| Q: Dear Fr. Paul, A parishioner stumped me with a question about the proper title of her parish church: “Is it St. Michael’s Church or St. Michael Church? Sometimes it’s one way, sometimes it’s another. Which is correct?” The title of her parish has traditionally been written in the possessive and I prefer the sound of it. It implies that that the patron saint has a particular care for the people of that church, and vice versa. On reflection, though, there are plenty of church dedications which would be too confusing if expressed in the possessive, for instance – St. Therese Little Flower or Immaculate Conception. And I don’t recall that churches are liturgically dedicated to anyone but Christ. Please help me. How should I answer her? == A: A title is given a church in the liturgy of its dedication. I know of no rules governing the use of the possessive case, and inconsistent examples abound, as you note. As a legal entity, the church may have the same or slightly different title. It’s probably advisable to use the legal title in official correspondence. People will likely call their church the name they love. For more on church dedications, see my book, New Church, New Altar. View All Blog Posts | Explore Books | Submit a Blog Question | Share Post via Email |