A church with which I used to be associated is having to close. Internet research tells me it is because of falling congregation numbers, which will be a big part of it. The roof needs to be repaired and they cannot afford to do that.
However, word has reached me - as I have friends in the area - that the main reason is that the building has been declared unsafe as a result of subsidence. Whether or not that subsidence is a result of nearby building work has not been established.
For some reason I was dwelling, today, on my Confirmation in 1970 and I remembered how, a few days before the service, we were required to go to confession. A large group of school pupils were prepared for confirmation (many of us were choristers) and the then Chaplain of the school and the Precentor of the cathedral had us all in the cathedral during the school day for an hour or two. The rehearsal was on a different day.
We were told that we each needed to have a pure heart before we were confirmed and that we needed to make our confession. We were all sent to sit some distance away from each other and think about what we would confess.
Now for Catholics I would not be surprised to learn that this is normal; even these days. However, we were Anglicans and although the rite of confession does exist I doubt it plays as large a part in church-goers' lives as it does for Catholics.
For a child of 11 to be sent into a corner and told to come up with some things to confess strikes me as a form of abuse. I made some things up such as Greed (eating too many sausages!) but I threw in a bit about Hate, as there was a boy I did not like.
I didn't feel any more pure afterwards. In fact I felt the whole things was an excuse for the priests to hear our darkest thoughts!
Churches have large door handles and some are very old. I have injured myself on two church door handles in the past.
The handle below (both outside and inside are shown) was quite safe but shows the typical age of device I am talking about.
