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vault in the basement of the Church.

In the churches, as in many of the homes and the school, coal was the principal heating fuel. Many times the hissing and clanking of the steam radiators competed with the priest for the attention of the congregation. Fainting was very much in vogue, so it seemed, and rarely did a Sunday Mass go by without one or more of the faithful having to be hauled outside where the fresh, cool air quickly restored them to full consciousness. In order for Roman Catholics to receive communion, fastng from the previous midnight was mandatory. For many that meant not eating until sometime after noon when the Sunday morning Mass was completed. Perhaps this contributed to the swooning.