#St. James Cemetery and Church Monk Castle

[myhauntedsalem]

St. James Cemetery and Church Monk Castle

Lemont, Illinois

Suburban Chicago plays host to many haunts. One of the most haunted being the St. James Cemetery and Church located in Lemont, Illinois. This church was built in 1833 and is the oldest Catholic church in the Chicago area. The church acquired the nickname Monk’s Castle.

It is believed that a group of monks lived at St. James once. If they caught anyone trespassing there at night, they would make them kneel in payer to repent their sins all night until morning. Over the years there have been many sightings of robed monks roaming the cemetery and grounds late into the evening. Sounds of chants in Latin the same as monks practice have been heard coming from the grounds at night even though nobody is around. All of this seemed to be rumor until 1977 when a police officer patrolling the area spotted a bunch of hooded figures walking the grounds. He reported that they moved almost as if floating. After stopping and demanding that they come out, they continued walking up over the cemetery hill. After retrieving his shotgun, the officer pursued. However, once he crested the hill, there was no one to be found in the wide open grave yard.

Another haunt that takes place on the St. James grounds dates back to 1897. A phantom horse and carriage have been seen coming down what is now Archer Avenue and then pulling into the church grounds and stopping as if waiting for someone or something. Then it is rumored, a woman dressed in white has been seen dancing wildly coming out of the cemetery. She gets into the carriage and the carriage pulls away, only to vanish into nothing.

A former pastor confessed on his death bed in 1970 that on occasion he would look out the window of the church and see the ground rising and falling as if it were alive and breathing.

#St. James Cemetery and Church Monk Castle #Monk Castle #St James Cemetery #haunted cemeteries #ghost and hauntings #paranormal #ghost and spirits #haunted locations #haunted salem #myhauntedsalem #paranormal phenomena #ghosts #supernatural #spirits #hauntings #haunting #haunted

[psceuropetrip2018]

Spooky happenings in London 👻

We have reached the end of another unit. As per tradition I am sealing off the London bit of blog posts with a finale of haunted places in London. Now the last list from Vienna only had 5 places but London had tons of articles about haunted places so this one is a lot longer. I apologize for the lengthy read but let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good ghost story. 

Continue reading if you dare 😱😱

1. Tower of London

Starting off with a location that we’ve talked about! The Tower of London. With such an old location it’s no surprise that there’s a few ghosties running about. Here "off with her head" wasn't just a saying, it was reality. In 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was arrested and beheaded at the Tower Green. Other royal ghosts lurk in the castle, too. Arbella Stuart, cousin of King James I, was allegedly murdered here. In Bloody Tower two young princes, Edward V and Richard, were believed to be murdered by the Duke of Gloucester. These young boys’ voices and screams are heard throughout the tower.

2. Theatre Royal

London’s renowned Theatre Royal has had it’s fair share of haunted sightings over the years. According to both actors and staff members, the ghost of Joseph Grimaldi can be seen on the premises. This man is the inventor of the modern clown and called the “Man in Grey.” He was allegedly stabbed in the Theatre Royal and his bones were discovered in a side passage in 1848. Now I know that this sounds pretty grisly but the theatre isn’t all that spooky in real life. The appearance of one of the ghost is actually a sign of good luck for performances.

3. Covent Garden

We’ve talked about Covent Garden briefly in class so I thought that this would be a nice ad-in. This London Underground stop brings you to an awesome shopping area and one of London’s best theatre districts. But we aren’t talking about shopping, are we? Nah we’re talking about ghosts. The ghost that haunts this station is named William Terriss and he has been seen walking the platforms wearing a gray suit. Bizarre noises are also heard when no travelers are around.

4. Old Bailey

The Central Criminal Court, otherwise known as the Old Bailey, has a disturbing past. The court sits on the former site of Newgate Prison. Along with the building itself, ghosts seem to wander the area surrounding the Old Bailey. If you’re looking for a ghost-filled pub, sit down for a drink at the Viaduct Tavern on Newgate Street. One ghost, Fred, apparently pours out guests’ drinks and flickers the lights at this spooky pub so be aware of Fred 👀

5. Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is an inevitably haunted destination, considering that it houses more than 3,000 buried bodies. The most common ghostie that haunts Westminster Abbey is Father Benedictus, a former Benedictine monk of the abbey. In 1900, a woman reported a vivid sighting of him. In this sighting after about 25 seconds, Father Benedictus vanished into the walls of the church. In 1932, two visitors reported talking to him. Too bad this hasn’t happened in today’s day and age so we could get it on video. If you did want to try and see Father he’s typically appearing between 5 and 6 p.m.

6. St. Paul’s Cathedral

Another place that we have talked about in class! So spooky! Alright so St. Paul’s Cathedral is definitely an eerie place to visit. Its most well-known ghost is a whistling clergyman, who haunts the west end of the chapel. In Ghosts of London, author Elliott O’Donnell recalls meeting an American couple who witnessed a black cloud suddenly appearing in the chapel. Now if we go here and I see a black cloud I’m out. Gone. Never to return as that demon spirit black cloud is not coming near me.

7. Highgate Cemetery

This creepy cemetery opened in 1839 and was the go-to burial spot for Victorian socialites. But by the 1960s, it fell into a state of disrepair and decay leaving a spooky old cemetery. On Swain’s Lane, a street that cuts through the cemetery, several paranormal incidents have been reported. Some Londoners even claim to have seen a vampire lurking in the darkness. Vampire hunt anyone?

8. 50 Berkeley Square, Mayfair

This brick house was dubbed as London's most haunted house in the twentieth century both because of its deranged ex-tenant and resident female ghost. Both stories are fascinating and haunting, in all senses. The young woman allegedly threw herself from the top floor after being abused by her uncle and sometimes appears as a brown mist. Long standing tenant Mr. Myers locked himself in this house until he passed away and is also believed to haunt the premises. Apparently Myers went mad after he was rejected by his fiancée and let the house crumble around him. He died in 1874. On top of all that it's said a maid who slept one night in the attic room was found the next day so deeply distressed that she died the next day in an asylum.

9. The Parkland Walk Spriggan

If you went through my past blog posts I have mentioned this treasure before. Abandoned railway lines don’t get creepier than this – the Parkland Walk, which runs between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace. It is lush with vivid greenery but there is still something unsettling about wandering along the overgrown cutting. The part that passes Crouch End is the spookiest stretch of the route, where a looming ‘spriggan’ spirit watches from an unused railway arch, ready to startle unsuspecting passers-by.

10. The Greenwich Foot Tunnel

This tunnel, opened in 1902, runs under the river Thames and connects Greenwich to the the Isle of Dogs. Walking down its damp and narrow path will already leave you feeling uneasy, even without the ghosts of a Victorian man and woman strolling over from the other side. While no one knows exactly who this couple are, they’re spotted frequently late at night although I don’t know who would want to walk down a creepy tunnel so late. Supposedly, their footsteps can be heard bouncing down the leaking walls of the tunnel. Noooooo thank you I’ll take a cab.

11. Old Operating Theatre Museum

It sort of goes without saying this place is probably haunted as it was an actual surgical practice back when surgery wasn’t such an easy-going process. Surgical anesthetic wasn’t invented until 1846, and this place definitely predates that. Most patients died despite the best intentions of the surgeons. It’s the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe, and of course is no longer in use.

If you made it this far, how bothered are you by the count of 11 instead of a nice, even 10?

Sources:

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/photos/haunted-london-1 https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/haunted-places-in-london https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/attractions/ten-of-the-most-haunted-places-in-london-a3806806.html

#london

[myhauntedsalem]

St. James Cemetery and Church Monk Castle Lemont, Illinois

Suburban Chicago plays host to many haunts. One of the most haunted being the St. James Cemetery and Church located in Lemont, Illinois. This church was built in 1833 and is the oldest Catholic church in the Chicago area. The church acquired the nickname Monk's Castle.

It is believed that a group of monks lived at St. James once. If they caught anyone trespassing there at night, they would make them kneel in payer to repent their sins all night until morning. Over the years there have been many sightings of robed monks roaming the cemetery and grounds late into the evening. Sounds of chants in Latin the same as monks practice have been heard coming from the grounds at night even though nobody is around. All of this seemed to be rumor until 1977 when a police officer patrolling the area spotted a bunch of hooded figures walking the grounds. He reported that they moved almost as if floating. After stopping and demanding that they come out, they continued walking up over the cemetery hill. After retrieving his shotgun, the officer pursued. However, once he crested the hill, there was no one to be found in the wide open grave yard.

Another haunt that takes place on the St. James grounds dates back to 1897. A phantom horse and carriage have been seen coming down what is now Archer Avenue and then pulling into the church grounds and stopping as if waiting for someone or something. Then it is rumored, a woman dressed in white has been seen dancing wildly coming out of the cemetery. She gets into the carriage and the carriage pulls away, only to vanish into nothing.

A former pastor confessed on his death bed in 1970 that on occasion he would look out the window of the church and see the ground rising and falling as if it were alive and breathing.

#St. James Cemetery and Church Monk Castle #Haunted location #haunted cemeteries #haunted church #paranormal #ghost and hauntings #ghost and spirits #haunted salem #myhauntedsalem

[myhauntedsalem]

St. James Cemetery and Church “Monk Castle” Chicago Suburbs Lemont, Illinois

Suburban Chicago plays host to many haunts. One of the most haunted being the St. James Cemetery and Church located in Lemont, Illinois. This church was built in 1833 and is the oldest Catholic church in the Chicago area. The church acquired the nickname “Monk’s Castle”.

It is believed that a group of monks lived at St. James once. If they caught anyone trespassing there at night, they would make them kneel in payer to repent their sins all night until morning. Over the years there have been many sightings of robed monks roaming the cemetery and grounds late into the evening. Sounds of chants in Latin the same as monks practice have been heard coming from the grounds at night even though nobody is around. All of this seemed to be rumor until 1977 when a police officer patrolling the area spotted a bunch of hooded figures walking the grounds. He reported that they moved almost as if floating. After stopping and demanding that they come out, they continued walking up over the cemetery hill. After retrieving his shotgun, the officer pursued. However, once he crested the hill, there was no one to be found in the wide open grave yard.

Another haunt that takes place on the St. James grounds dates back to 1897. A phantom horse and carriage have been seen coming down what is now Archer Avenue and then pulling into the church grounds and stopping as if waiting for someone or “something”. Then it is rumored, a woman dressed in white has been seen dancing wildly coming out of the cemetery. She gets into the carriage and the carriage pulls away, only to vanish into nothing.

A former pastor confessed on his death bed in 1970 that on occasion he would look out the window of the church and see the ground rising and falling as if it were alive and breathing.

#St. James Cemetery and Church “Monk Castle” #haunted locations #paranormal #ghost and hauntings #ghost and spirits

[myhauntedsalem]

St. James Cemetery and Church “Monk Castle” Chicago Suburbs Lemont, Illinois

Suburban Chicago plays host to many haunts. One of the most haunted being the St. James Cemetery and Church located in Lemont, Illinois. This church was built in 1833 and is the oldest Catholic church in the Chicago area. The church acquired the nickname “Monk’s Castle”.

It is believed that a group of monks lived at St. James once. If they caught anyone trespassing there at night, they would make them kneel in payer to repent their sins all night until morning. Over the years there have been many sightings of robed monks roaming the cemetery and grounds late into the evening. Sounds of chants in Latin the same as monks practice have been heard coming from the grounds at night even though nobody is around. All of this seemed to be rumor until 1977 when a police officer patrolling the area spotted a bunch of hooded figures walking the grounds. He reported that they moved almost as if floating. After stopping and demanding that they come out, they continued walking up over the cemetery hill. After retrieving his shotgun, the officer pursued. However, once he crested the hill, there was no one to be found in the wide open grave yard.

Another haunt that takes place on the St. James grounds dates back to 1897. A phantom horse and carriage have been seen coming down what is now Archer Avenue and then pulling into the church grounds and stopping as if waiting for someone or “something”. Then it is rumored, a woman dressed in white has been seen dancing wildly coming out of the cemetery. She gets into the carriage and the carriage pulls away, only to vanish into nothing.

A former pastor confessed on his death bed in 1970 that on occasion he would look out the window of the church and see the ground rising and falling as if it were alive and breathing.

#St. James Cemetery and Church “Monk Castle” #haunted locations #paranormal #ghost and hauntings #ghost and spirits