Gospel Page
In the extraordinary form of the Roman rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the left side of a high altar is called the Gospel side . The left side of a nave is also known colloquially as the Gospel side (also popularly known as the “women's side”), in the case of east- facing churches, the northern side.
The gospel page got its name from - and was distinguished by the fact that the gospel and the final gospel of Holy Mass were recited there. The missal was on this side for most of the Mass . It was only carried back to the other side, the epistle side , after Communion .
Word usage
Nowadays, the term Gospel page is only important for the celebration of mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman mass rite. The traditional division of pews into a man's side (right) and a woman's side (left) is no longer common.
The two terms are also used in churches that have two choir organs . These are often monastery churches with originally a separate monk choir (e.g. Ottobeuren monastery or Ebrach monastery ). The organ on the left is the "Gospel organ", the one on the right is the "Epistle organ".