Even after all your efforts, you did not get a chance to go inside the church, but whatever photos you took are good, and after reading your story it seems that you both had some fun, I mean this will also be remembered. 😅

I don't specifically know about churches, but it happens in temples that small temples in a particular area have a fixed time for opening and mostly they remain closed in the afternoon and night obviously. But big and old temples often remain open the whole day and night because devotees from far off places visit there, so their doors are never closed.
So it is possible that something like this happens in churches as well, after all they are all God's house. :)