Epistle side
In the liturgical traditions of Western Christianity, the Epistle side is the term used to designate the side of a church on which the Epistle is read during the Mass or Eucharist. It is the right-hand side of the altar as viewed by the congregation from the nave.
The Gospel side is the other side of the church, where the Gospel is read. Facing the altar from the nave, it is the left-hand side. In some places, especially if a comment is based on a romance language source, the Gospel side will be cited as the Evangelist side.
In the Tridentine Mass, which is still in use among some communities, the lectern holding the Missal was moved from the Epistle side of the altar to the Gospel side after the reading of the Epistle.
