The rural deanery and archdeaconry

Parishes are grouped together for convenience into rural deaneries, each consisting of perhaps a dozen parishes.  One of the parish priests in it is appointed rural dean, a role that involves working with the bishop to support the ministry of the clergy in the rural deanery. 

The rural deaneries are in their turn grouped into archdeaconries, each under its archdeacon.  An archdeacon is known as oculus episcopi, the bishop’s eye, so called because it is the duty of an archdeacon, on behalf of the bishop, to see that everything is in order in the archdeaconry.

The Cathedral

The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral.  It is called a cathedral because it has the bishop’s cathedra or throne in it.  The cathedral is under the charge of a number of priests who are known all together as the Cathedral Chapter.  At their head is the Dean (or Provost) who is really the vicar of the Cathedral.  The members of the Cathedral Chapter are called Canons, with one ‘n’.  They are responsible for the Cathedral services and live or reside near it.  Hence they are known as residentiary canons.  Besides them, there are also a number of non-residentiary canons who live in different parts of the diocese. They are given the title of Canon as an honour, and they are not responsible for the Cathedral services.  The canons, however, have their own special seat or stall in the choir of the Cathedral.  All the canons together form what is called the Greater Chapter.

The Province

So far we have been talking only about the diocese and how it is organised.  Dioceses are grouped together into provinces, the chief bishop in each province being the Archbishop.  The Church of England consists of two provinces, that of Canterbury and that of York.