Parish Churches

Question 1

Different from houses, what were parish churches built from?

Answer 1

Stone, unlike the wooden houses

Question 2

How did the high altar look and what part in the mass did it play?

Answer 2

It was decorated with hangings and lit candles and was the main focus of the mass

Question 3

What was the high altar used for?

Answer 3

• Sunday masses
• Holy day masses
• holding the reserved sacrament

Question 4

During the week, which altars would be used for masses and where would they be?

Answer 4

Side altars often in chantry chapels

Question 5

What would happen in a chantry chapel?

Answer 5

Masses would be said for the souls of the dead, a chantry chapel would often be for a particular person or family

Question 6

What would happen if you joined a chantry guild?

Answer 6

Prayers would be said for your soul at key times of the year

Question 7

Due to the fact that there were no pews, there was a large open space, what did this mean the church could do?

Answer 7

• accommodate people and animals in extreme weather
• be used for social activities and markets
• be used for village meetings

Question 8

For the rich, what opportunity did the church provide?

Answer 8

An opportunity to impress the community with their wealth and piety

Question 9

Give some examples of what donations would be made to the church

Answer 9

• gold and silver
• vestments
• altar cloths
• service books
• processional banners

Question 10

When a donation was made, what would happen? And what happened when it was particularly large?

Answer 10

• their name would be recorded

- a large gift would have their name carved in stone