Church

I haven't written anything in awhile, so here is a brief bit. I went to Holy Trinity Church for an evensong celebrating the 800 years the church has been open. Churches from all over the area were there. I know this might be boring to most, but I love history, so play along.

The church used to have collegiate altars controlled by the priests of the church on the right (North) side of the nave, and on the left (South) side the guilds of the town had their own altars and a Lady Chapel dedicated to Mary. There were occasional disputes between the two sides but nothing big until the Guild Chapel was built in the center of town (the Church is in Old Town, on the outskirts of what was then the town border) and mass was allowed to be celebrated there. The Guild Chapel started to celebrate mass earlier than the church did, drawing the people, and therefore the money, to the Guild Chapel and not the church.

It became enough of a problem that the Pope had to send a Papal Bull to Stratford-Upon-Avon saying that the Guild Chapel could not begin its mass until the Gospel had been read in the mass at the Church, unless the Gospel reading was postponed in malice.

I aso found out that Catholicism was officially illegal in the country until 1829, when the Catholic hierarchy was allowed back into the country. Catholics were still not allowed to vote, hold seats in Parliament, go to University or many other things.

Anyway, afterwards I went out for drinks with the curate of the church, who I met at the Institute welcome tea/beer. I have more to write about but I will do it later, when I am not so tired.