONS.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF ADMISTRATIVE UNITS, BUILDINGS, AND COLOURS USED ON THIS SITE.

ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT	TOWN COLOUR	BUILDING TYPE	COMMENT	INCLUDED HERE
ARCHDIOCESE	RED	METROPOLITAN CATHERAL	THE CHIEF CHURCH OF THE DIOCESE AND PROVINCE CONTAINING THE ARCHBISHOP'S THRONE (CATHEDRA).	YES
DIOCESE	PURPLE	CATHERAL	THE CHIEF CHURCH OF THE DIOCESE CONTAINING THE BISHOP'S THRONE (CATHEDRA).	YES
PARISH	BLUE	PARISH CHURCH	THE CHIEF CHURCH OF THE PARISH FROM WHICH THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE PARISH IS USUALLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) TAKEN, E.G. ST ANNE'S PARISH. CHURCHES HERE ARE LISTED BY TOWN FOR EASIER LOCATION.	YES
	WHITE	CHAPEL OF EASE or STATION CHURCH	IN RURAL AREAS (AND SOME CITY AREAS) SMALL CHURCHES ARE ESTABLISHED IN OUTLYING AREAS EITHER BECAUSE OF DISTANCE OR BECAUSE A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY EXISTS. SOME ARE ONLY USED TODAY FOR OCCASIONAL SERVICES.	YES
	WHITE	CHAPEL	CONSECRATED BULDINGS, OR CONSECRATED SPACES WITHIN BUILDINGS SET ASIDE FOR WORSHIP AND ATTACHED TO VARIOUS RELIGIOUS OR RELIGIOUSLY RUN INSTITUTIONS. SOMETIMES USED AS PAROCHIAL MASS CENTRES IN THE ABSENCE OF A CHURCH OR HALL OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS SUCH AS THE ELDERLY.	YES
	WHITE	CHURCH HALL	MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDINGS GENERALLY ESTABLISHED IN OUTLYING AREAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A DEDICATED CHURCH BUILDING TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY FACILITY AND AN OCCASIONAL MASS CENTRE.	YES
	WHITE	OTHER BUILDINGS	IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEDICATED BUILDING FOR THE SAYING OF THE MASS ANY SPACE CAN BE UTILISED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OTHER AND NON- DENOMINATIONAL CHURCHES, COMMUNITY BUILDINGS, SCHOOL HALLS AND EVEN PRIVATE HOMES HAVE BEEN AND ARE ARE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE PENDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PERMANENT DEDICATED BUILDING FOR THE HOLY SACRIFICE.	NO
EXTRA PARISH CONGREGATION	WHITE	CHURCH	IN SOME PARISHES THERE ARE EXTRA-PAROCHIAL CHURCHES RUN BY RELIGIOUS ORDERS, DESIGNATED AS SHRINES OR USED BY ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND USED FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP.	YES

TERMS AND COLOURS USED IN THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND OTHER BUILDINGS SECTIONS OF THIS SITE

THE WORK OF THE BISHOPS AND DIOCESAN CLERGY IS SUPPLEMENTED BY RELIGIOUS ORDERS WHO ARE VIRTUALLY UNIQUE TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW DIOCESAN ORDERS THESE GROUPS OF MEN AND WOMEN ARE GENERALLY GROUPED IN AN INTERNATIONAL HEIRARCHY THAT FLOWS ACROSS AND WITHIN DIOCESAN BOUNDARIES. THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF ORGANISATION VARIES CONSIDERABLY FROM ORDER TO ORDER - SOME ARE A COLLECTION OF INDEPENDANT ENTITIES OTHERS ARE CENTRALLY CONTROLLED. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE ORGANISATION AND BUILDINGS OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND OTHER ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDINGS TO BE FOUND ON THIS SITE.

ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT	TOWN COLOUR	BUILDING TYPE	COMMENT	INCLUDED HERE
CONGREGATION	RED	MOTHER HOUSE or ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE	THE CHIEF HOUSE OF AN INDEPENDANT ORDER AND GENERALLY THE LOCATION OF THE SUPERIOR OF THE ORDER AND THE NOVITIATE.	YES
PROVINCE	PURPLE	PROVINCIAL HOUSE OR HEADQUARTERS	THE CHIEF HOUSE OF A PROVINCE OF AN INTERNATIONAL ORDER. SEVERAL PROVINCES MAY EXIST IN ONE COUNTRY.	YES
FOUNDATION	BLUE	CONVENT ABBEY MONASTERY PRIORY	A LOCAL COMMUNITY HOUSE OF AN ORDER. THESE HAVE VARIOUS NAMES ACCORDING TO THE ORDER.	YES
LOCATION	WHITE	LOCATION	GENERALLY A PLACE WHERE ONE OR TWO MEMBERS OF AN ORDER ARE LOCATED FOR A SPECIFIC APOSTOLATE. CAN BE AN APPARTMENT OR AN ORDINARY HOUSE.	NO
	WHITE	CHAPEL	CONSECRATED BULDINGS, OR CONSECRATED SPACES WITHIN BUILDINGS SET ASIDE FOR WORSHIP AND ATTACHED TO VARIOUS RELIGIOUS OR RELIGIOUSLY RUN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE USE OF RELIGIOUS AND THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING THE INSTITUTION e.g. SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS etc.	YES
INSTITUTIONS	WHITE	SCHOOL HOSPITAL SEMINARY etc.	THERE ARE A GREAT VARIETY OF BUILDINGS ESTABLISHED BY THE CHURCH FOR ITS CHARITABLE WORKS, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING OF CLERGY AND LAITY. MANY ARE OR WERE CONNECTED TO RELIGIOUS ORDERS, OTHERS ARE DIOCESAN.	YES
OTHER	WHITE	OTHER BUILDINGS	A WIDE RANGE OF BUILDINGS EXISTS FOR THE USE OF CHURCH GROUPS INCLUDING PARISH HALLS, MEMORIAL GARDENS etc. WHERE THESE ARE OF INTEREST THE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED UNDER THE INDIVIDUAL PARISH PAGES.	YES

A NOTE ON DIRECTIONS USED IN DESCRIPTIONS OF CHURCHES ON THIS SITE

TRADITIONALLY CHURCHES WERE ORIENTED TO THE RISING SUN AS A SYMBOL OF THE RISEN CHRIST. IN FACT THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF BEGINNING A NEW CHURCH WAS TO GATHER AT SUNRISE IN ORDER TO MARK THE POINT OF THE HIGH ALTAR PRIOR TO WORK COMMENCING. MANY CATHOLIC CHURCHES RETAIN THIS ORIENTATION BUT EXIGENCIES OF SITE HAVE OFTEN RENDERED SUCH AN ORIENTATION DIFFICULT. NONETHELESS THE TRADITIONAL DIRECTIONS OF EAST FOR THE SANCTUARY AND WEST FOR THE NARTHEX ARE GENERALLY MAINTAINED IN DESCRIPTIONS OF CHURCHES. ON THIS SITE ALL DIRECTIONS GIVEN FOLLOW LITURGICAL RATHER THAN GEOGRAPHICAL CONVENTIONS, HENCE THE SANCTUARY END OF THE CHURCH WILL ALWAYS BE EAST AND THE OTHER DIRECTIONS WILL NATURALLY FLOW FROM THIS.