chaplain
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chaplain
A Catholic priest who assists a parish priest in a church parish. It is often a priest's first position after ordination.
Der neue Kaplan wird sich am Sonntag der Gemeinde vorstellen.
The new chaplain will introduce himself to the parish on Sunday.
'Kaplan' (chaplain) is a noun of the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-en' in all cases except the nominative singular.
Die Gemeinde begrüßte den neuen Kaplan.
The parish welcomed the new chaplain.
Although it sounds similar, a 'Kaplan' (chaplain) is not the same as an English 'chaplain'. A Kaplan is specifically an assistant priest in a Catholic parish, while a chaplain often works in secular institutions such as the military or hospitals and does not have to be Catholic.
Der Kaplan hält die Messe, wenn der Pfarrer krank ist.
The chaplain holds Mass when the parish priest is ill.
This word is used exclusively in the context of the Catholic Church. A chaplain is subordinate to the parish priest in the hierarchy and supports him in his duties.
Als junger Priester arbeitete er zunächst drei Jahre als Kaplan.
As a young priest, he first worked as a chaplain for three years.
pastor
'der Pfarrer' and 'der Kaplan' both belong to the church life of a parish. The important difference is their position in the parish. The Pfarrer leads the parish and has the main responsibility. The Kaplan is a Catholic priest who helps the Pfarrer, often at the beginning of his professional career. The words can be confused because both can hold church services and work with people in the parish. If it is about leadership, 'Pfarrer' fits; if it is about the Pfarrer's assistant, 'Kaplan' fits.
Nach der Arbeit trifft sich die Gruppe mit dem Kaplan zur Vorbereitung.
After work, the group meets with the chaplain to prepare.
Der Pfarrer hat die neue Jugendgruppe der Gemeinde vorgestellt.
The pastor introduced the parish's new youth group.