Angela's Ashes: Chapters 3–6

by Frank McCourt
After the death of their daughter, Frank McCourt's impoverished immigrant parents decide to return to Ireland. With humor and tenderness, this Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir tells the story of his early life there.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–6, Chapters 7–10, Chapters 11–14, Chapters 15–19
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. catechism
    an elementary book summarizing the principles of a religion
    The master says it’s time to prepare for First Confession and First Communion, to know and remember all the questions and answers in the catechism, to become good Catholics, to know the difference between right and wrong, to die for the Faith if called on.
  2. confirmation
    sacrament admitting a person to participation in the church
    Older boys in the fifth class have the thick Confirmation catechism with the red cover and that costs sixpence.
  3. sacrament
    a formal religious ceremony conferring a specific grace
    Seven Virtues, Divine and Moral, the Seven Sacraments, the Seven Deadly Sins.
  4. contrition
    sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
    We have to know by heart all the prayers, the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the Confiteor, the Apostles’ Creed, the Act of Contrition, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
  5. ineffable
    too sacred to be uttered
    Limbo is packed with little black babies flying around and crying for their mothers because they’ll never be admitted to the ineffable presence of Our Lord and the glorious company of saints, martyrs, virgins.
  6. rite
    an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
    Some boys giggle and he roars at them that if the giggling doesn’t stop it’s not Holy Communion they’ll be getting but the Last Rites and what is that sacrament called, McCourt?
  7. sacrilege
    blasphemous behavior
    That’s why they have different sins, the sacrilege, the mortal sin, the venial sin.
  8. venial
    warranting only temporal punishment
    That’s why they have different sins, the sacrilege, the mortal sin, the venial sin.
    Because a venial sin is "easily excused or forgiven," it would, according to Catholic doctrine, result in a temporary punishment; a mortal sin, however, would result in eternal damnation.
  9. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
    For your penance say three Hail Marys, three Our Fathers, and say a special prayer for me.
  10. chalice
    a bowl-shaped drinking vessel
    We arrived at the church just in time to see the last of the boys leaving the altar rail where the priest stood with the chalice and the host, glaring at me.
  11. abomination
    an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence
    ...but even if dancing is an abomination I sinned by taking my mother’s sixpence and lying...
  12. consecration
    sanctification of something by dedicating it to God
    ...pouring water over the priest’s hands, ringing the bell at Consecration, kneeling, bowing...
Created on Wed Mar 20 21:34:17 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Jul 16 15:05:54 EDT 2025)

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