The office, position, or responsibilities of a curate; a church position where a person provides spiritual care and assistance to parishioners.
From Latin cura 'care' plus -cy forming abstract nouns of office. The word emerged in medieval English to describe the spiritual and administrative role subordinate to a vicar or rector.
In old England, becoming a curate was the path to priesthood—like medical residency today. Curates were often poorly paid, which inspired English literature's sympathetic portrayals of 'struggling curates,' making this humble church position famous in novels.
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