Hagioscopes and leper windows

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My last discussion was about a ‘squint’ in a church. As it seems many myLotters have never heard of squints (and neither had I) I did some research on them. They are more properly called ‘hagioscopes’ and aren’t particularly common. I couldn’t find anything to say that they were only found in Catholic churches. Hagioscopes were splayed openings through internal walls which allowed a view of the altar which would not otherwise be possible. It might connect a private or side-chapel to the main altar, allowing, perhaps, an order of enclosed nuns to follow the service. Some hagioscopes were made in external walls and these were called ‘leper windows’ or ‘lychnoscopes’. These allowed lepers or other undesirables to follow the service without mixing with the rest of the congregation. There are very few in continental Europe although Anna says they are seen in churches in Switzerland. I couldn’t find reference to any other Australian churches with hagioscopes. Monsignor Hawes, who built the church at Mullewa (which has a squint), was from England and an Anglican before switching to Catholicism so I guess he was familiar with squints. Monsignor Hawes had a Jack Russell dog, Dominie, and I wrote about him recently too. The photo shows Hawes bedroom with a hole in the whole so Dominie could go in and out at will.