8.1.3

Where did People Worship?

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Where Did People Worship?

The Church built different types of buildings for different purposes. Catholics needed the involvement of a priest to communicate with God, so all worship happened in a church.

Parish Church

Parish Church

  • The parish church was the local church for each settlement.
  • In a village there would usually be just one church with one priest (tiny villages sometimes had to share priests!) but in towns and cities there were many.
Parishes

Parishes

  • A Parish was the area, and the people who lived there, that one priest was responsible for.
Decoration of parish church

Decoration of parish church

  • They were colourful and decorated lavishly.
  • This was where people would come on a Sunday to hear service and to celebrate mass, and to pray throughout the week.
Chapel

Chapel

  • A chapel is a small place of worship.
  • It can be attached to a church or be separate but without a priest, called a chapel of ease, for example, inside a castle or by a dangerous road.
Chapels in churches

Chapels in churches

  • Chapels in churches often were used to house the tombs of important people, and as a place to dedicate prayers for that person's swift entry into heaven.
Chapels outside churches

Chapels outside churches

  • Outside of churches, chapels could be used as a family's private church where they could invite their favourite preacher, or as a place of contemplation or reflection.
Cathedrals

Cathedrals

  • Cathedrals are enormous churches built in important cities- in fact, a place had to have a cathedral in order to become a city!
  • The Cathedral is a base of a bishop or archbishop, and is beautifully decorated to reflect that importance.
Function of a cathedral

Function of a cathedral

  • The function of a Cathedral was mostly the same as a regular parish church.
  • Some cathedrals would be used to host important events. For example, Westminster Abbey is a special royal cathedral that holds the monarch's coronation ceremony.
Shrines

Shrines

  • A shrine could be in a church or a more unofficial place of worship, often built on the site of a particular holy event and connected to a particular saint.
  • People would go on pilgrimages to shrines, both in England and across Europe, to pray to the saint for help and advice.
Examples of shrines

Examples of shrines

  • For example, the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham was built after a Saxon noblewoman had a vision of the Angel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary she would become pregnant with Jesus.
  • It was used for centuries by women praying for pregnancy or the health of their children.
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Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1

The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2

The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3

The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4

The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5

Medieval Religion

1.6

The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7

How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8

Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9

Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10

Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11

Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12

European Renaissance

1.13

Norman Conquest & Control

1.14

Historical Skills

2

The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1

Anglo-Saxon England

2.2

The Contest for the English Throne

2.3

Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4

King John

2.5

The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6

The Black Death

3

Worldviews

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The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5

The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

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The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7

The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8

Religion in the Middle Ages

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Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10

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The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

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US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

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The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14

The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15

Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16

World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17

The Russian Revolution: 1917 AD

18

The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

19

World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

20

The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

21

Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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