Vicar is the title given to certain parish priests in the Church of England. ... Vicar derives from the Latin "vicarius" meaning a substitute. Historically, Anglican parish priests were divided into rectors, vicars and (rarely) perpetual curates.

Is a vicar higher than a priest?

'Vicar' is not a holy order, but the job title of a priest who has 'freehold' of a parish under English law, i.e. basically the priest in charge of a parish. A given church may have several priests, but only one of them will be the Vicar. Some parishes, for historic reasons, may have a Rector instead of a Vicar.

What does the word vicar mean?

1 : an ecclesiastical agent: such as. a : a Church of England incumbent receiving a stipend but not the tithes of a parish. b : a member of the Episcopal clergy or laity who has charge of a mission or chapel.