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"The father, the son, and the holy ghost"—these sacred words are spoken by the living. Every Sunday, Christian congregations gather at their local churches to receive the word of God. Most expect to find solace and peace in the house of the Lord. Yet, not all churches and cathedrals are purely holy. Some harbor otherworldly entities, from spirits to demons. The following 10 churches and cathedrals are said to be haunted by the supernatural.
10. Norwich Cathedral
The Norwich Cathedral, located in Norwich, England, was constructed starting in 1096, a full 30 years after the significant Battle of Hastings. Once a Catholic cathedral (now Anglican), it is renowned for its stunning example of Anglo-Saxon architecture. Ironically, in the process of constructing the cathedral, Norman architects destroyed numerous Saxon buildings, which were later discovered to be places of worship, to lay the cathedral’s foundations.
Visitors today may not be aware of the cathedral’s past, but they are likely familiar with its haunting legends. In 2015, a tourist named Kerry Launders took a photo that might just capture the ghostly figure of a medieval bishop. The photo was widely circulated in both British and American tabloids. Launders believes she managed to photograph the apparition of one of the cathedral’s many spectral inhabitants.
Although the bishop is the most famous ghostly sighting at the cathedral, he is not the only eerie presence. It is believed that the spirits of executed Lollards, many of whom were burned at the stake for their unorthodox religious beliefs, haunt the cathedral grounds. This is because the chalk pits they once used were incorporated into the cathedral’s construction.
9. St. Louis Cathedral
Much like the city it represents, the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans is surrounded by its own collection of bizarre myths and eerie stories. Originally constructed by the French rulers of the city, the present cathedral wasn't completed until the 1850s. According to local legend, the spirits of the old cathedral followed along with the new building.
One of the most famous spirits said to haunt the cathedral is Pere Dagobert, an 18th-century priest known for his compassion, especially towards the poor and those suffering from terminal illnesses. In the 1760s, several members of his congregation revolted against the new Spanish rule over the city. The primarily French and Creole rebels succeeded in driving the first Spanish force out, but a larger Spanish army later reclaimed New Orleans for the Spanish crown.
Enraged by the earlier uprising, Irish-Spanish governor Alejandro O’Reilly decided not only to execute the rebels, but also to leave their decaying bodies on the steps of the St. Louis Cathedral. As a devout Catholic, Dagobert could not stand by while the bodies of his fellow Catholics were treated so disrespectfully. Unable to obtain permission from O’Reilly to bury the bodies properly, Dagobert led a funeral procession to St. Peter’s Cemetery and laid the fallen men to rest in unmarked graves.
Dagobert’s successor, a Spanish priest named Pere Antoine, is also believed to haunt the cathedral. More fascinatingly, Antoine’s friend, the famous voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, who often prayed at the cathedral during her lifetime, is also considered to be one of the many spirits residing within its walls.
8. St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas Church is practically destined to be haunted, given that it resides in the village of Pluckley, which holds the infamous reputation as the most haunted village in all of England. This Kent village is home to the Watercress Woman, who haunts the Pinnock Bridge, and the ghost of a schoolmaster who tragically took his own life in front of his students. A conservative estimate suggests that Pluckley is home to no fewer than 12 active spirits.
The church itself is believed to be home to the spirit of Lady Dering, a ghost known for her ethereal beauty, as well as the Lady in Red, who wanders the nearby churchyard in search of her lost child. The apparition of a former miller who once worked in the area is also said to haunt the grounds, forever searching for a lost love. Additionally, a monk from the nearby Greystones House is also reported to make appearances in the night. Lastly, visitors to St. Nicholas have claimed to have seen lights flickering in the church’s windows when no one was inside.
7. Church of St. Mary the Virgin
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a modest parish church in Clophill, Bedfordshire, is arguably one of the most notorious places of worship in all of England. Estimated to be around 400 years old, St. Mary’s was abandoned for many years before being renovated in the 1840s. Originally serving a very small congregation, the church quickly gained a dark reputation. Local rumors suggested that the church had been built out of alignment with Jerusalem, rendering its soil deconsecrated. Another claim was that it was constructed atop a former leper colony.
In 1963, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin made national headlines after it was reported that a black mass had been performed there by local Satanists. Allegedly, the graves of six women were unearthed in order to perform necromancy, with one of the skeletons left behind within the church. The blasphemous activities at Clophill were part of a series of strange events that had been happening in Bedfordshire and Luton. In April 1963, a 12-year-old boy discovered that several local cows had been decapitated, and a former forestry student later admitted to the press that he and some friends had slaughtered a cockerel and sprinkled its blood inside St. Mary’s back in 1961.
Following these occurrences, further reports of black magic activities surfaced around the church. Worshippers gradually deserted the church in large numbers. Paranormal researchers continue to investigate the building in an attempt to uncover any lingering spirits or demons. As of today, the church is no longer in service.
6. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Founded in the 19th century, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is located in the tropical paradise of Key West, Florida. Originally built in 1838, the church was destroyed by a hurricane after just eight years of use. Sadly, this pattern repeated itself, with subsequent hurricanes and floods causing damage in the 1880s, 1900s, and beyond. Despite its tumultuous history, most of the church’s spirits are said to be found in St. Paul’s Cemetery rather than within the church building itself.
Common folklore suggests that the church’s most renowned ghost is John Fleming, its benefactor. Witnesses claim that his apparition is often accompanied by a thin, white vapor. It’s believed that his spirit haunts the church because his headstone is now incorporated into the church’s walls, which goes against his final request that his grave remain undisturbed.
More unsettling than an angry spirit is the belief that the church is also home to the unsettled souls of those who were once buried in its churchyard. In 1928, a powerful hurricane ravaged the churchyard, scattering the remains of the once-buried people all over. Some bones were even found hanging in nearby trees, while others were left to decay on the ground in preparation for a cement paving project.
Furthermore, an investigation of the ruined graveyard revealed that the site was far older than originally thought. It turned out that the churchyard was built over a much older Seminole burial ground. Legend has it that their spirits have now joined with the ghosts of Spanish and American settlers to haunt the areas surrounding the church grounds.
5. Most Holy Trinity Church
A notable Brooklyn landmark, the Most Holy Trinity Church is also believed to be one of the borough’s most haunted locations. While the current structure was completed in the 1880s, the church’s school building was constructed on the site of a former cemetery. As a result, it’s widely thought that the spirits who once haunted the cemetery now reside in the school building. Reports of flickering lights, disembodied feet, and strange voices have been especially common in the church’s gymnasium.
Another apparition is said to emanate from the church’s belfry. In the time when the church predominantly served the area’s German Catholic population, a bell ringer named George Stelz met a tragic end at the hands of burglars who left their bloody handprints behind in the church. Visitors have reported feeling an unsettling presence in the church’s vestibule, while some have claimed to hear ghostly bells ringing throughout the building.
In addition to Stelz, the church’s other prominent ghost is that of a pastor who constructed the church’s rectory in 1872. The pastor, who passed away inside the church, is said to still haunt its grounds as a benevolent spirit.
4. St. Andrew’s On The Red
St. Andrew’s on the Red, which was finished in 1849, is situated in the town of Selkirk, a suburban area of Winnipeg. As the oldest stone church in Western Canada, it is also considered one of the region’s most haunted, largely due to the spirits of those who perished in the plague.
Other spirits are believed to inhabit the church’s graveyard. Witnesses have claimed to see a man dressed in black and a mysterious woman in white. In addition, a pair of disembodied red eyes have startled passersby, and a ghostly car has been seen near the church’s main entrance.
If you plan to visit the church or its cemetery, exercise caution: Those who have encountered these apparitions often report experiencing terrible nightmares on the nights that follow. Many of these dreams center around the cemetery gates, which rattle without any visible cause.
3. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Staten Island is another Anglican/Episcopalian church commonly associated with hauntings. Known as a popular spot for paranormal investigators, this 18th-century church, complete with its eerie cemetery, is reported to be the source of unexplained phenomena like disembodied voices, mysterious chimes, and other sounds that defy logical explanation.
Skeptics may argue that the church's reputation for being haunted is simply due to its role as a haunted house every Halloween. The church's appearance might make it seem spooky, encouraging people to believe it’s haunted. However, numerous reports of eerie, unexplained organ music, along with visitors experiencing a chilling sense of dread without any clear cause, continue to suggest that the church is haunted by the spirits of former worshipers.
2. Chapel Of The Cross
The Chapel of the Cross in Madison, Mississippi, like many churches, is situated near a cemetery. This charming stone building was once part of the Johnstone family's estate, a wealthy and powerful family. In the 1850s, Helen Johnstone, who was to marry a prominent young man from a local family, experienced heartbreak when her fiancé was killed in a duel in New Orleans before their wedding. His body was brought back to Mississippi and buried in the churchyard, where Helen visited his grave daily until her own death in 1916. Since then, some have claimed to see Helen’s ghost near the old cemetery on certain nights.
Visitors to this haunting church have reported hearing bells and other sounds during the early morning hours. On one occasion, two Belhaven College students, exploring the grounds on a moonlit night, thought they saw faces in the windows and heard the faint sound of organ music. Other frequent reports include ghostly children passing through the church’s iron gates before vanishing, as well as the disembodied laughter of a madman.
1. Egg Hill Church
Egg Hill Church in Pennsylvania may be haunted by the spirits of murder victims. According to local legend, the church’s minister, in the late 19th century, decided to kill his entire congregation during a Halloween service. While the congregation’s children played in the lower rooms, the minister served poisoned bread and wine. As the congregation succumbed to the poison, their children rushed upstairs to witness their final moments. At the peak of the massacre, the twisted minister hanged himself near the altar. Some believe that his ghost still haunts the church, while others claim it’s the ghosts of his victims that linger.
For those seeking evidence of this chilling story, there’s none to be found. Despite the story’s persistence, it lacks any historical basis. However, this hasn’t stopped alternate versions of the tale, one of which suggests that the minister killed each of his victims manually with a knife.
If the origin story is false, then Egg Hill Church may not be haunted after all. Some paranormal investigators agree with this assertion, while others prefer to stay away from the entire tale. Regardless of the truth behind the legend, one thing is certain: Egg Hill Church remains an undeniably ominous structure.
