Our apartment is called a Manse, like the song “Dem Bones” by Sharon, Lois & Bram, or “L’arbre est dans ses feuilles Chanson de Zachary Richard ‧ (1980).
The Chalice is in the Tabernacle
The Tabernacle is on the Altar
The Altar in the Chapel
The Chapel is in the Manse
A manse is a clergy house or apartment inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions.
Ultimately derived from the Latin mansus, “dwelling”, from manere, “to remain”, by the 16th century, the term meant both a dwelling and, in ecclesiastical contexts, the amount of land needed to support a single family.
Clergy house
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant’s ministry. Residences of this type may be called a manse, parsonage, presbytery, rectory, or vicarage.
A clergy house is typically owned and maintained by a church, as a benefit to its clergy. This practice exists in many denominations because of the tendency of clergy to be transferred from one church to another at relatively frequent intervals. Also, in smaller communities, suitable housing is not always available. In addition, such a residence can be supplied in lieu of salary, which may not be available (especially at smaller congregations).
Catholic clergy houses in particular may be lived in by several priests from a parish. Clergy houses frequently serve as the administrative office of the local parish and as a residence. They are normally located next to, or at least close to, the church their occupant serves.
Partly because of the general conservation of churches, many clergy houses have survived and are of historic interest or importance. In the United Kingdom, the 14th-century Alfriston Clergy House was the first property to be acquired by the National Trust. It was purchased in a state of near ruin in 1896 for £10, the vicarage having moved elsewhere long before.
In some countries where the clergy houses were often rather grand, many have now been sold off by the churches and replaced with more modest properties. Numerous clergy houses have been acquired by families for use as private homes. Others have been adapted as offices or used for various civic functions. In many villages in England, the former clergy house is called the “Old Vicarage” or the “Old Rectory”. In Scotland, a former clergy house may be known as the “Old Manse”.
Roman Catholics use the terms priory, clergy house, parochial house (mostly in Ireland), chapel house (in Scotland), presbytery, and rectory (especially in Massachusetts) if appropriate. In the Philippines, the term convent is used, a direct calque of the Spanish convento. An ecclesiastical residence, sometimes called a presbytery, is the residence of a cleric in their diocese or parish.
The Manse’s Chapel was first created as a prayer corner for the Revd. Mary and I. As our volunteer staff grew, we expanded the chapel to occupy the entire living room. We added an Altar to what was once just a Shrine, then a prayer corner and a Chromebook for Zoom meetings. The chapel seats five comfortably but can hold up to twelve, not counting me.
As a Marian movement, the chapel is dedicated to the Holy Mary, and with our developing theology, the board of Elders decided to add two other Marys, so the name changed in 2025 to the Chapel of the Three Marys. Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala and Mary Salome, to name them.
As mentioned in a previous post in 2025, chaplains do not have to purchase chasubles to celebrate the Eucharist. As guests in places we visit, such as senior residences, hospitals, and similar settings, they keep a few; we have to borrow one for the mass time. But due to Revd. Mary, who is nailed to bed cause by her illness. I’ve been celebrating in our chapel since the end of January, as we are undergoing further modifications and adding furniture. We have a Vestry and a Sacristy that will be appearing soon. Because it is a small apartment, really, it is a wardrobe called a vestry and a dresser called a sacristy. The idea came from the real sacristy of the ex-St. Joseph church in Carillon, where, under a counter, there are drawers containing all the Holy Dishes and altar linens.
Can you come and pray with us at the Manse Chapel? The answer is yes and no; the reason is that Marie’s bedroom is set up like a hospital room, and medical staff and care providers work here 7 days a week. We have to control access, so no, you cannot, but if you are a volunteer or someone who has already come to us for help and developed a chaplaincy relationship as a parishioner, well, the answer is yes, no problem.
Due to a technical issue that I can’t resolve using the Gallery for the pictures, I need to create a one-picture page that you can view using the “NEXT” under the picture
Click on the picture to enlarge
Chapel’s Picture 1 of 11
