Lent 2014 | Garawys 2014 Esgobaeth Llandaf | Diocese of Llandaff

First Royal visitorfor 600 years Page 9

Vicar’s music project set for TV stardomAvicar who is changing the

lives of children in a parishin one part of Cardiff

through her music is to featureon a national televisionprogramme.Revd Jan Gould will be on Songs of

Praise along with children from herground-breaking orchestra project,Making Music Changing Lives, whichshe runs from the Church of theResurrection in Ely.They are to feature accompanying the

internationally acclaimed Welsh tenorRhys Meirion in a special Sport Reliefthemed episode of the popular showscreened on Sunday, March 9.They were joined recently by Rhys

Meirion at the church where theyrehearse for filming for the show – whenthey recorded a specially arrangedversion of the Welsh hymn, Ar Hyd yNos.“We spent a fantastic day filming and

were privileged to have Rhys Meirion,singing with us – which the children werevery excited about,” said Jan.“The brass, the woodwind and the

string had all practised separately andthe filming day was the first time that wehad been able to play it altogether as

one orchestra! It all seemed to cometogether well though and the childrenwere amazing. We were so pleased tohave been chosen to appear on Songsof Praise.” The orchestra, which was set up four

years ago and has since had £30,000worth of funding from Comic Relief, isone of just a few projects from aroundthe country to be featured on thisweekend’s special episode of theprogramme.Jan, a professional viola player before

she trained for the priesthood, had beeninspired by the El Sistema project inVenezuela which began by giving violinlessons to street children. Jan felt if itcould work in Venezuela, then it couldwork in Ely too.Her scheme has grown from running

one night a week to two with around 70primary school pupils playing brass,woodwind and string instruments –many of whom who would not otherwisebe able to afford music lessons. Theyare taught by a combination ofprofessional musicians and studentsfrom the Royal Welsh College of Musicand Drama. They also learn musicappreciation, visit the opera, and how tobe part of an orchestra.Songs of Praise, Sport Relief Special

producer Peter Taylor said, “We enjoyeda brilliant day’s filming with the childrenwho were all fantastic. It is an amazingcharity which is doing some really greatwork. As soon as we heard about themwe knew they would be perfect forSongs of Praise.”It is the third major recognition for the

project which was the subject of a BBC

Radio Wales programme which won anational radio award last year. Janherself has also won a prestigiousphilanthropy award for her work with theproject, which she set up to givechildren on the city estate hope andambition for the futureShe won The Community Foundation

in Wales, Philanthropy Award 2013.

New Dean looks to the futureThe new Dean of Llandaff has spoken ofhis excitement about guiding theCathedral and all who worship thereforward.The Revd Gerwyn Capon, formerly

Chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales anda former commercial property developerwas installed as Dean of Llandaff onFebruary 28.“I am looking forward with a deep

sense of joy and anticipation to beingDean of this cathedral, the Vicar of itsparish and a priest to all those who comehere and find belonging,” said Gerwyn.“To be Dean of Llandaff is a wonderful

opportunity for any priest: to have beenentrusted by the Archbishop to take onthis role I take as a great privilege,

knowing the responsibilities it carries.“I have already received a whole lot of

support and encouragement from thecathedral community and many of myfellow clergy in the diocese. It has servedto remind me that I will not be alone inthis wonderful endeavour. Together wewill continue to hold open the doors ofthis beautiful church so that all mayencounter the profundity of God’spresence in our world and to help Hispeople connect with the message ofunconditional love and reconciliation thatis and celebrated here.”Before ordination Gerwyn, from

Anglesey, was a Chartered Surveyor andpartner in a commercial property firm, abackground that was recognised when he

worked in the Church of England as anadviser for the Church Urban Fund andLiverpool’s Diocesan Advisory Committee.Gerwyn, 48, came to Llandaff as

Chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales, DrBarry Morgan, in 2007 when he alsoserved as Diocesan Director ofOrdinands. He left in 2009 to serve inBlackburn diocese but returned asArchbishop’s Chaplain in 2012.The Archbishop said, “I have every

confidence that Gerwyn will be anexcellent dean and parish priest. He is agood liturgist; he is pastorally sensitiveand warm in his dealings with people. Heis perceptive and energetic and can befirm and resolute when facing challengesand opportunities.”

Rhys Meirion singing with children from the Making Music Changing Lives project at theChurch of the Resurrection in Ely.

Revd Jan Gould

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Churches across Wales are focussing on “FairTrade” and highlighting the need for justice in theglobal food market. This includes encouragingpeople to choose Fair Trade products wherepossible and to think more carefully about howfood is produced.The Church’s bid to become a Fair Trade Province

means that 70% of its churches commit to usingFair Trade tea, coffee and other products where theycan and to learning more about Fair Trade issues.The accreditation body for this initiative is Fair TradeWales and so far more than 40% of churches havesigned up. Revd Carol Wardman, the Bishops’ Adviser for

Church and Society, said “Many people would havefirst come across Fair Trade products at church – wewere promoting them many years before theystarted to sell at supermarkets. Now we want to goone step further and lead the way again bycommitting ourselves to becoming a Fair TradeProvince. During Fair Trade Fortnight (beginningFebruary 23rd) churches used special prayers andthemed services to focus on Fair Trade issues.”One example is Derrick Stephenson who sells Fair

Trade products following the Sunday morning parishservice at Llandaff Cathedral. He collects stock from

a Fair Trade shop in Cardiff,called Fair Do’s, and returnsmoney made to them.He says, “I took over the

stall about three-and-a-halfyears. I thought it soundedinteresting to learn about thedifferent parts of the worldwhere the products aremade, or grown. It’s alsointeresting to meet differentpeople who attend the familyservice. “Churches are influential

on what we learn, and howwe behave. Through ourinvolvement we all can makean impact and show we care.It also helps to remind ushow fortunate we are. Andit’s nice to think that we are able to contribute andhelp the people that are making or selling theirgoods through Fair Trade. “Younger and older visitors seem to enjoy seeing

the variety of food and hand-made items on display.There are some regular customers who have

purchased items and repeatedly ask for the sameitems.”Information on how to become a Fair Trade parish

are available online at:http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/society/becoming-a-fairtrade-province

Meet the team! A team of vocation advisors has been appointed to the Llandaff DiocesanMinistry Team and are available to all for advice and support.The team of three ordained vocations advisors and three lay assistant

vocations advisors have been working alongside the other ministry officers toassist candidates exploring a variety of vocations. Their main role is to help candidates develop and articulate their sense of

calling before directing them to the relevant ministry officer (DDO/Warden ofReaders/Lay Training Officer) to explore their vocation in greater depth anddiscuss further options. They welcome invitations to speak to parish or deanery groups or preach on

the subject of vocation and hope to be a useful resource for parish clergy,chaplains and others. With a recent backlog of candidates cleared, they are nowkeen to receive more referrals from parish clergy as very few are currentlycoming through.“Before candidates are referred, it is important that they have received some

of the most basic Christian nurture and instruction. We sometimes receivecandidates who need help in understanding our shared baptismal vocationbefore even exploring the call to a particular type of ministry,” said vocationadvisor, Rev’d David Morris. “Some candidates are also sent to us who havelittle knowledge and limited experience of what it is to be Anglican. Many ofthese issues can be addressed before referrals are made and we can provideadvice regarding these matters.”The vocation advisors are:The Rev’d Andrew Holmes and Mr John Fenton (Morgannwg) The Rev’d David Morris and Dr Michael Glenn (Llandaff) The Rev’d Melanie Prince and Mrs Penny Williams (Margam)

Pictured (l to r) Rev’d David Thomas Morris, John Fenton, Rev’d Andrew Holmes,Dr Michael Glenn, Penny Williams, Rev’d Melanie Prince.

Bishops hold meetingson ‘code’ for womenbishops in Wales

The Bishops of the Church in Wales have held openmeetings across Wales to consult on a code for ordainingwomen as bishops.As part of legislation to ordain women bishops, passed

by the Church in September, the Bishops have to draw upa Code of Practice to ensure all members of the Church,including those with conscientious objections to thedecision, continued to feel accepted and valued in it.Open meetings in each of the six Welsh dioceses have

been held for members to have their say on whatprovisions that code should include. The meetings will befollowed by a discussion at the Church’s Governing Bodymeeting in April.The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said, “While

we, as bishops, welcome the decision that women can nowbe ordained as bishops in Wales, we recognise that thereare some people who do not. We want to make sure thatadequate provision is made for them so that they will stillfeel valued and accepted in the Church and will continue toworship and minister alongside us. We have beenentrusted to draw up a Code of Practice within a year andwe are keen to consult as widely as possible with churchmembers in order to reflect their views as best we can.”

We are coming to talk to youA series of Ministry Area Conversations arebeing rolled out throughout the whole of theLlandaff Diocese during 2014. Thedevelopment of Ministry Areas, in line with theChurch in Wales 20:20 Vision, is seen as a wayof working more effectively and creatively forgrowth and is therefore of huge benefit.As part of this process, teams of senior staff

and officers will be visiting potential groups ofparishes to hold the Ministry Area Conversations.Each group will have a named partner whose rolewill be to help formulate a local plan fordiscussion at deanery level and then diocesanapproval. The aim is that conversations will beheld with key local leaders involved in ministry(stipendiary, NSM, readers, worship leaders, layproject leaders, plus benefice/parish wardens).Parishes will be encouraged to consider what a‘Ministry Area’ means within their own context(other churches, parishes, ecumenical partners,schools, other local service providers) and to talkto as many of these other potential communitypartners as possible. A framework for these conversations will be

produced to ensure all aspects of Ministry Areasare discussed with details available to be fedback and collated at diocesan level. Thisframework will use ‘Seven Sacred Spaces’ as itsmodel. Pilots are planned for selected areaswithin each Archdeaconry before being rolled outfurther across the diocese. These are being heldover the next few months in Penarth andPontypridd town areas and with the entire NeathDeanery.Ministry Area background information, FAQ’s,

along with examples of ‘good practice’ from

parishes / deaneries / groups within thediocese, will be produced and made available tosupport Ministry Area Conversations. Informationfrom ‘Ministry Area’ conversations will begathered at diocesan level and assessed beforeMinistry Area proposals are formulated. InitialMinistry Area Conversations with all areas shouldbe completed during 2014, with formal diocesanproposals to be published early 2015, followedby implementation during 2015-2018. Assistant Bishop of Llandaff David Wilbourne

said, “I like the link with Seven Sacred Spacesbecause it drives us to revisit a monastic pastwhen ordained and lay Christians served ageographical area as a team deeply committedto the common life. Each person's God-giventalents were harnessed to enable the life of thewhole Body of Christ, and by gathering to praytogether, study together, eat together, anddecide together, that then served as aspringboard to bring massive light and cheer tobrighten the darkest of ages; and can do soagain.”

Photo: DERRICK STEPHENSON,Llandaff CathedralLeading the way on Fair Trade

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Bishop David writes:My ministry was just starting; his

life was just ending. I cameacross him sitting outside his

tiny bungalow, a rug over his knees, anoxygen cylinder by his side. We gottalking - his breath was short, everyword an effort, yet he wanted to tell mehis story.

He was an old soldier, who had spent alife-time struggling with lungs damagedby gas on the Western Front. He’dserved at Mons, appalled at the terriblefighting there, the terrible loss of life onboth sides. In a few words he conveyedthe horror of it all very chillingly, mademe, a raw twenty-five-year-old, feel verygrateful that I was safe far from thetrenches.

But there was something over andabove the horror that he wanted torelate to me. Breath following painfulbreath, he told me about the Monsangels. His description contained noneof the usual fantasy, no white robes orcotton wool wings, but was the matter-of-fact account of a man who had notlong to live, no reason to lie. ‘They werejust lights, mysterious lights, hoveringabove the carnage, darting about hereand there. I was in a terrible funk, I’dseen my best friend blown tosmithereens; the same thing wasprobably going to happen to me at anymoment. And then I saw those lights,and I suddenly felt calm, that all would

be well, that God himself was with us,aching with us, weeping with us in allthis carnage.’

‘You are the light of the world. A city ona hill cannot be hidden.’ said Jesus.Jesus, the Light of the World, wascrucified on a hill outside a city, whichcertainly could not be hidden. Hisenemies thought they were doing awaywith him but they made a big mistake.Rather than shutting him up, on thathill-top he became a beacon not just fornearby Jerusalem in 33 AD, but for thewhole world for the whole of time. Hewas the true light shining in thedarkness, the darkness of the mostgrisly death.

Light is amazing. They used to thinklight had an infinite speed, which itnearly does, 186,000 miles persecond. I like to think of that burst ofdivine light radiating out from Calvary,speeding through the universe at186,000 miles per second. Earth,whose speed relative to the CosmicBackground Radiation is a mere 244miles per second, has been playingcatch up ever since. Ever since GoodFriday 33AD, we have been passingthrough Christ’s light, shining in ourdarkness. That was why the oldsoldier’s story rang so true, telling of anangelic light hovering over the totalabyss of the trenches. But whilst the light of Calvary shines out

and heartens us all, as is the funny waywith light, we can also look into Calvary,treating it as a lens through which wecan we see every deed of darkness andterrible suffering from the beginning ofcreation until now, illuminated byChrist’s light. I believe Calvary wasn’t aone off, but was God’s way of saying tous, ‘Look, wherever there is someonehurting, I am hurting too, wherever thereis someone weeping, I am weeping too,wherever someone is broken, I ambroken too.’

My old soldier would have sung thehymn, O Valiant hearts many times. Itwas written in 1917, reflecting on theterrible carnage of the Great War. Twoverses catch the theme of Christ’s lightshining in every darkness.

Long years ago, as earth lay dark andstill,Rose a loud cry upon a lonely hill,While in the frailty of our human clay,Christ, our Redeemer, passed the selfsame way.

Still stands His Cross from that dreadhour to this,Like some bright star above the darkabyss;Still, through the veil, the Victor'spitying eyesLook down to bless our lesserCalvaries.

As we move to Good Friday a centuryafter the Great War, I thank God for thelight of Christ you bring to every place ofdarkness, and for the light Christ willbring when you feel so lost andforsaken: that at such terrible timesGod is at his closest, light hovering overyour abyss.

‘Nail the Lies about Peoplein Poverty’ – ArchbishopArchbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan is calling on people to ‘stand up forwhat is right’ when people in poverty are accused of being shirkers andskivers, and to offer practical support. “We are all members of onecommunity,” he says. “We must speak out against the rumours,misrepresentations and prejudice that undermine our solidarity with oneanother.”The Archbishop was speaking at the launch of ‘Truth and Lies About PovertyToday’, on 10th December in the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay, a report jointly

published by Oxfam Cymru and the Church in Wales. The launch was hosted byVaughan Gething AM, the deputy minister for tackling poverty.With facts and figures, the report nails six common myths about people living inpoverty, including that ‘they’ are lazy and don’t want to work, and ‘they’ are onthe fiddle. The report was originally published by an alliance of churches calledthe Joint Public Issues Team. The new document has been translated in Welshfor the first time and there is a bilingual summary available. The full report canbe downloaded from the websites of Oxfam Cymru and the Church in Wales.Dr Morgan said, “This report brings together concern for the poor and concernfor truth-telling, and reminds us that it is our duty as Christians and asmembers of society not just to offer practical help, but to stand up for what isright. Only when we have a true understanding of the realities of poverty can weeven begin to tackle it and build a more just and successful society for all.”Julian Rosser, Head of Oxfam Cymru, said, “If you relied on Governmentministers and certain tabloids for information, you’d think that if people justpulled their socks up and worked hard, there would be no such thing as poverty.The reality is that there are just not enough jobs out there, benefits are undersiege from sanctioning, and even being in work is no defence against poverty,as wages lag behind inflation and zero-hours and short term contracts are onthe increase.” He called on people to come together under the banner of CutsWatch Cymru and Oxfam Cymru and its partners to challenge encroachments onthe welfare state and call for a more equal society.The six myths identified in the report about people in poverty are:• ‘They’ are lazy and don’t want to work;• ‘They’ are addicted to drink and drugs;• ‘They’ are not really poor – they just don’t manage their money properly;• ‘They’ are on the fiddle• ‘They’ have an easy life;• ‘They’ caused the deficitFor more information or a copy of ‘Truth and Lies About Poverty’ pleasecontact: Anna Morrell, Archbishop’s Media OfficerTel: 079191587 94 / (029) 2034 8208Archbishop Barry and Julian Rosser, head of Oxfam Cymru

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Comings and Goings . . .

New Parish for ArchdeaconPeggy JacksonThe Archdeacon of Llandaffand priest-in-charge ofPenmark with Llancarfan withLlantrithyd, Peggy Jackson,is to move to a new parish.Archdeacon Peggy, who isalso associate priest of theparish of Porthkerry andRhoose, is to move closer toCardiff, to be priest-in-charge of St Fagan’s andMichaelston-super-Ely, following the retirement lastyear of Rev’d Anthony Wintle. She will be licensedon 9th April at 7.30 p.m. She will continue asArchdeacon of Llandaff, a post she took up in2009, leaving the Diocese of Southwark, where, forseveral years, she had been Dean of Women’sMinistry and Honorary Canon of SouthwarkCathedral. During the last nine months, as thesenior member of Chapter, Peggy has been holdingresponsibility in Llandaff Cathedral, until the newDean could be appointed.

New Priest for WilliamstownLocal boy Rev’d PhilipLeyshon, 37, vicar ofTonypandy with Clydach Vale,will now take Williamstownunder his wing, and waslicensed at a special serviceat St Illtyd’s by AssistantBishop David Wilbourne, onFebruary 23rd. He movedback to the area in 2009 fromCaerphilly, following a first curacy in NewtonNottage. Growing up in Cymmer, Porth, he wasalready familiar with the place and its people. He isnow “looking forward to my new role and getting toknow the people in Williamstown better.”A chapel boy, it was school RE which kindled hisinterest in the church, followed by his journey toordination. As well parish work, Philip is chapterclerk for Rhondda Deanery and sits on the DiocesanBoard of Finance and the Board for SocialResponsibility. Married to Hannah and with twoyoung children, he writes poetry and is currently intraining for a charity walk from Blaenrhondda toTrehafod on March 8th with his sub- warden DavidThomas, to raise money for computer equipment forSt Thomas’ youth services.Bishop David Wilbourne said, “In a re-aligning ofpastoral responsibilities in the Rhondda Deanery, FrPhilip’s willingness to take this on St Illtyd’sWilliamstown, in addition to his present role, istypical of him and to his immense credit. Fr Philipcomes with a faithful and imaginative track record.He combines his roots in the Rhondda with theteaching and practice of the Church, and,sensitively, brings the light of Christ to cheer andheal the community's hurting-points. Just beforeChristmas he sent me his own moving poem,‘Nativity Sidestep’, which made me realise thathere was a priest aware of the world and churcharound him, its foibles and its loveliness, and whodeeply cherished it. As Chapter Clerk for thedeanery, he and Area Dean, Fr Haydn SimonEngland, work very effectively together onimaginative and well-supported deanery projects,such as the recent four-part autumn course. FrPhilip is a talented priest whose time atWilliamstown will surely be richly blessed.”

Keen Musician Marja is new Priest for LlandaffNorthIt’s all change for the Rev’d Marja Henson-Flipse,31, who left her old parish of Newton Nottage onFebruary 2nd, and within 6 days, had moved houseand got married! She was licensed by AssistantBishop David Wilbourne on February 25th at AllSaints Church, Llandaff North, now in the rectorial

benefice of Whitchurch,taking over from Rev’dStephen Jenkyns who hasmoved to Baglan. But Marja,assistant priest in Porthcawlfor three years and previouslya curate in Roath, a keenmusician and accomplishedlinguist, is used to newchallenges, as she movedcountries – from herhomeland of Holland to Britain, to explore theAnglican faith while in her twenties.“I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Porthcawl, but I amdelighted to be returning to Cardiff and look forwardto meeting everyone in my new parish,” said Marja.“I have experience of many different denominationsand I hope to use that experience here. I havealways performed musically in front of people andbut to stand up and speak in church was dauntingto start with but I am quite comfortable now. I setup a children’s choir in Roath, and in Porthcawl thebellringers taught me to ring, so I am sure thatmusic will also feature in some form here,” sheadded. In her spare time, Marja sings in the WelshCamerata Choir, through which she met herhusband Gareth Henson, and she plays recorder,viol, harpsichord, piano and clarinet.Assistant Bishop David said, “Marja's journey to AllSaints, Llandaff North is a long one. Born and bredin the Netherlands, her deep faith nurtured withinthe Reformed tradition, Marja's studies brought herto Cambridge. She mastered the Welsh languageand pursued her vocation as a priest in the Churchin Wales. Like Maria Von Trapp, our own Marjaalways has a song in her soul, and is a skilledmusician able to inspire others. Though a deepthinker, she has the canny ability to put the faithinto very simple but arresting words, and tocommunicate at all levels; children, particularly, feelaffirmed and at ease in her company. A humblesoul, with a warm pastoral heart - lucky LlandaffNorth, to receive a priest of such quality!”

New University ChaplainRev’d David Sheen has beenappointed as the nextAnglican Chaplain to CardiffUniversity, taking over fromthe Revd Dr Trystan OwainHughes. He moves from theparish of Pwllgwaun andLlanddewi Rhondda, where hewas priest-in-charge, but adate for his licensing has yetto be fixed. David has been priest-in-charge andWarden of Readers for almost four years. Previouslyhe served as the assistant priest in the parish ofPenarth and Llandough and before that, wasassistant curate in the parish of Cowbridge. Prior toordination David worked in the NHS as a seniorphysiotherapist. He is married and has two teenagechildren and a dog.

Retirements: Rev’d Tony DeRoy-Jones,vicar of the parish ofPontlottyn with Fochriw since1998, is to retire on April28th. Beginning with acuracy in Neath with Llantwit,he became vicar at CaerauSt Cynfelyn in 1995. He isnow looking forward to hisretirement in Briton Ferrywith his wife Dorothy. “Both Dorothy and I have feltblessed by God for his calling us to minister hereand we shall be sad to leave. It is time for theparish to move on, and we pray that the parish willbe given a faithful pastor who will love them as wedo. We look forward to joining the congregation at

St Theodore's Port Talbot,” said Tony.Archbishop Barry said, “We thank Tony for all thathe has done in the Diocese over the years andhope that he and his wife Dorothy have a long andhappy retirement in Briton Ferry.”

Rev’d Canon Adrian Berry,Rector of the Parish of BarryAll Saints for the last 5 years,retired in February. His earlyministry, from 1983, was inthe Diocese of Gloucester, ascurate, vicar, priest-in-chargeand ecumenical officer, andeventually Rector ofLeckhampton for 7 years.From 2002 he was priest-in-charge of Wenvoe with St Lythans prior to his moveto Barry. He has now moved to Newent in the Forestof Dean, where, in his spare time, he enjoyshistory, cooking, poetry, star gazing, cricket, walkingand swimming.

Rev’d Moira Spence, NSMcurate in the parish of Ewennyand St Brides has retired.Moira joined Llandaff Diocesein 2007, from Oxfordshirewhere she had been thesubstitute chaplain atAylesbury Young OffendersInstitution for eight years.Married to Ian, she continuesto live in the parish.The Archdeacon of Margam and priest-in-charge ofEwenny, Philip Morris said, “We use some curioustitles in church which are not always easilyunderstood by those outside. Rector, vicar, curate –what’s the difference? ‘Curate’ actually means ‘onewho shares in the cure of souls’, i.e. shares in thespiritual care for people, and this is what Moira hasbeing doing so well over the last seven years.Pastoral care, support in times of bereavement,spiritual counselling, as well as playing her full partin the worship life of the parish – this has beenMoira’s gift to us. Our appreciation was shown inthe numbers turning out on a very wet evening forher retirement party, and in the gifts and cardsgiven to her.”Moira is continuing in her role as assistant co-ordinating chaplain at Cardiff MetropolitanUniversity and also as secretary of the LlandaffDiocesan Spirituality Group.

Resignations:Rev’d Grace Karamura, Vicar of the Parish ofPontyclun and Talygarn, has left the diocese afterresigning his post at the end of January. Grace hasbeen vicar of the parish of Pontyclun and Talygarnsince 2003, moving there from Ebbw Vale where hewas curate and later team vicar for six years. Heserved his first curacy in Uganda in 1992/93.

Rev’d Matthew Trick, TeamVicar in the Rectorial Beneficeof Aberavon, and YouthChaplain for the MargamArchdeaconry, left the diocesein January after beingappointed Minister ofCambourne Church, a LocalEcumenical Partnership in theDiocese of Ely.Matthew had been in Aberavon since 2010 andbefore that he was curate in Cowbridge from 2008to 2010.

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The Ark remains Afloat!It may not have been floods that it hashad to battle against but one church’svery own Ark is rejoicing aftersurviving stormy times.For the last five years the thriving

children’s Sunday Club at Welsh StDonat’s Parish Church in the Vale ofGlamorgan has met in an adjacentportable cabin called The Ark. It’sfuture, however, was threatened at theend of last year when a renewal ofplanning permission for the temporarycabin was rejected by the Vale ofGlamorgan Council on the grounds thatit did not look good against an historic,Grade 1 listed church. The Council saidit an “adverse impact on the setting”.

This ruling would have left theSunday Club with nowhere to meetwhich itself could have had a knock-oneffect on congregation numbers and thechurch’s ministry in the village.

But an appeal by the church againstthe decision has been successfullyupheld – delighting parishioners as itsafeguards the future of their SundayClub for another five years. In hisreport, the Planning Inspector said thesuccess of the Ark was “crucial to thecontinued active use of St Donat’s forthe purpose for which the church wasdesigned, which itself is crucial to thepreservation and upkeep of the fabric ofthe listed building.” He agreed that the

church needed more time to find analternative solution.

A Church in Wales spokespersonsaid, “The Inspector’s decisionhighlights the need for planningdecisions to recognise that the long-term future of a listed building is usuallybest served by ensuring that its currentuse isn’t compromised. With manycongregations seeking to adaptchurches to provide more flexible andgreater use for both the worshippingand wider community while respecting abuilding’s heritage, the implications of aplanning refusal where this isn’tproperly acknowledged can be verydamaging and discouraging.”

Parish priest, Father Edwin Counselladded, “We are delighted that we havewon our appeal and it was very usefulto meet with the planning officersduring the appeal process as we cannow work with them to find a long termpermanent solution.

“Originally it was envisaged that TheArk would be a temporary solution whileit was decided whether there was a longterm demand for children’s ministry inthe parish. And although the SundayClub has gone from strength tostrength, money which could have beenput towards a more permanent solutionhas been used over the last five yearsto help maintain and improve our

beautiful medieval church.“It’s a Grade I listed building

and in order to sustain thisbuilding then we need to sustainthe congregation numbers andthat is directly linked to retainingthe Sunday Club as the two gohand in hand.

“The many children and families whoattend the church have come to loveThe Ark and meet there enthusiasticallyduring part of the Sunday worship each

week. Its loss would have had adevastating effect and prompted ourdecision to appeal against it and we aredelighted that our appeal has beenupheld.”

Principal of TheologicalCollege RetiresThe Archbishop of Wales has paid tributeto Rev’d Canon Dr Peter Sedgwick thePrincipal of St Michael’s College, Cardiffwho will retire at the end of June after 10years at the helm. Dr Barry Morgan thanked Dr Sedgwick

for his tremendous contribution to thecollege and the life of the Church in Wales,and praised his scholarly and incisivemind. He also congratulated Dr Sedgwickon his appointment as visiting professor atDurham University (Alan Richardson fellow)for this autumn term. Dr Sedgwick willnot be leaving the Church in Walescompletely; he will continue to chair theChurch’s Doctrine Commission and, whenhe returns from Durham, he plans toassist with parishes in the Diocese ofLlandaff. He will also remain a member ofthe Anglican Roman Catholic InternationalCommission (ARCIC III).The Archbishop said, “I want to thank

Peter for the tremendous contribution hehas made to St Michael’s and to the life ofthe Church in Wales in general. I amgrateful to him for all he has done. I amvery glad that he has agreed to continueas chairman of the Doctrinal Commissionand to serve ARCIC since he has much tocontribute to both bodies. I am delightedthat Durham has honoured him in this wayand I look forward to his ministry in adifferent capacity in the diocese ofLlandaff.” Dr Sedgwick said, “StMichael’s College has changed a greatdeal in the last decade and it has been agreat privilege to be Principal. I would liketo thank the Archbishop, theRepresentative Body and the collegecommittee for all their support during thistime. I am also extremely grateful to thestaff and students of the college forsharing at a deep level with me in thispartnership of change and transformation.I wish the college well in the years tocome.”

Rev’d Canon Dr. Peter Sedgwick wasordained deacon in the Church of Englandin 1974, after training at Westcott House,Cambridge, and became a priest in 1975.He was a curate in East London and then

priest in Birmingham from 1979-1982.From 1982- 88 he was TheologicalConsultant to the North East churches,covering all denominations fromMiddlesborough to the Scottish border.His academic life began in 1967 when hestudied history at Trinity Hall, Cambridge,followed by a year at Keble College,Oxford. He then returned to Cambridgewhere he took a second degree in theologywhile training for ordination. In 1977 hebegan studying at Durham University for aPhD in theology and moral philosophy,which was awarded in 1983. He lecturedin modern theology and ethics at theUniversity of Birmingham from 1979-82,and was Course Director at the Universityof Hull for the MA in Theology and Societyfrom 1988-94. In 1994-5 he was VicePrincipal of Westcott House, Cambridge. Peter Sedgwick served on many boards

and committees of the Church of Englanddealing with ecumenism, theologicaltraining and social policy, and from 1996-2004 he worked full time for the centraloffices of the Church of England as theirpolicy officer for home affairs. He editedthe journal of Christian social ethics,Crucible, from 1998- 2009 and has writtenor edited about a dozen books, includingstudies of mission, the church in the city,and social ethics. Find out more about St Michael’s

College, Cardiff athttp://stmichaels.ac.uk/

Fr Edwin Counsell and membersof the Sunday Club

Welsh St Donat’sParish Church

Bridgend Parish Expands toCreate Larger Ministry AreaWork has forged ahead in creating a new larger ministryarea – as called for by the Church in Wales Review – inone area of Bridgend. The parish of Laleston andMerthyr Mawr is being expanded to include Penyfai. Rev’d Canon Edward Evans was inducted as vicar of the

new parish and the Rev’d Mike Lewis licensed as hisassistant curate, at All Saints, Penyfai by AssistantBishop David Wilbourne. The Bishop said, “CanonEdward Evans and Revd Michael Lewis are a veryexperienced and faithful team who previously ministeredin Laleston and Merthyr Mawr, a parish with a definitebuzz about it. Their duties now extend to Penyfai, another parish with

a definite buzz, so they will be well matched and we canexpect an exciting future in the new benefice.” Edwardand Michael take over from the Rev’d Elaine Harris whoretired after six years in the parish as a non stipendiaryminister.“Mike and I realised that we could handle Penyfai

between us, because of the size of the parish andbecause of the times of the services at the variouschurches, and that is what we have been doing for thelast year,” said Edward. “What has now happened is thatthe arrangement that we already had is formalized. Penyfai is adjacent toLaleston and Merthyr Mawr and it makes sense for it to become one parish.We have already developed a relationship with Penyfai, which is a small villagewith one church, and this relationship is now going to be built upon anddeveloped further. There is no way that a parish that size could justify having afull time priest.” As well as being vicar of Laleston, Merthyr Mawr and Penyfai, Edward is also

area dean for Bridgend, a post he has held for two and a half years, havingheld it previously for ten years from 1994 to 2004. Ordained in 1971, he wascurate in Church Village for seven years, then vicar of Eglwysilan for elevenyears before moving to Laleston in 1988. His curate Mike Lewis, is a retiredschool teacher who has worked as a non-stipendiary minister in the parish forthe past eleven years. (Mike is also a long-standing member of the croesoeditorial team.)“What is happening in this parish,” said Edward, “is very much the way

forward with 2020 Vision (The Church in Wales Review), as larger ministryareas are created and as we become more reliant on lay people to takeresponsibility in various areas, from taking services, to visiting the sick andtaking communion to those at home. The Church is not just the vicar and thecurate: it is the members of the church, and if a parishioner visits anotherparishioner in need then it is the Church that is visiting. Obviously we will visitas well when necessary. There is an awful lot of talent out there amongst thelaity and it is this talent that we need to harness. It used to be that the curatewould run the local youth club or produce the parish magazine but there maywell be people in the parish better suited to these types of roles. The wayforward is to get more lay people involved, and this is happening already inplaces like Penyfai.”The benefice now has two lay readers, one at Penyfai and another at

Merthyr Mawr.

Rev’d Canon Dr.Peter Sedgwick

Mike Lewis

Edward Evans

6 croeso Lent 2014

AroundtheDiocese

Archbishop opens Town’sFirst Charity ShopThe Archbishop of Wales has opened a charity shop set up bychurches to support people in debt.The Storehouse

Community Shop isthe first charity shop inAberkenfig, run byeight local churches,and aiming to raiseabout £600 a weekwhich will go towardssetting up a ChristiansAgainst Poverty debtcentre and also localcauses. The shop,which sells goodquality second-hardclothes, books andCDs, employs amanager and a deputymanager part-time whoare helped by about 20volunteers from the churches. The shop is open Monday -Thursday10am - 4pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm. Cutting the ribbon to open the shop, Archbishop Barry Morgan said,

“This shop is an excellent example of Christianity in action – peopleworking together to respond to a need and help others in theircommunity. It will provide a service by selling second-hard items andthe money raised will all go to helping others, particularly those amongus who are facing increasing financial hardship and struggling withdebt.”

Rev’d Stephen Pare, priest-in-charge of Aberkenfig, said the shop, onBridgend Road, was the idea of church leaders from a variety oftraditions in the community. He said, “It’s the result of nearly two yearsof weekly united prayer meetings. Aiming to serve the community, wetalked to people and found out that they wanted a second-hand shopas there isn’t one at all in Aberkenfig. There was also a need to helppeople facing debt. So we hope this shop will raise about £6,000 toset up a debt centre. The charity, Christians Against Poverty, supportsthose in debt, helping some 20-50 families a week become debt-free.None of the money the Storehouse raises will assist the running costsof the churches and chapels; it will all go to the community.”Rev’d Chris Gray, Assistant Chair of the Methodist Synod, cut the

cake to mark the occasion. The supporting churches are: AberkenfigBible Church, Aberkenfig Church of God, Wesley Methodist, Tondu,Nazareth Baptist Church, Bryncethin, St Robert’s Roman CatholicChurch Aberkenfig, Smyrna Baptist Church Penyfai, The Parish of AllSaints Penyfai, and the Parish of Llansantffraid, Bettws and Aberkenfig.

Holocaust Memorial Serviceheld in Merthyr Tydfil

A candlelit procession and memorial service was held for the firsttime in Merthyr Tydfil in memory of the millions of Jews and otherskilled during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.It echoed services which were held around the country on January

27, to mark National Holocaust Memorial Day.In Merthyr, the Holocaust Memorial Service was held at St David’s

Church and was followed by a candlelit procession to the town’scentral library – where a minute’s silence was held.The winner of a creative writing competition run by Merthyr Tydfil

Public Libraries was announced during the service and an exhibition ofentries was held in the library afterwards.The Dowlais Choir performed during the service and the local scouts

were in attendance.The service was opened by the Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil, Councillor

Graham Davies and closed by the Youth Mayor, Shaunaleigh Llewellyn.The date of the National Holocaust Memorial Day was chosen to

mark the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.“It is the first time that a service has been held to mark Holocaust

Memorial Day in Merthyr and it was a great success,” said the RevdMark Prevett.

St David’s Church,Merthyr

(l-r) Archbishop Barry Morgan, shop managerKaren Homans and Rev’d Chris Gray.

Pontypridd Food Bank:Pews turned into Pantry When a Valleys church needed to build a large pantry forits successful food bank scheme, it simply dismantled thepews and used the wood to build a bank of cupboards. With that sort of commitment shown from the outset, it is

no surprise that the Pontypridd Food Bank, which operatesfrom St Luke’s Church, Rhydyfelin, celebrated its secondanniversary recently having provided 27,500 meals to thosein need over the last two years. It was in February 2012that the first food parcels were distributed by the team ofnow 40 volunteers who operate the food bank.Rev’d Michael Gable, vicar of Glyntaff, Rhydyfelin and The

Graig and area dean of Pontypridd, said the idea of settingup the food bank was very much ‘a leap of faith’ as theyhad no idea of how much food would be donated or howmany people would make use of it. But since its launch twoyears ago, a total of 1,559 vouchers have been issued anda total of 3,085 people, adults and children, have been fed.The food bank operates by receiving donations of non-

perishable food from schools, churches, businesses and individuals, supplemented bysupermarket collections which are held a couple of times a year. Those in need are thenidentified by care professionals who issue vouchers for people to take to the food bankcentre, where they can be redeemed for three days’ worth of emergency food.“Food banks are not going to solve people’s problems but they aim to tide them over

while other agencies solve their long term crises. It is a double-edged sword: it’s fabulousthat the Pontypridd Food Bank has been so successful but it is also appalling that we needto be here - food banks should not be needed anywhere,” said Rev’d Gable. “Often peopleare only just managing to make ends meet and then they get an extra large bill, coupledwith perhaps their car breaking down, and it is then that they might need a top-up of food toget them through a few days.”The Pontypridd Food Bank operates from St Luke’s Church, Rhydyfelin on Wednesday

mornings and from the Tabernacl in Ynysybwl on Friday afternoons. The centres are run byvolunteers who sort the food, make up parcels, help at supermarket collections and manthe food bank phone line. “If someone in crisis is given a voucher and needs a parcelurgently, they can ring the helpline and we endeavour to get a parcel to them that day,” saidRev’d Gable. “The volunteers do an amazing job and without them the whole thing wouldcollapse.” The donated food is stored in a huge pantry inside St Luke’s Church which wasbuilt using wood from the dismantled church pews. “It shows the commitment of thechurch that the pews were dismantled and rebuilt as a pantry to support the food bank,”said Rev’d Gable. Further stores of food are held in a pair of shipping containers.

Rev’d Michael Gable withfood donated to the

Pontypridd Food Bank

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Wise men from Eastjoin Epiphany ServiceWise men from theEast bearing giftsof friendship andpeace joined onechurchcongregation fortheir service forEpiphany onJanuary 5th. They may not

have been led by astar, but twoMuslim Sheikhsand their familiestook part in theservice at St Mary’sChurch Wenvoe,near Cardiff, as asign ofreconciliationbetween the twofaiths. SheikhAbdalla Yassin Mohammed, originally from the Sudan and now a member of the MuslimCouncil of Wales, and Sheikh Elnayyal Abu Groon, from the Jordan, joined in prayers duringthe service and received a blessing at communion. The service was led by Canon Robin Morrison, retired Church and Society Officer for the

Church in Wales. Instead of a sermon, Canon Robin interviewed Sheikh Abdallah aboutshared concerns in a world of religious violence and division. Canon Robin said, “Theepiphany message of a God who manifests the nature of God as Love calls us to takeseriously ‘our common humanity in and under God’ and to work in practical ways to achievethat vision. Epiphany celebrates the magi, the wise ones – scientists, astrologers andcosmologists - following the light of a star, as they sought for new meaning and hope,enlightenment and understanding in the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. This was a goodcontext for representatives of Islam to meet with Christians and share a mutual concern fornew understanding, peace and love between people of all faiths, within all faiths and inrelation to the main challenges of violence and conflict facing the world in 2014.” The visit was part of a project set up by Canon Robin and Sheikh Abdallah to counter

Islamic sectarian division. Called The Open Tent, the project aims to promote the “commonhumanity” of people of the two faiths. It follows a series of 10 joint conferences calledFinding a Common Voice between the Church in Wales and the Muslim Council of Walesbetween 2006-11.

Teachers Confirmedin Front of Pupils

Teachers at a church school became pupils once again while beingprepared for confirmation. Emma Bowen, and her colleague Matthew Owens, both 31, who

teach at Archdeacon John Lewis Church in Wales Primary School inBridgend, were confirmed in front of their own pupils, along with familymembers, during a special service held at the school on Thursday,February 6th. A group of pupils who had been prepared by the parishclergy for Communion received the sacrament for the first time duringthe same service, which was led by the Assistant Bishop, DavidWilbourne.Both Emma and Matthew particularly wanted the service to be held

during the school day and in school so that their pupils could attend.“Because this is a church school, faith is a big part of school life and Ijust wanted to be the best role model that I could both as a teacherand a parent,” said Emma, who teaches year two and three, and ismarried with two children. “We worship together in school daily and once a week I lead my own

classroom worship. Matthew and I asked if we could be confirmed infront of our pupils as we want to set the best example that we could tothem. Preparing for confirmation has strengthened my faith, and Ihope that it helps to enable me to be the best person that I can be.”Matthew’s decision to be confirmed was also prompted by a desire

to set a good example both for his pupils and for his own family. “Ihave recently become a father and I wanted to be both a good rolemodel at home as well as in school,” said Matthew, who teaches yearthree and four. “But as I learnt more about faith during theconfirmation classes, I learnt that it’s a lot about love, and that Godput man on earth so that he would have someone else to love. As the more in-depth my understanding of Christianity became, the

more the morals and values particularly about love struck home to me.The more that I read the bible, the more questions that I had to ask,and I really enjoyed developing my knowledge. It is something that Iam continuing with and that has become more personal for me. By holding our confirmation service in front of our pupils it is

reinforcing the message that this is something that is not just part ofthe curriculum – and not just something that your parents andteachers decide. It helps to demonstrate to our pupils this issomething that they could take as their faith, but it is very much theirchoice as it has been ours.”

Rev’d Mike Komor, Rector of Coity, Nolton and Brackla, whoprepared Emma and Matthew for confirmation said, “I was delightedwhen Emma and Matthew approached me about being confirmed;although they attended school worship, something had prompted themto take the next step.” Bishop David Wilbourne, said, “ArchdeaconJohn Lewis Church in Wales School in Brackla, as well as being anoutstanding primary school, serves as one of the three worshipcentres in the parish of Coity, Nolton and Brackla, with regular servicesheld in one of their two halls on a Sunday and during Christianfestivals. I have visited there several times to lead worship, but, since two

teachers at the school had been prepared for confirmation, we thoughtit would be good to hold the service during the school day, so all theschool’s pupils, staff and parents could witness the confirmation andtake part in the celebration. Obviously I used each teacher’s Christianname when I confirmed them – I guess the biggest shock for thechildren was that their teachers had a Christian name! But the twoteachers who were confirmed are clearly fantastic people, so it wasthe greatest of days.”

Bishop David with teachers Matthew and Emma, with pupils (l to r) BenGonzales, Eden Holt, Leya Townsend and Manon Godin, and Bishop David

Archbishop joins service forLesbian and Gay ChristiansDr Barry Morgan was the special guest at the Carols for Christmas organised by theSouth Wales Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement held at City United ReformedChurch, Windsor Place, Cardiff.As well as carols and readings, the service included performances from the South

Wales Gay Men’s Chorus and the LBT women’s choir, The Songbirds. A collection wastaken for the Cardiff Adult Self-Injury Project.Janet Jeffries, spokesperson for LGCM, said, “We are very honoured that the

Archbishop agreed to attend our Christmas Carols at what must be a very busy time ofyear for him. We very much appreciate the support he has shown to the lesbian andgay community, both at this event and by opening the Cardiff Mardi Gras earlier thisyear.”Archbishop Barry said, “I am delighted to support this carol service. Christmas is a

time when we remember that God made all people in his own image and loves us all.Christ was born in a stable to parents who were refugees, and he spent his life withthose on the fringes of society or who were victimised because of what they were, andchallenging those in authority. I think this is still a relevant message for today.”

Candlelight vigil held for Nelson Mandela

(l-r) Sheikh Elnayyal Abu Groon, Canon Robin Morrison and Sheikh AbdallaYassin Mohammed at St Mary’s Church, Wenvoe.

A city centre church held a service of readings, musicand prayers on the eve of Nelson Mandela’s funeral.The candlelight vigil for the mourned statesman was

held at St John’s Church, Cardiff city centre onSaturday, December 14th.The service of remembrance was co-led by parish

priest the Revd Canon Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, whoreturned to Wales at the end of October after morethan a decade in South Africa and the Revd PhilipBuckland, a Methodist minister from South Africa, whohas been in Cardiff for the past three years.“There was a point in the service where those who

came were invited to light a candle, both asthanksgiving and as a pledge also to strive to bebeacons of light and hope in our own situations,” saidSarah.

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Village Church unveilsRestored 600-year-old ScreenA rare, dramatically conserved – and

mysterious - treasure in the small Valechurch of St Cadoc’s, Llancarfan, wasunveiled recently for the first time. Theextraordinarily intricate, gilded early15th Century reredos screen waspainstakingly returned to former gloryby a team of three specialists, over asix month period.It was revealed at a celebration

evening to mark more than four years ofmajor conservation work, which includedthe discovery and restoration of medievalwall paintings of the St George and theDragon and the Seven Deadly Sins.Further dramatic details of thesepaintings were also unveiled during the

evening.The mystery remains as to why a work

of the magnificence of the reredos istucked away in a village church such asSt Cadoc’s. One theory is that thisscreen possibly began life elsewhere andwas moved to Llancarfan only when itwas 200-years-old, in the mid 1600s.Was it a refugee from the Dissolution ofthe Monasteries? A discarded glory froma grand abbey? The whim of a rich localbenefactor? Detective work goes on… Itis certain, though, that this historicscreen can now take its place alongsideSt Cadoc’s famous emerging wallpaintings, making the church one of themost intriguing in Wales. Conservation by

the specialistteam of HughHarrison (timberconservator),CameronStewart(conservationjoiner) and LizCheadle (paintconservator),has transformeda neglectedtreasure into anintricate thing ofbeauty, splendidin its originalsubtle colours. Conservator

Hugh Harrisonsays, “Canopywork like the

reredos at Llancarfan can be found in thechoir in almost every cathedral and majorchurch in England and Wales, but noneof these grand arrays of woodwork arecoloured and gilded as at Llancarfan.This lively polychromatic scheme lifts thiswork to quite another level ofsophistication. It is also unique in usingsimple metal brackets to display theornate pinnacles in front of the generalcanopy spires as though they float bymagic…a daring concept not foundanywhere else.”The Archdeacon of Llandaff and Priest-

in-Charge of Llancarfan, Peggy Jackson,says, “Since work began in 2010, thisconservation project has prompted visitsby people from all over the world. We

have been gratified by the support andfunding help we have received, but wehave also been touched by theenthusiasm and joy which the church hasgenerated amongst its supporters andthe wider public.”The presentation evening on 5th

December marked a turning point in thefirst major phase of conservation at StCadoc’s, a project generously supportedby the Heritage Lottery Fund Wales,among other benefactors. Presentationvisitors had a chance to see how muchthese thrilling major tableaux havedeveloped during recent conservation;and heard how much more might behidden behind layers of limewash andhistory.

Ancient Stone found Hidden under Church CarpetA medieval tombstone has

been unearthed hidden under acarpet in a small Welshchurch.The rare stone was found at

St David’s Church, Lalestonwhile research work was beingcarried out to set up an histor-ical interactive walking trail inthe area.It is set in the floor of the

chancel in the village churchand is one of three triple crossslabs found in Glamorganwhich historians believe maybe linked.In order to protect it, it will be

covered up again shortly, but aprofessional photograph andinformation about it will bemounted on the wall nearby.Rev’d Canon Edward Evans

said, “The problem was that ifwe covered it up again thennobody would get to see it, butif we left it exposed where itwas, then its condition woulddeteriorate so that’s why wecame up with the solution ofthe photograph. “It’s a puzzleas to why there is no mentionof this stone in the churchhistory that was written in the1950s; it appears that it hadbeen forgotten about.”All three triple cross slabs,

which were recorded by histo-rians at the turn of the century,centre around the monks ofMargam, the second found inthe ruins of the monasticchurch and the third in the

churchyard at Llangynwyd. Themonks of Margam held therectory of Llangynwyd, while thechurch at Llangynwyd was animportant focus of regionalpilgrimage to its famous holyrood. All three slabs have thethieves on them as well asChrist, which is likely to be areflection of the design of therood screen at Llangynwyd. Andthe route which pilgrims wouldhave taken from Margam toLlangynwyd would have been

along a medieval trackway,which passes Laleston.

Dr Madeleine Gray, Readerin Church History at the Univer-sity of South Wales, Newportsaid, “A stone like this wouldhave been set in the floor ofthe church and usually had aperson buried underneath –probably somebody quite impor-tant. I think that it’s likely thatthis stone has always been inthis church and possibly in thechancel but might have beentaken up and then re-laid at alater date. This is indicated bysigns that it has been choppedoff at both the top and thebottom. It is a significant find,as its rediscovery offers anamazing insight into the spiri-tual world of late medievalpeople. It enables us to explorethis world of pilgrimage to therood of Llangynwyd. It alsoputs a different slant on latemedieval religion. Some histo-rians have thought medievalreligion was dominated by fearand guilt .The triple cross signi-fies the thieves as well asChrist and indicates a reassur-ance that whatever you haddone, you could always besaved. It connects with theworld of pilgrimage and offersus a different insight into themedieval approach to death.”The Laleston Stone Trail, in

the early planning stage andfunded by Laleston CommunityCouncil, is to be based around

a section of the medievaltrackway from Margam toLlangynwyd. It will form a loopoff the Wales Coast Path andwill pass by heritage sites

including locations where Celticcrosses and carvings havebeen found – and will includethe triple cross tombstone atLaleston Church.

Rev’d Canon Edward Evans at chancel in St David’s Church, Laleston

Medieval tombstone close up(credit Photosolutions, Maesteg)

Cameron Stewart,conservation joiner, atwork on the reredos

croeso Lent 2014 9

Traditional Wassail Bowlpresented to the PrinceEighth generation potter Caitlin Jenkinspresented a very special handmade pottery bowlto HRH The Prince of Wales, during his visit toEwenny Priory Church.

His Royal Highness was given a traditionalWassail Bowl made by Caitlin, at the nearbyfamily business Ewenny Pottery, the oldestworking pottery in Wales, where she worksalongside her father Alun Jenkins.

It was Caitlin who decided in recent years torevive the tradition of making Wassail bowls,which date back hundreds of years and wouldhave been used to hold mulled beer and fruit. Thefilled bowls would have been passed aroundvisitors who called at homes in the area towelcome in the New Year. Records show thatWassail bowls were made by Caitlin’s ancestorsas far back as 1795. While pottery from Ewennywill already be familiar to The Prince of Wales, ashe has some early 20th examples of their workalready in his Carmarthenshire home, the WassailBowl, which is only made to order, is aparticularly special piece.

Caitlin, 37, who is married to Andrew and hasthree-year-old twin boys, Theo and Ceidio, said “I

have wonderful memories of growing up in thepottery and by the time I was a teenager, Irealised that I wanted to follow the familytradition by becoming a potter. Like all of ourpottery, the Wassail bowl is handmade and itstarts off by being thrown on the wheel beforegoing through a number of different stages. Thenthe handles are made and put on, followed by theanimals, and then the bowl is put in slip beforebeing fired twice, once before being glazed ahoney colour and once after. The whole processfrom start to finish takes around six weeks andinvolves many hours of work. Clay is obviously anorganic material and things can happen to it, so Idecided to make two and have a spare just to beon the safe side. To make a Wassail Bowl forHis Royal Highness was a great honour, both formyself and for my family business,” said Caitlin.

The Wassail Bowl presented to the Prince ofWales was honey in colour and decoratedtraditionally with numerous handles, a manwearing a tricorn hat, a fox, hens, birds and acockerel. A display of pottery from Ewenny,including some pieces which dated backhundreds of years, was on show.

First Royal Visitor for 600 yearsTucked away in the Vale of Glamorgan,Ewenny Priory Church, the mostcomplete Norman church in SouthWales and still a thriving centre ofChristian worship, welcomed its firstRoyal guest for more than 600 yearswhen HRH the Prince of Wales visitedin December.The Prince followed in the footsteps ofhis ancestor, King Henry IV, who stayedat the former Benedictine Priory in1405. Another famous visitor was theartist JPW Turner who painted awatercolour of the transept of the Priorychurch in 1795.The Archdeacon of Margam and priest-in-charge of Ewenny, Philip Morris,greeted the Prince and showed himaround the church built between 1115-1126. Today, the building is in twoparts – the nave, which is used forworship today and the presbytery whichhas been restored by Cadw.During the visit, the Prince met severalof the parishioners. They included:• The Jenkins family, who have beenmaking the internationally-famousEwenny Pottery for eight generations.The Prince met Alun Jenkins, who isalso churchwarden at Ewenny, his wifeJayne and their daughter Mrs CaitlinDavies. • Michael Felton, publisher at SerenPress, who presented the Prince with acopy of the book The Harp in Wales, byBruce Cardwell, which features Royalharpists.• Dr Eurof Evans OBE, chairman of theEwenny Priory Church Preservation Trustand the Cadw appointed Key Keeper forEwenny Priory. Dr Evans led the Princearound the Priory section of the Church,cared for by Cadw;The Prince also met:• Jeremy Picton-Turbervill and hisfamily. The Priory House has beenowned by the Turbervill family, since thePriory was dissolved in the 16thCentury;• Artist Alexander Beleschenko, basedin Swansea, who designed the PulpitumScreen at Ewenny Priory Church, whichwas erected in 2006 to divide the twosections of the building, and is currentlyworking on a design for a glass door for

the church;Before leaving the church, the Princelistened to carols sung by children fromthe choir of St Brides Major Church inWales Primary School, led by theirheadteacher, Mrs Claire Matthews andaccompanied by their teacher Mrs CathyJenkins. The 48 strong choir which ismade up of girls and boys, aged sevento eleven, sang, It was on a StarryNight, Ganwyd Crist, Silent Night andThe Gift (a carol written in memory ofthe children of Dunblane). The childrenthen presented him with a lovespoonfor his new grandson, Prince George,and an “Og” , a doll of himself madelocally from recycled materials. Tess Knight, 8, who presented thePrince with the lovespoon, said, “Hesaid we sang very well and that Georgewould love the lovespoon which wouldbe very useful for eating a boiled egg.”Tom Evans, 11, said, “We were allpretty nervous about singing in front ofthe Prince but once we started singing,we were fine. He was very friendly andtold us all that he had enjoyed oursinging.” “It’s a great honour andeveryone in the choir felt very privilegedand excited to be singing in front of ThePrince. It’s a thriving choir and theperformance came at the end of a verybusy week, the children having already

sung three times this week during theschool’s pantomime,” said MrsMatthews. Before signing the visitors’book the Prince received a loaf oftraditional “bara brith”, homemade byparishioner Mrs June Evans.Archdeacon Philip said, “This was alovely occasion. The congregation wasdelighted that His Royal Highness the

Prince of Wales made a special visit toEwenny Priory Church. It is one of thehidden treasures of Wales, aremarkable example of Normanarchitecture and very much a livingchurch today. A highlight of the visit wasthe carols sung by the children of StBrides Major Church in Wales PrimarySchool, many of whom live in Ewenny.”

10 croeso Lent 2014

GLIMPSES OF GLORY St Andrew Major with Michaelston-le-Pit, Vale of Glamorgan

Snapshots of lesser-known churches in the Diocese and their hidden treasuresOn a dank day in January, we cameto the delightful little church of StMichael & All Angels at Michaelston-le-Pit, only 5 miles from Cardiff, yetburied deep in the Vale countryside.The village – a few houses, no shopor pub – is dominated by its ancient,probably 14th century, cruciformchurch with saddleback tower, aminiature gem seating only about 70people.

The scalloped stone font dates from1400; there is a polygonal stoup inthe south porch, remains of anaumbry and squint in the tinytransepts, and the tower stairs onceled to a priest’s chamber above thechancel arch. The wooden pews andbenches are crammed in, and theirarrangement is a fascinating one.They all face the 18th century tripledecker pulpit against the south wall, aprecious survival from the moreprotestant period when the sermonwas rated higher than the Sacrament.Those seated to the east of it havetheir backs to the altar, somethingfound nowhere else in the diocese.

The lowest stage of the pulpit wasoriginally for a small choir, the middlestage still acts as a lectern for thereadings, and overtopping all is thepulpit proper, the preacher high

above, his eye on all both east andwest. Directly opposite is a box pew,once reserved for the Rous family ofCwrt-yr-Ala, the local big house, whowere patrons of the living. Memorialsand stained glass windows recall theirmemory. Cwrt-yr- Ala was demolished,and rebuilt in 1940 for the Merrittfamily, whose son, killed in the Battleof Britain, is commemorated in thestriking Ninian Comper west window.

The church has two Frank Roperwindows, one in the nave in memoryof Joseph Peacock, a churchwardenfor over 50 years, followed in the role

by his son-in-law, and today by hisgranddaughter. Family tradition isalive and well in Michaelston! Thechancel, almost as long as the nave,has an attractive panelled and paintedreredos with gilded decoration, andbehind, two commandment boards,another ‘protestant’ survival.

Two dark oak chairs, given byHerbert Merritt in the ‘40’s, sit in thesanctuary. Dated 1615 and lavishlycarved with Civil War scenes, they nodoubt reflect the Parliamentariansympathies of this area in the past.And a final ‘oddity’ - a past rector(1925-35) was, in his youth, the proudwinner of an FA Cup Final medal!

Today the church, joined since 1954to the parish of St Andrew Major, isstill a Prayer Book church, withMattins on two Sundays of the monthat 10am, Eucharist on the remainingSundays. Easter, Christmas andHarvest find the church well filled andbeautifully decorated, and in Octoberan Animal Service takes place in thelower graveyard, complete with brassband. The small but loyal congregationensure the church is kept inimmaculate condition.

Down in Dinas Powis, about ½ milewest of the village, lies the old parishchurch of St Andrew Major, one of

only three in Wales, it issaid, with a Celticdedication to St Andrew.Surrounded by a largechurchyard with ancientyew tree and Celticcross, the nave andchancel are 13th/14thcentury, with north aisleand battlemented westtower, 15th/16th. Thenorth chapel was oncethe private burial placeof the Howell family ofBouville, and wasrestored by the Leefamily, later Lords of theManor. Lees aboundhere, restoring the

chancel, providing the carved oakreredos and the east window, andcommemorated by a marblemonument in the north aisle.

The chancel is richly coloured, witha heavily monogrammed wagonceiling, and tapestries (1885) in red,green and gold, high on the east wall.A fine Kempe & Tower window,depicting St Curig, is in memory of aformer chorister who drowned offCape Horn. The polished stone pulpit(1835) replaced one from whichCharles Wesley preached in 1740, therector at the time being a keen

supporter of the early Methodists. Beside the church stands the

Georgian rectory, a fine Jane Austenstyle house, now the home of thechurchwarden whose father was aformer rector. Their garage, believe itor not, was the former medievalrectory! Today the church has aregular Sunday Eucharist, with Mattinsonce a month, and has closeassociations with the local Church inWales primary school.

In Dinas itself, replacing an ironchapel-of-ease of 1881, is thespacious daughter church of StPeter’s, built in response to thegrowing commuter village, by JohnCoates Carter. Originally fromPenarth, he was a leading exponent ofthe Arts & Crafts movement, mostfamous for his rebuilding of CaldeyAbbey. Closer to home he designed(with Seddon) St Paul’s Grangetown,the tower of St Margaret’s Roath, anda distinctive reredos in St Teilo,Cathays. The parish raised £10,000and the land, the Lettons – meaningkitchen garden – was given by RectorA C Lee.

The church was consecrated inOctober 1930 by the 83 year oldBishop Prichard-Hughes. In order toblend in and avoid looking too new,much of the Pennant stone and whitelias for its construction was boughtfrom the demolished Cyfarthfa ironand steel works in Merthyr. This givesit a weathered appearance, and thereare even traces of soot to be seen!Internally, piers and arches weremade from local limestone from thequarry at St Andrew’s.

The architect suggested that alldrapes and carpets should be in blueto bring out the natural colour of thestone. Carter planned a north aisle,tower and spire, but the money would

stretch only to a nave, chancel,baptistery and south aisle.

The tie-beam and queenpost roofsare of Columbian pine and the pewsof light oak. There are some lovelyArts & Crafts touches in the carving,particularly in the pulpit and chancelstalls. The south-west baptistery withneo-Norman font is a stylish spacewith stone arch and striking modernwindow.

The east window is a Nativity, 1934,by Powell’s, and the west a FrankRoper design based on a watercolourby church member RosemaryMarkham. St Peter’s is a thrivingchurch, with three services onSundays and two midweek. SundaySchool, Mothers’ Union andBrownies/Guides all flourish, with anindependent playgroup in the churchhall. The parish is in an interregnum –and soon to become part of a ‘cluster’– but is at present served by Rev’dChris Seaton who can be contacted on(01446) 747 541.We had a most enjoyable visit,

thanks to the help and welcome fromRev’d Chris, churchwardens HelenHuzzey and Hilary Boshier-Jones atMichaelston, and John Fanshaw at StPeter’s. Many thanks too to sub-warden Dr Peter Hilary Jones, his wife,family (and dogs!) for hospitality intheir superb Georgian rectory.

Leave a Lasting GiftThe Church in Wales is encouraging its churches to make use of a new Church Legacy website which offersquick and easy access to essential information for individuals considering leaving a gift in their will to theirlocal church.

Legacies are a hugely valuable source of income to parish churches, contributing £3.2 million to parishincome in Wales in 2012. That’s almost £2,300 per parish church per year.

The websitehttp://www.churchlegacy.org.uk/ , which was launched on Monday, February 3rd, providesinformation on leaving a legacy, example wording for your will, and information for solicitors and for PCCs. Italso has parish stories of where a legacy gift has helped transform a church’s future. It helps to communicatehow gifts in wills are a lifeline for many of our churches, and enable them to grow their church’s ministry toyoung people, refurbish the kitchen, set up a support group for the community or preserve their historic churchbells.

“This is a Church of England initiative but we are delighted to be sharing it as the information is also ofrelevance and interest to us here in Wales,” said Richard Jones, Resources Adviser for Llandaff Diocese.“Legacies are a fundamental part of stewardship and our Christian giving; leaving a gift in your will is one ofthe most valuable and lasting ways you can give thanks to God for the gifts of your life and lifetime. Legaciesare life driven; they’re only activated by death. When remembering gifts generously left, we give thanks andrecall the story of the individual’s life and commitment to their church.”

If you would like to find out more about how a gift in your will could make a difference, please contact TheChurch in Wales on 029 2034 8200 or visit

http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/downloads/legacy-material/

croeso Lent 2014 11

croesoThis edition has been produced by the editorial team: Rev’dCaroline Downs (Convenor), Rev’d Mike Lewis, Jean Rose, AlisonYoung and James Downs with contributions from people in all parts ofLlandaff Diocese. Please send your articles, stories and pictures forthe next issue to: Rev’d Caroline Downs, 6 Newminster Road, Roath,Cardiff, CF23 5AP or, preferably by email to: croeso@llandaff.org.ukLetters,articles and features should be typed and where possible,submitted on computer disk saved as Word or text files. The nextissue will be published on Thursday July 3rd 2014. The copydeadline is Tuesday 17th June 2014. croeso can also be seen at ourwebsite www.llandaff.org.uk where other articles are sometimespublished when demand for newspaper space has been high. croesois funded by the Diocesan Board of Finance and is free to parishes.

Check out our web-site www.llandaff.org.uk

St Teilo’s Church in Wales High Schoolin Cardiff was officially opened by FirstMinister Carwyn Jones during a specialceremony, when pupils and staff werealso joined by the Archbishop ofWales, Dr Barry Morgan who blessedthe building and dedicated the schoolchapel.

Speaking at the opening, theArchbishop said, “I think this school willbe one of the iconic buildings in the cityand it certainly has the wow factor whenyou see it – it really is something.

“The opening of the new St Teilo’sHigh School is a landmark in the life ofthis school and in the life of our city.

The new school is an inspiring place forstudents and teachers alike, but StTeilo’s is far more than a building. Thisschool has learning as its focus, set inthe context of strong values, committedfaith and a determination that everystudent should achieve the very best inlife.”

More than 1,200 students moved tothe new purpose built St Teilo’s Churchin Wales High School in Llanedeyrn inSeptember, prior to its official openingin December.

The £26m investment is a jointventure between Cardiff Council andThe Church in Wales. It was funded by

Cardiff Council’s Schools OrganisationProgramme and the WelshGovernment’s 21st Century Schoolsprogramme.

Acting Headteacher of St Teilo’s, MrsCeri Weatherall, said: “It’s fantastic tobe in our brand new building – we knewthat we had to be more than just a newbuilding and that we had to have thestandards to go with it – which we areachieving.

“Our aim of a faith based communityfocussed school for the Eastern side ofthe city has been realised. The modernfacilities help us to provide teaching of

the highest quality. It really is a twenty-first century school building for twenty-first century learning and teaching.”

The new school building provides firstrate learning, sports and recreationalfacilities. St.Teilo’s also has anambitious vision for ICT and is fullyequipped with Wi-Fi throughout theschool, including external spaces. A keydesign feature is the rounded façadewhich envelopes an outdoor area thattakes the form of an amphitheatre,creating a place that can be used forsocialising as well as holding outdoorevents.

Pupils with the Archbishop, left to right, Kasey Marshall, 12, Jaya Horwood, 11,Archbishop Barry, Kameron Kofed, 12, Ethan Cann, 11 and Kya Evans, 11.

Churches donate Toiletries to Patients in NeedPatients who findthemselves in hospitalwithout access to toiletriesare reaping the benefits ofan ecumenical schemewhich supplies personalhygiene essentials to thosein need.

It means that patients whohave no means of eithergetting toiletries brought in byfriends and relatives orbuying items themselves nowhave access to items such assoap, toothbrushes,toothpaste and shampoo.

The scheme is run by thechaplaincy team at Cardiffand Vale UHB and theAneurin Bevan UHB – andsupported by many churchdenominations, includingAnglican. Rev’d Canon AlanTyler, Chaplaincy Servicesmanager for Cardiff and ValeUHB and the Aneurin BevanUHB, said the scheme whichbegan originally in Gwent wasalso now a huge success inCardiff and the surroundingarea.

“The scheme began after Inoticed that a retired

archdeacon that I was visitingin hospital was covered inshaving cuts on his face fromusing a borrowed blunt razor,and it transpired thatbecause of his condition hehad been unable to tellanyone that he had notoiletries with him.

His family lived on the otherside of the country and hehad no way of having anythingbrought in. I happened tomention this story to a localvicar who immediatelydecided to collect toiletriesfor hospital patients atharvest instead of the usualfood. And from that firstcollection, churchesthroughout Gwent and beyondheld collections for hospitalsthroughout the area.

Some of the patients are ingreat need and cannot affordto buy these essentials;others have family but, likethe archdeacon, they live along way away, and there arealso some who simply don’thave anyone to ask to getthese items for them. Wehave been overwhelmed with

the response to the schemefrom the start, with churchmembers of alldenominations beingincredibly generous.

We introduced the schemehere at the UniversityHospital of Wales just beforeChristmas and it has been ahuge success here as well.What’s been particularlyheartening is that, althoughwe started with the Anglicanchurches, churches of alldenominations from RomanCatholic to Baptist,Evangelical and Independenthave supported us.”

In Cardiff and the Vale,chaplaincy volunteer SueDavies-Jenkins, who co-ordinated the initial appeal, infact found herself in hospitalwithout a toothbrush andtoothpaste recently. “It allhappened very quickly, and inthe rush to be admitted, thetoothpaste and toothbrushwas forgotten.

It really brought it home tome that it would have beenquite unpleasant to havegone without them even forone night.” Pastor CarolynCastle, a hospital chaplain inCardiff said, “Patients whofind themselves in hospital,for whatever reason withoutthese essential toiletries, areso grateful to receive thesedonations; quite often theyare just overwhelmed withgratitude.

They can arrive withouttoiletries, or can’t get them,for all sorts of reasons: theymight not be able to affordthem, their family may livetoo far away, they may haveno one to ask; or it could bea parent with a very sick childwho simply does not want to

Pictured (l to r) Pastor Carolyn Castle with volunteer Sue Davies-Jenkins, presenting toiletries to Rob Tolton, ward manager on A3link at the University Hospital of Wales

leave their bedside even for thetime that it takes to go to thehospital shop.

The staff all think this is awonderful project – from thenursing staff, who see the need

first hand, to the hospitalmanagers. We can’t thank thechurches enough for theircollections, and just want them toknow how well received their giftsare.”

Officialopening forSt Teilo’s

Letter to the EditorsOn a recent visit to Wales I happened to pick up a copy of Croeso andI was interested to read the article about the recent completion of theGalilee Chapel in Llantwit Major Church. However, I noted onecomment in it which I would like to correct. It stated: 'This has been along time coming. The Galilee Project was conceived during thecelebrations in 2000...'

In fact, the idea of re-roofing and restoring the Galilee Chapel wasconceived fifty years earlier by Canon W.E.C. Thomas, Vicar of LlantwitMajor (1948-1961). He not only saw the possibility but raised all themoney for it to happen. But just as he was about to commission thework he was made Vicar of Cardiff. None of his immediate successorspursued the idea and the hard-earned monies were spent in otherways.

Canon Thomas was my father and I know that his disappointment atnot having the time to complete the Galilee Chapel would be turnedinto joy now that it has come about. But I think he deserves credit forbeing the first to see the potential of that restoration and therebyaffirming the long and distinguished history of St Illtyd's Church.

Yours sincerely,Paul W. Thomas

Archdeacon of Salop(Diocese of Lichfield).

Produced by the Department of Communication of the Llandaff Diocesan Council for Mission and Ministry © Llandaff Diocesan Board of Finance

croeso has been creatively designed &printed by Mersey Mirror, The Foundry,36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS Tel: 0151 709 7567 email: post@merseymirror.com

CAPTION COMPETITION

This edition we have twowinning captions! “Guide me, O, Thou GreatAbseiler”Freda Skerry, St. Catwg'sCadoxton Juxta Neath

“When the PCC meeting hit thesixth hour the vicar made hisescape”Rev’d Michael Komor, Coity,Nolton & Brackla

Please send in your captions for this photograph (below)before Tuesday 17th June 2014Answers by post to: Croeso 6, Newminster Road, Roath, Cardiff CF23 5AP or by email tocroeso@llandaff.org.uk

12 croeso Lent 2014

LENTA series of talks on TheVoice JC - exploring what itis about Jesus Christ’svoice which makes us turnin our seats and our lives –are to be delivered byBishop David during Lent.

Inspired by the BBC seriesThe Voice UK, whichfeatures singers whosesheer quality makes thejudges turn in their chair,Bishop David has produceda four-part Lent Course,reflecting on Jesus’ manyvoices which have madepeople turn through twomillennia.

The four talks will begiven on Wednesdayevenings during Lent in theNeath Deanery and areopen to all to attend, withthe first being delivered nextweek. All start at 7.30pmand finish at 9pm.

“A crying voice homes inon the baby’s cry atBethlehem, announcing thatGod was in town. An othervoice focuses on thestrangeness of Christ,whose command stilled thestorm and forgave sins andraised the dead,” saidBishop David.

“A dying voice sees newdepths for living in Jesus’familiar words from thecross. A rising voiceexamines the immensequality which madedownhearted disciples turnand fire the world with theirfaith. Four different voicesthat will make us turn in ourtracks and say to Christ, ‘Iwant you!’”

The venues and themes:‘A Baby’s Voice’, March 12,at Skewen Parish Church;‘An Other Voice’, March 19,St David’s Church, Neath; ‘ADying Voice’, March 26, StJohn’s, Alltwen and ‘ARising Voice’, April 2, BritonFerry Church.

Elsewhere in the diocese,hundreds of people areexpected to join the the two-mile “walk of witness”through the streets of Barryon Good Friday (April 18) tomark Christ’s journey to thecross.

They will follow a 10ftwooden cross and stop atfive points of prayer andhear readings from the Bibleabout Christ’s crucifixion.The walk, which is in itsthird year, is organised by

Charity Shop AnniversaryThe Parish of Abercynon’s Charity Shop “SHALOM” will becelebrating 15 years supporting our Parish Church,Community and Children's Charities, through the sale ofclothes, baby accessories, toys and bric-brac. Ourcelebrations will take place on Tuesday April 8th at theshop “Shalom”, 21 Ynysmeurig Road, Abercynon, around1.00pm. Lynne Landeg

LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL SHOPCould you spare a couple of hours once a month to helpat the Llandaff Cathedral shop? One or two of ourregular helpers have retired recently so help is nowneeded at the following times: most Wednesdayafternoons, some Friday afternoons, and one Saturdayafternoon in the month, all these sessions from 2 –4pm. You would work with another helper (two friendsmight like to volunteer together ) and training is given.Our visitors come from all over the world, and a friendlyface in the shop is an important part of our welcome. Ifyou can help (for one session a month or maybe more)please ring Pam Barlow on (029) 2065 2519.

Llangasty Retreat House Llangasty, Brecon, Powys LD3 7PX

Tel: 01874 658250 email: enquiries@llangasty.comwww.llangasty.com Charity Number 1060743

Programme 2014Residential RetreatsFebruary 17-21 Rest, work and play. Time for refreshment andpreparation. Stays from a single night available. £63 per 24hrs.March 3-4 A Celtic Lent, a preparation for Lent and Easter, exploringsome of our holiest Celtic Christian sites in words, pictures andworship. Rev Peter Brooks. £80March 21-23 Exploring Silence, especially, but not exclusively forthose beginning their journey with silence. Rev Nick Helm. £155July 14-16 Summer Retreat. Rev Beverley Smith. £135

the Churches of Barry, made upof 11 of the town’s churches ofvarious denominations. The firstwalk was led by the Archbishop ofWales.

Organiser Father RobertParrish, Rector of Merthyr Dyfanparish said everyone was invitedalong to all or part of the walk.

It will begin at Knap Gardens atnoon and end in King’s Square atabout 1.30pm – with four stopsalong the way, at the railwaystation, outside the One Stopstore in Broad Street, theforecourt of AG Adams funeralhome and King’s Square.

“The idea behind this walk is totake church out to the people –because we are walking throughthe streets – people will come upto us to watch, listen and join in.”

Other activities and eventsbeing held during Lent in theDiocese include:• In the parish of Llansawel,Briton Ferry, members of thecongregation have beenchallenged to create something

on the theme of “What St Mary’smeans to me,” in whatevermedium they choose such ascraft, writing or flowers. All effortswill be on display in church onEaster Sunday. Vicar Zoe King isalso undertaking the three-mileSport Relief run during Lent.• A Christianised PassoverCelebration is being held onMaundy Thursday in the parish ofCoity, Nolton and Brackla.• A weekly course, called The YCourse, is running on Saturday

mornings at the Holy CrossChurch, Cowbridge, until the endof Lent. Its purpose is toinvestigate questions and doubtsabout God-related issues.• Every Wednesday morning inLent, Alderman Davies Church inWales School breakfast clubmeet in St David’s Church, Neathfor prayers and various activities.• A daily series of tweets fromaround the province focusing on2020 Vision will be issuedthroughout Lent.