What is the difference between an Abbey and a Priory and also a Cathedral and a Minster?

Answer 1

Abbey \Ab"bey\ ([a^]b"b[y^]), n.; pl. Abbeys (-b[i^]z). [OF. aba["i]e, abba["i]e, F. abbaye, L. abbatia, fr. abbas abbot. See Abbot.]

1. A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.

Note: The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess.



Priory \Pri"o*ry\, n.; pl. Priories. [Cf. LL. prioria. See Prior, n.]

A religious house presided over by a prior or prioress; -- sometimes an offshoot of, an subordinate to, an abbey, and called also cell, and obedience. See Cell, 2.

Note: Of such houses there were two sorts: one where the prior was chosen by the inmates, and governed as independently as an abbot in an abbey; the other where the priory was subordinate to an abbey, and the prior was placed or displaced at the will of the abbot.

Alien priory, a small religious house dependent on a large monastery in some other country.



Minster \Min"ster\, n. [AS. mynster, fr. L. monasterium. See Monastery.]

(Arch.) A church of a monastery. The name is often retained and applied to the church after the monastery has ceased to exist (as Beverly Minster, Southwell Minster, etc.), and is also improperly used for any large church.

Minster house, the official house in which the canons of a cathedral live in common or in rotation. --Shipley.



Cathedral \Ca*the"dral\, n. [LL. cathedralis (sc. ecclesia): cf. F. cath['e]drale. See Cathedra.]

The principal church in a diocese, so called because in it the bishop has his official chair (Cathedra) or throne.

Answer 2

"An abbey is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. "
"A priory only differs from an abbey in that the superior bears the title of prior instead of abbot."

"A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishop's seat."

A Minster "is a grand type of church; the term may be extended to apply to a cathedral. The word is Old English, mynster or monastery[1], derived from Latin ministerium, the “office or “service”, such as was said at set hours in the minster. Thus minster originally applied to the church of a monastery or a chapter: it was an abbot who presided in the minster, rather than a bishop, as at a cathedral."

Answer 3

A cathedral is the principle church in a diocese. It is where the bishop of that diocese is based. An abbey is a church (and its associated buildings and grounds) which is occupied by a community of monks or nuns and ruled over by an abbot or an abbess. A minster was a mother church for an area - the central place from where priests went out to serve in the surrounding daughter churches. The minster system of churches flourished during the Saxon period in England, and has long since died out. However, some churches retain the name of minster, even though they no longer serve that role (one example of this is York Minster). Similaraly, there are some churches which used to be abbeys, and still retain the name, even though they are no longer used by monks. Examples include Westminster Abbey, Dorchester Abbey and Malmesbury Abbey.

Answer 4

An Abbey is a monastery or convent ruled by an abbot or abbess, respectively. A Priory is a religious house run by a prior or prioress.

A Cathedral is a building, a Minister is a person.

Answer 5

A priory has a small group of monks, while abbeys can be much larger. A Cathedral is a church run by a bishop. A minister is a collegiate church that looks like a cathedral, but is not run by a bishop.

Answer 6

Abbey: a monastery governed by an abbot or abbess who has the same rank as a bishop, but who is the 'bishop' only of that particular abbey.

Priory: a monastery governed by a prior or prioress who does not have the rank of abbot/abbess. A priory is usually dependent upon an abbey.

Cathedral: the church were the bishop's official "chair" is. "Cathedra" means seat or chair. Sometimes this chair is called throne.

Minster: a church actually or originally connected with a monastery.

Answer 7

Okay, this is just a sort of guess, but here is what I think...
Abbey - a big church and grounds where monks live
Priory - a house and grounds given to a minister to use, may have a chappel or small church associated
Catherdral - large and very fancy church (wealthy), and usually associated with cardinals and bishops (more important than smaller churches).

Minster - not too sure, but I think it might be a region that is served by a bishop.

Answer 8

An abbey or priory is a Christian monastery or convent.

A cathedral is a large Christian church.

A minister is a Protestant clergy-person.

Answer 9

Well an Abbey is for Abbots and a Priory is for Priors! Duh!