"Churched" ?

[Marmalady]

ahhh

i seem to have got the reasons a bit mixed up. Thanks for the clarifications

I was under the impression that a woman who had recently given birth was considered "unclean" untill she had been "churched"

Another custom i remember reading about (but can't remember where) was  that a woman who wanted to have a baby but was having difficulty conceiving would go and sit on the bed of an unchurched mother in the hope of "catching" fertility

[LFS]

The trouble is that although the church service was one of thanksgiving there was a sort of folklore about churching - my Auntie Vi was told by Grandma she wasn't allowed into her mother's house until she was churched, after the death of her eldest child - I think the Vicar probably had something to say to Grandma about it, as nothing further was said about it.
But I've never heard about "churching" in respect of a baby.
Derby Girl

[stanmapstone]

You can read about Churching of Women in the Roman Catholic Church at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03761a.htm

But I've never heard about "churching" in respect of a baby.
Derby Girl

The baptism service consists of two parts, the baptism itself and the public receiving of the infant before the congregation at a service in the church as a member of Christ’s flock. If a child is baptised privately, they ought to be brought to the Church as soon as possible to be received as members of " the flock of true Christian people". This is why the term "half baptised" is sometimes used, because the second part has not been carried out. However children that are baptized privately, are not half baptized, as it was commonly called, but "truly and validly baptized".
It is very rare for the C of E to hold private baptisms today, according to our vicar, and not encouraged.
Stan

[mrsruz]

I was churched by the hospital chaplain after I had my 2nd daughter in 1977.
It is an old CofE practice although not often used.

[silaswall]

 I understand my grandmother was churched after each of her confinements. She had 11 children between 1911 and 1936. Just looked all the babies were 2-3 weeks old when baptized. So, I assume she was churched later. She was Church of England.

[stanmapstone]

I was churched by the hospital chaplain after I had my 2nd daughter in 1977.
It is an old CofE practice although not often used.

It is now called   "Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child"
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/initiation/thanksgiftchild.aspx

Stan

[stanmapstone]

You can read about Churching of Women in the Roman Catholic Church at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03761a.htm

In the RC church the primary blessing for a woman after childbirth is now part of the revised rite of baptism itself.

Stan

[FionaO]

Hi All,

Very interesting replies (and appropriate for a Sunday).

But now I am confused as I believe the notes were written verbatim so I really do wonder what my Grandmother meant.

Fionaoh

[Lilym]

In the 1960's when I had my children it was still considered that before taking a baby into a house other than you own home it should be taken to church first - usually for baptism. That is probably what the old lady meant by the baby being 'churched' - the first house visited was the house of God at a time when religious observance was widespread.

With some very bad weather my eldest's gt grandma was very happy to care for her for an hour in her house so that I could do some shopping a week before the baptism service. She didn't hold with those 'old wives tales'.