Sorcery: A Prevalence of Witches

In the green and pleasant town of Westham in Sussex last week, the Rev. Harold Coulthurst performed one of the rarest of Anglican ceremonies: rehallowing an altar. Rehallowing was required because several days before, four men had been surprised while in the midst of a mysterious ritual inside Westham's 11th century church of St. Mary the Virgin. "The men were trying to communicate with evil spirits," declared Coulthurst. "They were chanting some sort of mumbo jumbo. They were definitely in league with the devil."

Church defilement has lately become an occupational hazard of village vicars; England seems to be in...

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