I
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n Brielen, a
small Belgian village of only 700 inhabitants, it was customary for church
goers to meet up for a beer after every Sunday mass.
That became a
problem after the last bar in the village closed down, but the local priest was
more than happy to keep the tradition going by turning the church into a bar
after Sunday mass.
Some say
alcohol is the devil’s drink, but a Protestant church in Brielen, Belgium, is
using it to keep parishioners happy and bring more people closer to God. After
the last bar in town closed, church goers who used to get together every
Sunday after mass for a cold glass of beer were forced to either abandon their
tradition or travel to neighboring villages.
It was a sad
end to a very popular custom, but the local priest saw it as an opportunity to
do something good for his flock aAfter asking the permission of local
authorities, the priest announced that every Sunday, after mass, congregates
were more than welcome to use the church as a bar and drink as much beer as
they like, just like they used to before.
He even had an
actual bar set up in the church and, as soon as he ends his sermon, wooden
chairs and tables with white table cloths are brought out to make the people
feel like they’re in their old pub.
Parishioners
can drink as much beer as they like, but the priest has set a few clear rules.
The most
important one is that you have to attend the mass in order to be allowed into
the bar. This helps the church better fulfill its purpose of bringing people
closer to religion, and people get their bar experience back. Everybody wins and
attract more people to church.
To
keep the church from turning into a place of debauchery, music and dancing are
forbidden, and patrons must leave before 1:00 in the afternoon. This gives them
enough time to drink plenty of beer, but not enough to get too drunk. READ MORE
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