Most went along with this without fuss, although others attempted to get out of it by hiding in various parts of the school – their dormitories, their rooms, in little known places around the campus, and sometimes even the classrooms themselves. Though Mass lasted only an hour, we were required to arrive at the church at least fifteen to twenty minutes before, and be on our best behaviour while there. The teachers and monks would watch us like hawks, knowing that here, in full view of the churchgoing public, we were representative of the attitudes of the pupils at St Christopher’s. The church, St Christopher’s Catholic Church, was also our church, and so we were expected to show the utmost respect for it and everyone who graced its doors. The abbey itself was enormous. Being one of the few places of worship for Catholics for many miles around (others were apparently just small chapels, considered satellite buildings to the main abbey), it attracted a great number of parishioners.
