Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

---

October News Update

---

The church is now open for worship without the need to book your place in the congregation. We are still required to sanitise our hands on entry and leaving, to wear a face mask and keep social distancing.

This last condition is probably the most difficult to adhere to, for when any congregation gathers, having been prevented from doing so for such a long period of time, it is the most natural thing in the world to greet and converse, taking time to catch up on all that has gone before. Singing is now allowed, wearing a face mask, and somehow we raise our voices in praise, so we are getting back to a new kind of normality. Come and experience this for yourselves. You will be very welcome.

---

The fundraising for the repair of the tower is gathering apace, with the results from a number of fund-giving bodies expected during the month. We are extremely grateful for the response from those who have already donated. The work is being delayed until next spring when the lime mortar can be applied without the risk of any frost. The recent appeal for old and unusable IT appliances to be recycled brought a great response and filled the church hall kitchen to overflowing. We await to hear whether this will bring in funds for the appeal. We must also thank Mike and Glenys Tucker for organising their “stones for the tower” appeal. Do support them; fund raising is a thankless task, and as a well know multinational grocer, puts it “every little helps”.

---

However, like many things in life, we now have an additional problem with the church clock. Time is standing still on the Wenvoe clock. For some time the hands were stopping at ten to three each day. The clock people, Smiths of Derby who installed the clock in 1883 and have maintained it ever since, have examined the linkage etc and their report is likely to say that somehow the hands of the clock are fouling each other, causing the stoppage. Their report has been received, and the cost of repair is likely to be in the region of £16,000 inc VAT. Funding will be sought from recognised fund holders for church clocks, and the work will be carried out at the same time as the scaffolding is on the tower next year.

---

We have been opening the church on Saturday afternoons for visitors to see the freshly painted walls and chancel ceiling, and also to see the renowned wall monuments to the Thomas/Birt/Jenner families of Wenvoe Castle. These monuments are among the finest in South Wales and date from 1636-1824. The carved and gilded reredos at the altar was designed by the renowned church designer and architect Sir John Ninian Comper and was gifted to the church in 1901. The restored Victorian tiled floors complete the image of the church that the church restorers of the 19th century wished us to see. Although at the time, the restorations and improvements did not meet with general approval. But times change and we are the grateful inheritors of much that has gone before.

---

Our children’s “Pebbles” group has been meeting since early September and what a joy it is to see the youngsters back in church. It has been 18 months since they were last in church, and how some of them have grown! We welcome new faces as they join in the activities in the church hall under the guidance of the leaders and the parents. “Pebbles” is from 9.30am each Sunday morning during term time. There is always space for new faces. All are welcome.

---

We continue to support the work of the Food Bank in Barry and wish to thank those who make regular weekly donations to the food boxes in the church porch. The donations are collected from Wenvoe and Sully every Thursday morning, and they are most gratefully received for the families in the Vale who find themselves in difficult circumstances beyond their control. So, thank you for your help and support. Please keep the donations coming. Diolch.

---

The work towards the setting up of the Ministry Area, nine churches united to bring Jesus’s love to the Community, continues with the introduction of a weekly bulletin for the Ministry Area which is known as De Morgannwg. These are available in all nine churches, setting out the times of services and what is happening during the week. We are now nine months into the preparations and setting up of the various groups to bring us all into one large Christian family when the Bishop’s Decree is signed on 1st January.

A great welcome is assured to all from our Parish Priest and Churchwardens.

Parry Edwards

 

---

---

 

---

September News Update

---

It was with great sadness the news that the Rev. Jonathon Ormrod, our Priest in Charge, has decided to leave the parishes of Wenvoe with St. Lythan’s and Sully to take up a similar position at St. Martin’s church in Worle near Weston super Mare.

During his 7 years here he had endued himself as a wonderfully caring priest and a friend to all and we wish him and his family every blessing in his new post. Jon’s last service here will be on the 31st October.

We were able to be back in church on Sunday 1st August after a mammoth task of cleaning, and placing back things where they should be. We consider the church has never looked as good as it does at the present moment. The painting and plaster repairs have been most professionally carried out, and the standard of work from our craftsman, Mr Mike Mather, is to be commended. We opened the church on Saturday afternoons during August to let church members see for themselves, and this brought others in from the community to see how well cared for the church has been. The Saturday afternoon openings will continue in September to harvest time when the church will be decorated for the Festival.

The glass doors to the tower vestry have been taken away for re-glazing with hardened glass and the glass sculpture above is being investigated as to how we can illuminate it so that the colours in the glass features of the vine leaves and bunches of grapes, together with the Madonna and child, can be more clearly seen. This sculpture and doors, designed by the Penarth artist, Frank Roper, installed in 1981, deserves to be cherished, as his work is gaining the respect it deserves, and we have an excellent example of the “lost wax casting in aluminium” as a major feature in the church and one of our “treasures”

Recent research into listing of the church as grade 2* listing, made the church officers aware of the inclusion in J.Newman’s book “ The Buildings of South Wales”of our church building. In his opinion, “the wall monuments in the church are what makes the church worth visiting, three hanging monuments, outstanding in the county” He is referring to the two Thomas family monuments in the nave and the Peter Birt/ Jenner monument near the altar. The William Thomas monument of 1636 is almost of metropolitan quality and strongly influenced by Nicholas Stone (1587-1647). He was an English sculptor and architect. In 1619 he was appointed master mason to James 1 and in 1626 to Charles 1 He was responsible for many notable public buildings, including the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London

We have continued with the patterns of worship set under the guidelines of the Welsh Government and the Bench of Bishops. Recent discussions have taken place with the result that as from Sunday 21 August there was no need to book your seat in the church, and you can now sit in any pew, allowing for sensible spacing between worshippers. Masks are still required to be worn, and hand sanitising will continue. It is hoped that our “Pebbles” group will be able to meet from the 5th September in the Church Hall. Also at the same time a member of the congregation will be able to read the O.T. lesson and epistle from the Lectern. Hymn singing will also be introduced wearing masks. The celebration of the Harvest Festival will be on the 26th September at 9.30 am. and will be as in pre-Covid times, that is an All Age Service with the children taking part.

The Tower Appeal is being responded to in a number of ways. We need to raise £60,000 for the work required on the tower at St. Mary’s. You can donate in a number of ways, on line at http//StMappeal.com or alternatively drop a donation in the letter box in the church porch. Or donating your old IT equipment where Electric Amnesty will strip it down and we get 50% of the value of the raw materials recovered. For the youngsters join the “Everest Climb”, or support the Tucker family in their “Stones for the Tower” appeal. Thank you to those who have already donated to the appeal and to the continued support of the St. Mary’s 200 club. The work on the tower has been delayed until next Spring, while we raise the necessary funds and also the pointing of the stonework with lime mortar can only be applied in frost free conditions.

We continue to support the Vale Foodbank in Barry with deliveries made every Thursday from the collecting points in the churches at Sully and Wenvoe. This has been a difficult time for families during the school holidays so a special plea for support. Items currently in short supply include tinned potatoes, coffee, peanut butter, bars of soap and treats for children would be welcome.

The last eighteen months have been a very difficult time for everyone with the threat of Covid-19, and especially for places of worship. We have been fortunate that our faithful congregation has held firm in these troubled times, and despite many experiencing personal losses of loved ones during this time, the fellowship and caring qualities of the church has been wonderful to see and experience. Now we need to reassure everyone that a welcome awaits you at St. Mary’s, things are not quite as normal, as in pre Covid times but we are getting there

Sadly we have to announce the passing of two members of the congregation. Mr Gareth Davies and Mrs Muriel Andrews; both will be sadly missed and our prayers are with their families at this time.

Thank you for reading the church news. God Bless

Parry Edwards

 

---

---

 

ADVENT WINDOWS?

---

I hope you are enjoying this summer. Thinking ahead to the wind, rain, snow, hail, storms and dark evenings – I understand there is enthusiasm again for the Advent Windows!!

Last year we launched Advent Windows during strict Covid lockdown. We asked participants to decorate a window on a specified date in Advent. This provided a really good excuse for us all to take a walk around the village and enjoy what people had created. We have now had people contact us to say they would like to do it again.

This is an advance notice to let you know that ‘yes’ we are about to set plans in motion again and will give you more details next month.

Jude Billingham

 

 

---

---

 

ST MARY’S CHURCH TOWER APPEAL
SPONSOR A STONE

---

You may be aware that urgent, extensive restoration work is needed to restore the tower and porch of St Mary’s church to a safe and structurally sound condition. We are so lucky to have this beautiful, Grade ll* listed building in Wenvoe. Most people would agree that it is a wonderful focal point of our lovely village but the cost of restoration is in the region of £60,000 – a substantial sum of money by any standards. To help raise some of this amount, we have produced Sponsor a Stone certificates which are printed on good quality A5 card and can be purchased for £10 (there is, of course, no limit to the amount of money anyone can donate). The donor’s name will be handwritten onto the certificate; each one will be numbered and will be signed by Rev Jon Ormrod. If you would like to Sponsor a Stone and help preserve our church for generations to come please contact Mike and Glenys Tucker at 29 Vennwood Close or telephone 079 2210 9721.

 

---

---

 

---

August News Update

---

The church has not reopened as the decoration and repairs to the wall plaster has taken longer than anticipated. However, we can report that the work is of a very high standard and the interior will look amazing when all is restored to its rightful state. The organ has been removed to the back of the church and the large speaker cabinets re-sited high on the West wall of the nave. The sound quality is superb, and when we can get back to singing the congregation will notice the difference. The previous position of the speaker cabinets on the chancel arch wall was disfiguring in a medieval church so heavily restored in the late 19th century. Do please come and see and hear for yourself. You are all very welcome as this is the parish church for the community, not just for the regulars who attend St. Mary’s.

During this period of upheaval we have hosted a funeral and a wedding, which meant interrupting the work of painting, to get the church back into some semblance of order and cleaning the furniture and floors. Thanks to the hard working team who set to present the church as well as we possible could under very difficult circumstances. When we do reopen we still have to comply with the 2m. distancing, the wearing of face masks, sanitising the hands and booking a place in the week preceding the Sunday services.

The times of services have been slightly altered from the previous pattern. The Bishop had already told Jon to reduce the number of services he was taking on a Sunday morning. The pattern for a trial period of 3 months will be:

8.30 am Said Eucharist at St. Bleddian’s Church

9.30am Said/Sung Eucharist at St Mary’s Church

On the 1st Sunday of the month, Evening prayer at 6.00pm and on the 3rd Sunday a service of Said Eucharist.

On Wednesday morning Said Eucharist at 10.00am

St. Mary’s has been the focal point in the community for many hundreds of years. We will continue to be that focus for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals for all in the community and being one of nine churches in the new Ministry Area of De Morgannwg, will not make any difference. We have a wish list for St. Mary’s to open our doors to visitors at a set time, with volunteers to be on hand to greet people. More of that later, so watch this space.

Preparations for setting up the decree to merge the parishes of St Andrews Major, Michaelston Le Pit, Sully, Wenvoe, St. Lythan’s together with Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark are going ahead, now that most of the contentious issues have been settled. Financially all churches will continue to control their own affairs, but will come under the overall guidance and control of the Ministry Area Council. At a recent meeting of the Wenvoe PCC such agreement was voted on. In all the discussions that have been taking place, we have made sure that the Ministry Area will work in ways that are suitable for the differing range of churches in the group. Some are large, some are small, but each will have an equal voice, with representatives appointed by each church to bring to the council the concerns and aspirations of their individual congregations.

---

---

CHRISTIAN AID 2001

Together we STOP this Climate Crisis

Making Steps Matter!

---

Well done everyone. That includes those stepping out, those sponsoring the walkers, those donating and those who helped with the counting.

I am writing this just a couple of hours after our final count and checking the money brought in via Christian Aid Appeal.

This was the first year we undertook a project (the sponsored walking) rather than a street collection. There were 11 sponsorships with lots of interest throughout the month, as to how they were progressing. There were representatives from the three churches, with different combinations and methods people took to succeed in their walking. One couple took up the challenge in competing against each other, two people joined forces to combine their miles, one continued with an injured foot, another combined walking with steps while playing golf. Dog walking featured and everyone took care to include each step during everyday activities at work or at home. I included every step up and down stairs, each time not grumbling that I had forgotten anything, as I usually do!

The most steps an individual did was made by Steve Robbins who recorded 440,445 steps. Most made over the 300,000 target recommended by Christian Aid. However, I was pleased to reach 243,104 which exceeded my personal target of 200,000.

The total of sponsorship income was £1,760 (with an additional gift aid sum of £397.80). Further donations came to £558 (gift aid adding £86.25), and Gwenfo School raised £279 with their Big Brekkie and non-uniform day. This made a grand total of £3,081.27, including gift aid. Indeed, this was our best year!!! Well done everyone.

It now gives me the pleasure of sending this off to Christian Aid to help in this year’s challenge to address climate change and to support those women waiting for an earth dam to stop them walking six hours a day to collect water. Many thanks and well done all.

A final word – please support the Wenvoe Tower Appeal (see page 4). Many thanks to all who have already donated.

God bless and continue to keep safe.

Parry Edwards

 

---

---