Back in colonial Sydney, church wasn’t just an honored tradition – it was mandatory, like it or not.
When Catholic convicts were forced to endure protestant sermons, they found a clever way to follow the rules while still following their faith.
Read on for this historical tale of malicious compliance!
In the early days of the British colony in Sydney, Australia, the authorities viewed the Church of England as part of the establishment.
They required convicts to attend church every Sunday in an attempt to install “good morals”.
The convicts weren’t a big fan of this rule.
This grated somewhat on those of the convict population who were from a Roman Catholic background (particularly the Irish).
The colony soon developed and so did their approach to developing churches.
As the colony developed, and grants of land were made further away from Sydney Cove (the initial settlement point).
Churches of the Church of England flavour were set up, and ministers appointed to preach to and pastor the locals.
Fairly early in the days of the colony, a settlement was established at Windsor, about 40km/25miles northwest of Sydney Cove.
Soon the convicts could be recruited by locals and bound by contracts for their labor.
Settlers farming on granted land nearby could apply to have convicts to work as farm labourers and domestic servants.
These arrangements involved written contracts, specifying the responsibilities of the landholders and the convicts.
The contracts had an unusual clause.
These contracts included the stipulation that the convicts must attend the church service at “St Matthew’s Church, Windsor” every Sunday.
The Roman Catholic priests in Sydney did not take this lying down.
So the priests found a clever loophole.
In 1840, St Matthew’s Catholic Church was set up in Windsor.
Convicts in the area of a Roman Catholic persuasion could comply with the letter of their employment contracts without having to be subject to that nasty Protestantism.
This story proves even convicts prefer a church with the right vibe.
What did Reddit think?
This history buff has a quick note.
A fellow Australian relates to the rebellious spirit of the characters in this story.
The compliance probably wouldn’t have worked as well if they had formed a pub instead.
These catholic priests took a note from the convicts, not simply adapting, but outsmarting the system all together.
Nothing says divine inspiration like a little righteous defiance.
If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.
