General Chat

I was churched over both my sons it is for life given and life preserved and to give thanks for the birth of your baby

Thank yo all for your interesting comments. Sorry to have ignored you all been busy doing boring housework. Have shown them all to my husband who has now apologised. I keep saying to him "Trust me I am a woman and we are never wrong" LOL. I think all these superstitions of the past are quite interesting though. Perhaps we could start a thread on family superstitions! Pat

Here in my part of Lancashire women were churched and a superstition that went with it was, If you put your hands in flour before you were churched your milk would dry up. Bren

The idea that a woman was somehow in a state of sin after giving birth has thankfully been relegated to the history books. Many families like to come to their church after a birth to give thanks and receive a blessing - Not the same thing at all.

As someone else has said, it's a service in the old Anglican prayer book. Originates with the OT Hebrews, who had a ritual cleansing service for women after childbirth. They had a number of hangups, such as menstruation, when women were reckoned to be unclean. Probably had never heard of condoms, lol! The best known "churched" ladies, in that sense, were Mary and Elizabeth, mothers respectively of Jesus and John the Baptist. Obviously a good pedigree! Philip

I am very interested in all your comments because I was Churched after having my baby 54 years ago. Unfortunately, he was stillborn, so I can't understand why I had to go through it. I think I cried all the way through the service and I shall never forget it. Sylvia in Perth WA

Yes I was churched. So was my Mum, grandma etc etc. I wasn't married either! But while still in hospital Mum went to see the vicar about this and the christening. Just a short service of thanks from what I remember. This was 30 years ago but I haven't heard of it since really. Mum used to say her Mum inisisted and you couldn't visit another house until you'd been churched. Jane

My mother-in-law asked me that when I had my 1st, I asked her what she ment, and she told me that it is to clense for sin, as my son was consived and born within wedlock I didn't feel it was a sin as it was he was planned and very much wanted by 2 loving parents, so I refused, as I felt it was out of order, nower days you don't here much of it, and yes I did live in the Midlands then. Bev

When I was in the maternity hospital after having my son, the vicar came to my bed asked if I would like to be churched. He did it there and then. That was 1970. Jo.

'Churching' was when a woman, after the birth of a child was 'cleansed' for the sin she had committed in conceiving/giving birth to a child. a woman was considered 'unclean' after the birth of a child until she had been 'churched'. Don't know where the men came in to it - I suppose they had (innocently) been lured by these disgusting women lol!!!!! maggie

My family was catholic and I remember my mother being churched after my youngest brother was born in 1964. It was never mentioned when any of my children were born though and I had forgotten all about it until now. Have to say though, that I'm a very lapsed Catholic!

According to WordWeb - CHURCHED - Perform a special church rite or service for "church a woman after childbirth" Johnboy

Oh dear, missed mine. Do you think they would do me one now to cover my daughter and my twin sons? Trouble is it would be 18 and 17 years too late! Seriously though, I have heard/read about it before. I think before WWII it was a very common practice. Viv

I was Churched too, but I just sat in a pew, while the vicar went through the service. June

Yes I was churched after all my children had been born.My mother in law would let no-one in the house after they had a baby unless they had been churched.that even went for her own daughters. Didn't have to lay on the floor though just knelt down and the vicar would then go through the service. This was back in the early 60's. Sue

Thanks to all of you for your comments at least hubby will see now that I did not make it all up. Pat

You'll find the service in the Book of Common Prayer. It's called "The Thanksgiving of Women After Child-Birth commonly called The Churching of Women" The instruction was that she should "come into the church decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place...." (not lie down)

Bob That would make sense but it was used for married women which makes it a bit off especially as the men didn't have to go. Still I suppose it was a mans world then Pat

I have heard of it, but more in the context of giving thanks for a safe delivery, which is quite nice. I think it has all but died out now.

When I had my first son, my mum asked me if I had been Churched, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Apparently, she said I should go to church and thank God for the safe arrival of my son. Sue