CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

Chancery: (1) A branch of church
administration that handles written
documents used in the government of a
diocese. (2) The administrative office of a
diocese, a bishop’s office.
Chant: A type of sacred singing. It is either
recitative in nature with a short two-to-six
tones for an accentus, or melodic in one of
three styles (syllabic, neumatic, or
melismatic).
Chapel: A building or part of another
building used for divine worship; a portion
of a church set aside for the celebration of
Mass or for some special devotion.
Chaplain: A priest — or, in some instances,
a properly qualified religious or lay person
— serving the pastoral needs of particular
groups of people and institutions, such as
hospitals, schools, correctional facilities,
religious communities, the armed forces,
etc.
Chaplet: A term, meaning little crown,
applied to a rosary or, more commonly, to
a small string of beads used for devotional
purposes; e.g., the Infant of Prague
chaplet.
Chapter: A general meeting of delegates of
religious orders for elections and the
handling of other important affairs of their
communities.
Charismatic Renewal: A movement which
originated with a handful of Duquesne
University students and faculty members
in the 1966 67 academic year and spread
from there to Notre Dame, Michigan State
University, the University of Michigan,
other campuses and cities throughout the
U.S., and to well over 125 other countries.
Scriptural keys to the renewal are: Christ’s
promise to send the Holy Spirit upon the
Apostles; the description, in the Acts of
the Apostles, of the effects of the coming
of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on
Pentecost; St. Paul’s explanation, in the
Letter to the Romans and 1 Corinthians, of
the charismatic gifts (for the good of the
Church and persons) the Holy Spirit
would bestow on Christians; New
Testament evidence concerning the effects
of charismatic gifts in and through the
early Church. The personal key to the
renewal is baptism in the Holy Spirit. This
is not a new sacrament but the personally
experienced actualization of grace already
sacramentally received, principally in
baptism and confirmation. The experience
of baptism in the Holy Spirit is often
accompanied by the reception of one or
more charismatic gifts. A characteristic
form of the renewal is the weekly prayer
meeting, a gathering which includes
periods of spontaneous prayer, singing,
sharing of experience and testimony,
fellowship and teaching. (See also Index.)
Charisms: Gifts or graces given by God to
persons for the good of others and the
Church. Examples are special gifts for
apostolic work, prophecy, healing,
discernment of spirits, the life of
evangelical poverty, here and now witness
to faith in various circumstances of life.
The Second Vatican Council made the
following statement about charisms in the
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
(No. 12): “It is not only through the
sacraments and Church ministries that the
same Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the
People of God and enriches it with virtues.
Allotting his gifts ‘to everyone according
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