Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
parish (noun)1.
a) (1) the ecclesiastical unit of area committed to one pastor
(2) the residents of such an area
b) British a subdivision of a county often coinciding with an original ecclesiastical parish and constituting the unit of local government
2.
a local church community composed of the members or constituents of a Protestant church
3.
a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states
