What an amazing story. I really felt rather emotional reading the last line. Brifea
I've had a go of getting something out of your photo, but there was so much noise in the image that I've had to paint out most of the background. It's not perfect but I think it looks a little better.
Hi tnt4nu,
I take quite a few photos of church interiors and just like you i don't like using flash. The answer is HRD. I'm fascinated by the interiors of disused churches and though some of them have some form of electric lighting I ignore that and just rely on natural light through the windows. Using HDR you will be amazed at the results that you can get. If you are not sure about taking photos for an HDR image there is a fund of knowledge on the internet. I've attached an HDR image to give you some OIdea.
Altar and Chancel, Holy Trinity Church, Privet, Hampshire