Sponsored Pew?

The Davestator

Hi - I know nothing about how to sponsor a pew or if its even possible but I would like to do it for my folks. Maybe get a brass plaque on their regular pew. Is it only for dead people, is it expensive, invite only etc?

My folks are both living btw

Thanks

lazybones32

It'd be as expensive as the cost of a plaque and the labour to attach it to the pew (with permission, of course)
Not really a done thing for the living.

Seen on a Park bench in U.K. "This bench is dedicated to Steve, who went to the next life cheesed off that he didn't see more of this one."

Bogger77

The Davestator wrote: »

Hi - I know nothing about how to sponsor a pew or if its even possible but I would like to do it for my folks. Maybe get a brass plaque on their regular pew. Is it only for dead people, is it expensive, invite only etc?

My folks are both living btw

Thanks

The first point of call would be the parish office for the church/chapel. I've yet to see one for a living person, as it's more in remembrance.

you could maybe arrange for it to be fitted, after they pass on, but I know my parents wouldn't appreciate a plague while they're alive, and the discussion of one when they pass on, either.

The Davestator

Cheers folks. I'm waiting to hear back from parish, but they can take a while! The thinking would be that they decide what to put on it - their parents, or a general one for both of their families or our family.

brian_t

lazybones32 wrote: »

Seen on a Park bench in U.K. "This bench is dedicated to Steve, who went to the next life cheesed off that he didn't see more of this one."

I think they have one such bench in Eastenders.

This usually involves the purchase of a bench that was not there before. I doubt if the church requires any more pews.

In some churches you can get in trouble (dirty looks) if you sit in somebody elses pew.

I have heard of folk buying a new Altar Cloth or Hymn Books or Pew Bibles in memory of a Loved One.

Peregrinus

Not a big thing in the Catholic tradition. Occasionally, when a church is being built or expanded and is running a campaign to fund this, they'll invite people to sponsor a pew (or other fixtures and fittings) which involves donating the cost of the sponsored item. This is usually done in memory of the dead, but there's no reason in principle why it couldn't be done in honour of someone still living.

But nowadays it's not very commonly done, and in some parishes there'd be a view that it ought not to be done - that anything dedicated to liturgy is in honour of God. They'd be happy for you to donate to fund church fixtures and fittings; less happy for you to want to put a name on them.

All of this is separate from the Anglican tradition of renting a pew. A common way for parishes to fund themselves (particularly after tithes were abolished) was for parishioners of means to "rent" a particular pew. They paid an annual rental (which in fact was far more than the cost of maintaining the pew; it went into general parish funds) and in return they had a right to use a particular pew, which was usually marked with a plate carrying their name. On any occasion when they weren't using it, anyone could use it, but if they turned up others in the pew were expected to give it up to them.

I think this tradition is pretty well dead in Anglicanism, but you do still occasionally see pews marked with a family name, and this is why.

Jellybaby1

This happens in the Anglican churches and the tradition is not quite completely dead yet. The plaques are usually to the 'honour and glory of God and in memory of.....' The family being memorialised usually would have been big supporters of the church and it would have been a way of showing the gratitude of the parish for all the assistance the parish received, whether it be big cheques, professional advice, sitting on committees, or in some cases the family might have just got stuck in and fixed the roof, windows, heating, gates.......whatever, without charging a penny. My RC relatives are sometimes surprised when they hear just how much work goes on in the CoI churches by the parishioners without any payment expected, or offered. But 'thank you's' are a-plenty, and so are memorials. As my friend says, 'it's just what you do'. However, a memorial for a living person is just not done (in the CoI). It's like a gravestone.

J C

brian_t wrote: »

In some churches you can get in trouble (dirty looks) if you sit in somebody elses pew.

I'd vote with my feet on such a church.

A church is a House of God, before whom we are all equal ... and if somebody wants a particular seat .... I'd suggest that they come in time and sit on it.

If some 'big wig' feels that they own part of the church, because they have engaged in some kind of ostentatious spending on the church, I'd suggest they should be left to enjoy the facility that they have created for themselves ... on their own!!!

katydid

Bogger77 wrote: »

T I know my parents wouldn't appreciate a plague while they're alive,

If they die of the PLAGUE, they would definitely deserve a PLAQUE.. :-)

katydid

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

This happens in the Anglican churches and the tradition is not quite completely dead yet. The plaques are usually to the 'honour and glory of God and in memory of.....' The family being memorialised usually would have been big supporters of the church and it would have been a way of showing the gratitude of the parish for all the assistance the parish received, whether it be big cheques, professional advice, sitting on committees, or in some cases the family might have just got stuck in and fixed the roof, windows, heating, gates.......whatever, without charging a penny. My RC relatives are sometimes surprised when they hear just how much work goes on in the CoI churches by the parishioners without any payment expected, or offered. But 'thank you's' are a-plenty, and so are memorials. As my friend says, 'it's just what you do'. However, a memorial for a living person is just not done (in the CoI). It's like a gravestone.

In my CofI church, a parishioner (not wealthy or anything) sponsored the purchase of a new set of hymn books. Their relative had been a lifelong member of the church choir, so they knew it would have meant a lot to them. Each book was stamped on the inside cover with a little note saying who they were in memory of. Another sponsored an altar cloth and set of cloths for covering the chalice on the altar. All these little things help a lot in the expensive running of the church.

J C

katydid wrote: »

In my CofI church, a parishioner (not wealthy or anything) sponsored the purchase of a new set of hymn books. Their relative had been a lifelong member of the church choir, so they knew it would have meant a lot to them. Each book was stamped on the inside cover with a little note saying who they were in memory of. Another sponsored an altar cloth and set of cloths for covering the chalice on the altar. All these little things help a lot in the expensive running of the church.

That makes a lot of sense Katydid ... but what wouldn't be acceptable IMO, is somebody 'buying' a church pew and preventing everybody else sitting on it.
Apart from the selfishness of such behaviour ... why would anybody sponsor a a set of Hymnals or whatever, that everybody can presumably benefit from, when they could be guaranteed a personal seat in church if they used their money to buy a pew instead???

katydid

J C wrote: »

That makes a lot of sense Katydid ... but what wouldn't be acceptable IMO, is somebody 'buying' a church pew and preventing everybody else sitting on it.
Apart from the selfishness of such behaviour ... why would anybody sponsor a a set of Hymnals or whatever, that everybody can presumably benefit from, when they could be guaranteed a personal seat in church if they used their money to buy a pew instead???

I've never heard of anyone buying a pew and reserving it in modern times. It used to be the case in the olden days, and you still see plaques on "family pews" in some old churches, but it certainly doesn't happen these days.

Jellybaby1

The 'buying' of a pew went out with the dinosaurs. This is the 21st century and it doesn't happen any more in the CoI. The plaques still remain on the pews but they are not reserved. Usually it happened so long ago the families have moved away or died out. Nobody prevents anyone from sitting where they want in a church, whatever the religion. Oh, except in the choir stalls which are reserved for the choir, but you can join the choir if you have a decent voice, and sometimes even if you haven't!

Yes, katydid, when the new hymnals came out a lot of CoI parishioners sponsored them with a personal donation, we did it too, but not in memory of anyone, just to ease the financial burden on the cash-strapped parish.

J C

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

The 'buying' of a pew went out with the dinosaurs. This is the 21st century and it doesn't happen any more in the CoI. The plaques still remain on the pews but they are not reserved. Usually it happened so long ago the families have moved away or died out. Nobody prevents anyone from sitting where they want in a church, whatever the religion. Oh, except in the choir stalls which are reserved for the choir, but you can join the choir if you have a decent voice, and sometimes even if you haven't!

Yes, katydid, when the new hymnals came out a lot of CoI parishioners sponsored them with a personal donation, we did it too, but not in memory of anyone, just to ease the financial burden on the cash-strapped parish.

I can understand that the 'buying' may date to the jurassic era ... but is possession/ownership still enforced ???

... if I were to visit a COI church and sit on one of these 'family' pews would/could I be asked to move myself somewhere else???

Jellybaby1

J C wrote: »

I can understand that the 'buying' may date to the jurassic era ... but is possession/ownership still enforced ???

... if I were to visit a COI church and sit on one of these 'family' pews would/could I be asked to move myself somewhere else???

Good grief, absolutely and positively NOT! I have to ask you, where did you hear that this happens today?

katydid

J C wrote: »

I can understand that the 'buying' may date to the jurassic era ... but is possession/ownership still enforced ???

... if I were to visit a COI church and sit on one of these 'family' pews would/could I be asked to move myself somewhere else???

No to both.