I never got near a church with it.

I had to drop the correct pronunciation, and painstakingly go back to my first wrong pronunciation.

Then they would brighten up, and tell me it was round the corner, or down the next street, as the case might be.
I also think pronunciation of a foreign tongue could be better taught than by demanding from the pupil those internal acrobatic feats that are generally impossible and always useless.

This is the sort of instruction one receives: "Press your tonsils against the underside of your larynx.

Then with the convex part of the septum curved upwards so as almost--but not quite--to touch the uvula, try with the tip of your tongue to reach your thyroid.
Take a deep breath, and compress your glottis.