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A '''parish''' is the lowest ecclesiastical subdivision in the administrative structure of the Orthodox Christian Church. While it is the smallest unit with regards to church administration it does not constitute a part of the Church, but the whole of the Church whose universality or catholicity is confirmed by the real presence of Christ in the Divine Liturgy. Parishes are grouped into larger administrative bodies, varying in name per [[jurisdiction]], such as [[deanery|deaneries]] which are subdivisions of [[diocese]]s or [[eparchy|eparchies]]. Each parish is served by a parish [[priest]], who may be assisted by other junior priests or by retired priests who are attached to the parish.

The word "parish" has its origins both in [[Scripture|Scriptural]] use and from territorial references used in the Roman Empire. The word "parish" itself is derived from the Anglo-French ''parosse'' (about 1075), later as ''paroche'' (about 1292), then in Old French ''paroisse'', and from Latin ''paroechia'' meaning a "[[diocese]]." In Greek, παρоικια παρоικία (''paroikia'') meaning "district" or "diocese," which is derived from the Greek παρά (''beside''), οικος οίκος (''house''). The Greek term παρоικιαπαρоικία, "district" or "diocese," originally meant "sojourn in a foreign land" (in the [[Septuagint]]) or "community of sojourners," with reference to the Jewish people in a foreign land, later with reference to earthly life as a temporary abode (1st century A.D.), and also in the [[New Testament]]: [[I Peter|1 Peter]] 1:17, 2:11); whence the term was applied to the "Christian community" as a whole (3rd century), then to the "diocese" (3rd century), and ultimately "parish" (4th century).

*[http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=8993 Catholic Encyclopedia: Parish] (''[[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] Encyclopedia'')