Mystery donor hides gold coins in English churches to help parishes

A 15th-century church in Lancaster. Photo: Google Maps

In the United Kingdom, an unknown benefactor has for several years been secretly leaving caches of gold coins in churches, helping parish communities cope with financial hardship. The latest such find was discovered at St. Wilfrid’s Church in the village of Melling, Lancashire, The Times reports.

The parish, which has just five regular worshippers, had already been preparing to mark its last Good Friday in the historic 15th-century church. Because the building needed repairs estimated at around £750,000, the community had decided to close. However, while preparing for the service, parishioners found a box under the altar containing nine gold Britannia coins and a note: “I would like to donate these nine gold Britannias to the church in Melling.”

The message was signed: “James, servant of the Living God.” Although the coins had a face value of £100 each, they were sold for nearly £30,000. The money will allow the parish to begin fundraising for major repairs and apply for grant funding.

It later emerged that at least two other churches in Lancashire had received similar secret donations in 2022. The benefactor’s identity remains unknown, but his unusual initiative has already helped several small English parishes avoid closure.

As the UOJ reported, a study found that thousands of churches in England could close within the next five years.

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