The Holy See is the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, the episcopal see of the Pope. It is the central point of reference for the Catholic Church everywhere and the focal point of communion due to its prominence. It traces its origin to the apostolic era, when Saint Peter arrived in Rome to evangelize and help the forming of a community of believers there which maintained a significant Christian presence. Today, it is responsible for the governance of those who follow the Catholic faith, organized in their local Christian communities. The Holy See is viewed as analogous to a sovereign state, having a centralized government, called the Roman Curia, with the Cardinal Secretary of State as its chief administrator and various departments essential to administration comparable to ministries. It enters diplomatic relations with states, and has Vatican City as its sovereign territory.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the conference of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (USCC), it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is a registered corporation based in Washington, D.C. As with all bishops’ conferences, certain decisions and acts of the USCCB must receive the recognitio, or approval of the Roman Curia, which is subject to the immediate and absolute authority of the Pope.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States and comprises the entire state of South Carolina, with Charleston as its see city. Founded in 1820, it is one of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the United States. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions throughout the state. It is led by the Most Rev. Robert Guglielmone, ordained and installed the Thirteenth Bishop of Charleston on March 29, 2009. Bishop Guglielmone serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the City of Charleston. The first bishop of the Diocese of Charleston was John England. Charleston is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The Oratory is a society of apostolic life of Catholic priests and lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. They are commonly referred to as Oratorians. The “Congregation of the Oratory” was founded in Rome in 1575 by St. Philip Neri. Today the congregation has spread around the world, with over 80 Oratories and some 600 priests and brothers. Each Oratory is independently administered under the guidance of the Procura Generalis located in Rome. The post-nominal initials commonly used to identify members of the Oratory are “C.O.”