Cruets.—For the greater convenience of the Priest in celebrating the Holy Communion, vessels of glass or precious metal, called cruets, are placed on the credence to hold the wine and water, and from which at the proper time in the service, the chalice is supplied.
Crypt.—A vault beneath a church, more especially under the Chancel and sometimes used for burial. The word is sometimes given to the basement of a church where services are held.
Curate.—Derived from the Latin curatus, meaning one who is charged with the cura, i.e., the cure or care of souls. Originally curate meant any one under the rank of Bishop, having the cure of souls, but now the name is usually given to the Assistant Minister in a Parish. (See ASSISTANT MINISTER.)
D
Daily Prayer, The.—By the appointment of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer set forth in the Prayer Book the Church designs that services should be held every day in the church throughout the year. This is usually regarded as being impracticable and therefore the Daily Prayer does not prevail in our churches. It has been pointed out, however, that "Churches {74} without such an offering of Morning and Evening Prayer are clearly alien to the system and principles of the Book of Common Prayer, and to make the offering in the total absence of worshippers seems scarcely less so. But as every church receives blessings from God in proportion as it renders to Him the honor due unto His Name, so it is much to be wished that increased knowledge of devotional principles may lead on to such increase of devotional practice as may make the omission of the Daily Offices rare in the Churches of our land."
Dalmatic.—A robe of silk or other rich material with wide but short sleeves, and richly embroidered, worn by the Deacon or Gospeller at the Holy Eucharist. Not usually worn, although its use is being restored.
Daughters of the King.—An organization of the young women of the Church, organized in 1885. A careful distinction should be made between the Daughters of the King and "The King's Daughters." This organization came into existence some time before The King's Daughters was organized, and it is to be noted that the Daughters of the King is more of an order than a Society and is distinctively a Church organization. The purpose of the Order is "for the Spread of Christ's Kingdom among young women," and "the active support of the plans of the Rector in whose parish the particular chapter may be located." Its badge is a cross of silver, a Greek cross fleury and its mottoes are, "Magnanimeter Crucem Sustine" and "For His Sake." Its colors are white and blue. The Order of the Daughters of the King is very similar to {75} the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and is designed to do for young women what the Brotherhood does for young men.
Days of Obligation.—These are days on which Communicants are bound
by the Faith they profess to be present at the celebration of the
Holy Communion and to rest as much as possible from servile work.
Such Days of Obligation are the following:
All Sundays in the year, not 12 but 52.
Christmas Day 25th December.
Feast of the Circumcision 1st January.
Feast of the Epiphany 6th January.
Annunciation Day 25th March.
Easter Day Movable.
Ascension Day Movable.
Whitsun Day Movable.
All Saints' day 1st November.
Deacon.—One who has been ordained to the lowest order of the Ministry. The account of the institution of the order of Deacons is found in the Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7. We here learn that the first Deacons were ordained to attend especially to the benevolent work of the Church in caring for the poor, but they were also preachers of the Word. The Office of Deacon is still retained in the Church as an order of the Ministry, for "it is evident unto all men reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church,—Bishops, Priests and Deacons." A Deacon may assist the Priest at the Altar and administer the cup. He may baptize, say all choir offices, and if he is learned and {76} is licensed thereto by the Bishop, he may preach, but he cannot administer the Holy Communion, or pronounce the Absolution and the Benediction. He wears his stole over the left shoulder and fastened under his right arm. If a Candidate for Priest's Orders and can pass the required examination, he may after a year's service as a Deacon be advanced to the Priesthood.