Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

The Church Tower At Wenvoe

THE CHURCH TOWER AT WENVOE

In 1699, the church tower was moved from the north side of the church to its pre-sent position at the west end of the church. In the absence of any documentary evidence for this re-building of the church tower in the late 17th century, we have to look at the national and local situation that the village of Wenvoe found itself in.

In 1688 King James II had fled the country. While in exile he was still king and the succession was confused because his son Charles (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was in France. Meanwhile, William of Orange had been invited to the throne of England with Mary, the eldest daughter of James to “ Protect the Protestant Religion and the Glorious Revolution and the liberties of the people”. They were crowned in 1689 as William III and Mary II. Mary died in 1694, and William died in 1702 upon which Queen Anne succeeded. How much these events affected life in Wenvoe is a matter of supposition. Were these momentous events in the national life announced from the steps of the Church Cross in the churchyard or did the fact that the prayers in church for the Royal Family bring home the changes in national life?

The earlier generations of the Thomas family at Wenvoe Castle, had supported Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, at the end of the 17th century. The 1st baronet Sir John Thomas had strong royalist feelings having been advanced to the dignity of a Baronet, by William and Mary on 24th December 1694. The family held the advowson* of the living of Wenvoe Church and made the appointments of a priest to the church. At the time we are concerned with, the Rector of Wenvoe was Philip Hawkins who had been appointed in 1681 on the death of Samuel Hughes. The Rector and two churchwardens appointed at the vestry meeting, held each year, looked after the fabric of the buildings by use of the Church Rate. This was money raised from every house and portion of land within the parish boundary, for keeping the fabric of the church in good order. The amount they wished to raise was decided by them and the people meeting together each year.

The church rate was not a popular means of taxation, and non-payment saw the parishioner hauled up before the Justices of the Peace. In later years with the growth of Non-conformity, this payment to the established church was a source of discontent as the church received payment from the Government of the day towards their running costs, while the non-conformists had to pay their own way in building their meeting houses and chapels.

At the end of the 17th century, Wenvoe Church was in need of repair. The church tower on the north side of the church must have been in a dilapidated condition, and the radical decision to move and rebuild at the west end was taken. At this time, the church building consisted of a nave and chancel, separated within by a low archway. The roof was much lower than to-day’s roof and burials were taking place within the church itself, for the local gentry and other persons of note. The Rector, with the encouragement of the Thomas family and his churchwardens, must have used the Church Rate to fund the demolition and re-building of the tower, and perhaps with some financial support from the Castle.

The poor and dangerous state of the tower could be attributed to the after effects of the Battle of St Fagans in 1648. When the village war memorial was being built in the 1920s a cannon ball was found, indicating that the effects of the war had spread far and wide in the villages surrounding St Fagans. Church towers were often places where the local muskets, rifles and pikes etc. were stored for use by the local militia, when called upon in defence of the realm, and were places of defence and so targets to be attacked during the fighting.

During the construction phase, the church building must have been out of use for some time, and from the parish registers, the following has been extracted over three years 1698, 1699 and 1700.

In 1698 there were 8 Baptisms between June to Dec.

In 1699 there were 6 Baptisms between May and Jan.

In 1700 there were 11 Baptisms between June and March

In 1698 there was 1 marriage in Sept.

In 1699 there were 3 marriages between Dec. and Feb..

During this time the year ran from on March 25th to March 24th.

Baptisms and Marriage services would have needed the use of the church to perform these, but there are lengthy gaps in time between these events.

The only firm evidence we have is the plaque on the west face of the tower recording the rebuilding. This plaque is a replacement for the original, and was placed there, gratis, in 1935, by Mr Sid Llewellyn.

The original plaque sets out the account of removal and rebuilding

“THE TOWER OF THIS CHURCH WAS REMOVED FROM THE FARTHEST PART OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BODY OF THE CHURCH TO THE EAST AND WAS REBUILT IN THIS PLACE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1699. Wil Morgan, Wil Wade Churchwardens.

However, in 1890 Mr Frank Bright wrote an account in a publication called St Peter’s Chair (a copy of which is in the G.R.O. in Cardiff) of a visit he made to Wenvoe Church and recorded that there was a Latin inscription as follows, which was not inscribed on the replacement tablet. “Procol O Procol este Profani” a translation is “Keep away, O Keep away you profane ones”.

Why this was not included could be down to the fact that the lettering was by this time deeply eroded and could not be read.

The purpose of writing this account marks the present on-going work to repoint all four faces of the tower due to frost damage loosening the mortar infill around the masonry. Not only is this a danger to the general public, but the work will restore the tower, making it fit for purpose for future generations.

Parry Edwards, May 2021

(* Advowson or patronage is the right in English law of a patron to present to the diocesan bishop a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation.)

 

 

Repairs And Redecoration Taking Place

News for July

St. Mary’s Church remains closed while the repairs and redecoration is taking place, and all services have been transferred to the Church Hall, on Sunday and for the midweek service on Wednesday. The work which is being done to a very high standard, is taking longer than was anticipated, and we are unlikely to be back in church until July. This has been a good exercise for the congregation, as so often the church is associated with a building, rather than thinking of the church as the people of God meeting together for worship. During the recent fine weather church gatherings have been taking place outdoors. The ministry area treasurers met in the shade on the north side of the church, and a family baptism took place around the churchyard cross. The current thinking is that when COVID-19 is finally kept under control with vaccinations, a new way of worship will be necessary, harking back to the Biblical days when Jesus taught the people wherever he found them. It is refreshing and a new way of thinking, perhaps the old ways were not the best way, and that God’s clean fresh air really does blow away the cobwebs.

The setting up of the Ministry Area is one way in which this can be done, with nine churches coming together, to pool ideas, share finances, and work towards the greater good. The smaller parishes will have as much say in matters to maintain the regular round of worship in each church as the larger ones. Jon wrote in one of the weekly newsletters an explanation of what the Ministry Area of De Morgannwg will mean to each one when we are brought together in 2022.

“As you are probably aware, the new Ministry Area of De Morgannwg will come into being by Bishop’s Decree on January 1st 2022. On this date, the nine churches of Dinas Powis, Michealston le Pit, Penmarc, Porthkerry, Rhoose, St Andrews Major, St. Lythans, Sully and Wenvoe will become one Ministry Area which will be called the Ministry Area of De Morgannwg. Each church will remain with its own identity, so these three churches will become

St Bleddians Church, St Lythans, in the Ministry Area of De Morgannwg

St John the Baptist Church, Sully, in the Ministry Area of De Morgannwg

St Mary’s Church, Wenvoe in the Ministry Area of De Morgannwg.

Each of these three churches will continue with their own Devolved Church Council which will be making decisions on a local level. The PCC will become the Ministry Area Council, each of the nine churches will have a representative on the Ministry Area Council. Each church will have an equal voice so that the views of all congregations can be aired.

There have been several meetings to discuss how our Ministry Area will operate within the Diocesan plan. There are two meetings this week, the first with each of the Treasurers and the second with

those who are serving on the communications Team. Your representatives from the churches are working very hard in order to come up with the best operating structure.

I will inform you of developments as they arise, but the important thing to remember is that your church remains your church, whilst also being able to enjoy time, fellowship and prayer with parishioners from other churches.”

The Christian Aid appeal “MAKING STEPS MATTER” had a number of people being sponsored with the number of steps they took during May. The final results are not yet available, awaiting for the monies to be brought together.

During the time the church has been closed for repairs to the plastering on the walls and repainting, the decision was made to re-site the organ console and speakers from the front of the nave near the chancel screen to the rear behind the font. The present two pews, will be placed in the transept and the space created around the font will be, filled with chairs from the transept. This decision was not taken lightly, but will allow for a better welcoming area when entering the church from the south porch, and the sound from the organ will be much improved coming from the back of the church, forward into the nave and chancel.

During the work around the font, the pews had to be removed to plaster in the gaps left by pews, this has revealed a decorative slate plaque, thought to be part of an early memorial on the wall which had been plastered over for many years. The decoration is of a vase of stylised flowers with a decorative border.

This is in the position where the Wenvoe Castle Family Pew was sited in the days when the church had box pews. These were replaced in 1887 by the pine pews we have at present, this little piece of history from the past will be preserved and left for all to see.

St Mary’s Tower Appeal

£60,000 needed to restore the tower!

In the early part of the year, we received a shocking report from our architect. The tower needs repointing. The restoration work has been costed; tenders accepted but we need to raise £60,000 before the work can begin.

The background to this sad story? In February 2021, an architectural inspection of the tower was undertaken following the discovery of fallen mortar and masonry at the base of the tower and to a lesser degree, the porch. Subsequently, a detailed rope access inspection was undertaken by steeplejacks to all four elevations of the tower. The steeplejacks reported that the pointing and masonry on all elevations was in poor condition with it either loose, falling out or hollow behind which in time will also become loose. Small amounts of plant growth were seen on all elevations with loose lead flashing on the North Elevation over the outbuilding. Imminently falling pointing and masonry was removed at the time, but it is expected that more will become loose, especially when winter frosts set in. The base around the tower has therefore been cordoned off as a safety precaution. We hope to undertake restoration this year as another winter would see more falling mortar and masonry which would compromise the watertight integrity of the building. Therefore, the PCC has resolved to launch an appeal for funds. Please consider donating either to our ‘Donate’ page as shown or if you wish by cheque sent directly to our church treasurer: made payable to St. Mary’s Church Wenvoe

Ray Harris, Orchard House, Port Road Wenvoe, CF5 6DF.

If you are a UK taxpayer we can claim an extra 20% from HMRC on top of your donation as Gift Aid. Please write your address on the back of your cheque.

If you would like to make an on-line donation, our bank details are: St Mary’s Wenvoe 08-90-03 50192159. Please include the reference TOWER

Once the restoration is completed, the community will be able to continue using the church and churchyard as they have done for centuries passed.

Thank you for reading this. God Bless and continue to keep safe.

Parry Edwards

 

 

 

Covid Rules: For The Moment, Nothing Has Changed

News for June

Here in Wales, the Welsh Government has relaxed some of the COVID restrictions we have lived under for the past 14 months, but with new freedoms come the responsibilities we have to each other.

While cafes, museums, cinemas and much more can now open, churches still have to abide with the previous rules of social distancing, the wearing of face masks, no singing allowed, and having to book your place in the congregation. So, for the moment, nothing has changed. At St. Mary’s we are having repairs and repainting in the nave and chancel, so the building remains closed. All worship was transferred to the Church Hall and it is hoped services in June will be back in church. See the church notice board for the latest details and arrangements.

After much hassle and delay, Wi-Fi was finally installed in the church. The streaming of services will now go ahead when we are able to reopen. The delay was caused by not having a postcode, not having a letter box, the “Open reach” ladders were too short, need I say more!! The 10.30am service on Facebook stopped during the month as we were able to stream a service from either Sully or Wenvoe at the regular times of 9.30am and 11.00am. The Facebook service was widely popular with people logging in from far and wide, and far more were taking part on line than we could ever hope to see in church. Reaching out beyond the confines of the church building is our Mission to the community and we invite those who cannot attend in person and have a Wi-Fi connection, to join in with us as we explore different ways of doing “church”.

The Christian Aid appeal “MAKING STEPS MATTER” took place during the month, and first results are encouraging. This year like last year, we could not organise a house-to-house collection, but the bunting and banners outside the church and the village school, was a reminder that the gift of water in many parts of the world is a rare commodity. The appeal was to count the steps we take each week in our daily lives and compare them with the many steps the women in Africa have to take to fetch water for their daily use. The appeal remains open, and your gift of money will help so many to build water dams in their villages so that walking many miles will be a thing of the past.

The latest news on the church tower is that our architect has prepared the “spec” and this has gone out to tender, for the work to be carried out as soon as possible. Any contractor who submits a tender must have proven “conservation experience of stonework” in churches and other listed buildings. Until these tenders come in, we have no idea of what the likely cost is going to be. The churchwardens aided by the PCC have the responsibility of ensuring that the fabric of the church is kept in good order, and the last time the tower was under investigation was almost twenty years ago. The work carried out then has not stood the test of time and the weathering we have had over those years has caused the deterioration of the mortar applied at that time.

Kevin Barry, who has been serving his time as an ordinand in St. Mary’s is coming to an end with his ordination as a deacon in the cathedral on June 26th. He will then be welcomed into Wenvoe parish as a curate on Sunday 27th June. His ordination to the priesthood will be at a date and place yet to be agreed. To mark this great event in his life, it was decided, that he will be presented with a purple stole from the three churches (Sully, St Lythans and Wenvoe) as a mark of the great affection he was held in during his training with Jon.

Our congregation in Wenvoe, as in many other parishes, has a large number of elderly parishioners, and however hard we try to encourage younger people to join us, we remain as we are, reliant on older generations to keep the roof on and the door open. Recently Mrs Mary Turner celebrated her 90th birthday. Mary is not able to attend church these days so home visits are a real treat for her. A copy of the church magazine is really appreciated, as is a copy of the weekly newsletter, and she listens intently as the readings and lessons are read to her. During this time of COVID these visits are very limited, and her carers are doing a truly wonderful job in looking after her. To all in this older generation the congregation is very thankful for the support they have continued to give to the church in Wenvoe, and there will be a place for them when they are able to return to what we are calling the NEW NORMAL pattern of services.

The development and progression to the new Ministry Area has continued, with meetings arranged on Zoom. You will have read that the name of our ministry area will be “de Morgannwg” that is “south Glamorgan”, and that we in Wenvoe will be one of nine churches coming together to spread the “love of Christ to our communities”. There is still much to do in setting up the various groups to iron out any difficulties in time for the decree to be issued on January 1st, 2022.

At a recent meeting of the PCC, held on Zoom, the chairman, Jon, thanked all members of the PCC for their continuing help and support during these days. We are awaiting the very latest guidelines from the Bench of Bishops. Until then we are still under the same guidelines that have applied since we were able to re-open our church on the 21st March.

Keep safe and God Bless,

Parry Edwards

 

 

Union Flag At Half Mast

News for May

The flying of the Union Flag at half mast, on the church tower, was a signal that we were joining in with the country, on hearing the sad news of the death of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. In church, prayers were offered for HM the Queen at the loss of a husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, and we also included in our prayers the loss of loved ones all over the country to the ravages of COVID-19, at whose passing, funerals were held under strict covid rules. May they all rest in peace and rise in glory.

The church has been open for Eucharistic worship on Sundays and Wednesdays, under the strict covid rules, where places have to be booked in advance, and bookings often exceed the numbers allowed. It is hoped that the next Government announcement on May 17th will allow a greater relaxation of the rules and some kind of a NEW normality can be introduced, so we wait to hear.

THE TOWER.- Mention was made in last month’s “What’s On” of the security tape placed around the base of the tower to prevent public access, as the mortar infill was falling due to the severe frosts we have had in the month. Steeplejacks were engaged to scale the tower and report on the condition of the fabric; their report is very worrying. There is extensive degradation of the mortar infilling of the stones and the church architect was made aware of the report. The repair work must be put in hand as quickly as possible, using lime mortar which can only be applied in frost free conditions. This will mean scaffolding around the tower, and once tenders have been received, the work carried out before the winter is upon us. At the present moment our Building Fund, is limited as we have already accepted estimates for the redecoration of the interior of the nave and chancel ceiling. This work will take place during the early part of May and the church will have to be closed for all worship, due to the scaffolding erected etc. within the building. We will not know the costs involved for the tower repairs, until the tendering process has been completed, faculties have been applied for, and grants may well have to be sought to carry out the work. A public appeal is also being considered as this unexpected work is beyond the finances of the church. We acknowledge with thanks how church members have responded to maintain St Mary’s during the past year, the contributions made to the building fund by the 200 club over the years has funded the normal maintenance work needed on a Grade II* building. We appeal to all who value the presence of the village church, to respond in some way to keep the church building in good and fair condition. Any contribution you are able to make will be most welcome and gratefully received.

As a sign that church worship is returning, a wedding is planned to take place in May,

This will be the first wedding for over a year. The number of guests is limited, and of course receptions cannot take place in doors. Jon has a number of other weddings planned during the year, which have all been postponed due to the covid rules. Baptisms cannot be held at present, but as the covid situation improves, relaxation of the present rules could well be relaxed, as we strive to make the NEW normal the way ahead.

The annual Church Vestry Meeting has taken place on ZOOM with all officers and members of the PCC voted into office for the remainder of the year. This will be the last PCC meeting in the parish of St. Mary in Wenvoe. As from January 1st 2022 the PCC will be reformed as the Devolved Church Council (DCC) when we become a part of the NEW MINISTRY AREA of “de Morgannwg” bringing together nine churches merging as one grouping, whose mission is to bring the love of Christ to our communities. This will mean a change of status as a self governing parish. It is over 900 years since parishes were formed following the Norman Conquest, and when we merge we will be parishioners in the wider Ministry Area. This will entail a new Electoral Roll of church membership, a bringing together of all the individual church finances. For this year it is a work in progress, with Zoom meetings taking place with representatives of the nine churches trying to find a common ground within the ministry area.

The Christian Aid Appeal

“Making Steps Matter”

This year’s Cristian aid appeal was launched in church on the 4th Sunday of Easter, in readiness for our LOCAL CHALLENGE of counting and sponsoring the many steps we take during the day in our normal lives. Sponsorship forms can be collected from the church porch or Springfield Stores , Donations and results can be given to Rev. Jon Ormrod or posted through the church letter box. So let’s get walking and giving.

We continue to support the Barry Food Bank with collections from the church porches of Wenvoe and Sully churches on Thursday mornings. The need for food banks is greater than ever and contributions can be left in the church porches during the week. All food items gratefully received, especially requests for tinned potatoes, 100gram jars of coffee, treats for children, men’s toiletries, and tinned meats. Many thanks to all who donate on a regular basis.

Keep well, God Bless

Parry Edwards

 

 

Church News for April

News for April

Please allow me to start on a personal note. I have just watched the wonderful Mothering Sunday Service from St. Mary’s on Facebook. It was a most uplifting time for those who had joined in and it is a privilege to be a part of the wonderful family of our three churches. Diolch yn fawr

Now to Church News…

March 23rd was kept as a DAY OF RELECTION marking one year since the first “lockdown” in the country due to COVID-19. A year in which many have died, many have contracted the virus and recovered, and how thankful we are for the NHS who looked after their patients in the most difficult and worrying of circumstances. The Archbishop of Wales asked us to REFLECT, TO HAVE HOPE AND TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, this has to be done carefully, thoughtfully and hopefully as we come out of the many restrictions imposed on us to keep us safe during the darkest days of the Winter now coming to an end. A sure sign of this was the re-opening of our churches on March 21st, for Eucharistic worship, once again under strict conditions of hand cleansing, mask wearing, no singing, no loitering and keeping a social distance from each other. As before, attendance had to be booked in advance and seating allocated within the church, but it was good to be getting together. Mothering Sunday was an online service featuring the children of our Pebbles group and young musicians from Sully. Wonderful and a big THANK YOU. Also to hear Jon’s Mum reading from St Paul to the Colossians was truly amazing. Daffodils were freely available outside our churches to give to Mums, Grandmothers and Godmothers, as a token of the love we have for all they have done for us.

The Easter issue of the parish magazine “Connections” was printed and posted to all church members and included a Palm Cross in time for Palm Sunday and Holy Week (see Jon’s letter for details of services). We have had to suspend our usual practice of providing lilies in remembrance of loved ones this year, but we ask for names of loved ones to be remembered at the altar with a lit candle; names to the Church wardens please. We invite all who wish a family member or friend to submit their names, for you are all part of God’s family whether you are a church member or not. The churchyard cross will be decorated as last year, thanks to Mike, Sandra and Brian. The children from Wenvoe School are decorating pebbles to go around the base, and this together with the Easter Garden in the porch will make for an interesting visit.

During the month there has been work ongoing at St. Mary’s. You could not fail to notice the security tape barrier around the base of the tower. During the severe frost, mortar has been falling from the masonry. Steeplejacks have been up the tower to report on the likely cause and report on how to put things right. At long last after a battle with the Royal Mail we have finally been allocated a postcode for the church and the church hall. We needed this to get a BT landline into the church to assist in streaming our services on the internet. We have installed secure post boxes in the church hall porch and the church porch to receive mail and also for the community to use should they wish, to contact the church authorities. The notice boards in the porch have been refurbished with user friendly panels of cork, to make the insertion of drawing pins etc much easier, so no more damaged fingers, we hope.

The Church Hall together with the adjoining Wheelwrights Shop have been surveyed by our church architect and his report is awaited, with some trepidation, for we know it will not make welcome reading. However, work will be required to make it fit for purpose, so watch this space.

Easter Greetings to all. Continue to keep safe and look forward with hopefulness to better times ahead.

Parry Edwards

 

 

April’s Letter From Jon

 

April’s Letter From Jon

It is wonderful to be able to write to you all with some Good News. As Easter approaches, I am happy to report that now that the Welsh Government has moved from its instruction of Stay at Home to Stay Local that it has been decided that we can now re-open our churches in Wenvoe and St Lythans for public worship. This will be from the end of March onwards.

The format will have to be the same as we were operating under prior to the lockdown in December this will mean that the services will be as follows:

Sundays

9.30am Said Eucharist at St Mary’s, Wenvoe

10.30am Online Service

3.00pm Said Eucharist at St Bleddian’s, St Lythans

6.00pm Online Service

Wednesdays

10.00am Said Eucharist at St Mary’s, Wenvoe

Please note that all the services in church will need to be booked for in advance. You can do that by the following means:

For Services in St Lythans. Either email: howard.rees2020@yahoo.com or phone Howard on 07812 383298. For Services in Wenvoe. Either email: stmaryswenvoebookings@gmail.com or phone Carol on 029 2059 265

Please also note that you will still be required to socially distance and that you will have to wear a face mask and cleanse your hands.

There will also be some additional services during Holy Week and on Good Friday details of which can be found in the porches of the churches.

Easter is a time when we look forward to new life; for Christians it is a new life in Christ. It is the ultimate season of hope and joy. It is therefore with joy that I wish you all a Blessed and Happy Easter, and with a real sense of hope as we look forward to a new start of being in communion with one another.

 

Services for Holy Week and Easter

We hope that following the announcement of the Welsh Government we will be in a position to open our churches for public worship as from Sunday 21st March. If we are able to reopen, it is important to note that we will still be under Social Distancing Rules and people will be required to book in advance with places being limited. It is also unlikely we will be able to sing. But assuming we are able to open we HOPE to be able to offer the following services during Holy Week and Easter.

Sun 21st March – Passion Sunday

9.30am Said Eucharist at Wenvoe

10.30am Agape Service streamed online only

3.00pm Said Eucharist at St Lythans

6.00pm Said Eucharist at Sully also streamed online

Wed 24th March

10.00am Said Eucharist in Wenvoe

Thurs 25th March

10.00am Said Eucharist at Sully; also streamed online

Sun 28th March – Palm Sunday

9.30am Said Eucharist at Wenvoe

10.30am Agape Service streamed online only

3.00pm Said Eucharist at St Lythans

6.00pm Said Eucharist at Sully; also streamed online

Mon29th March – Monday in Holy Week

10.00am Morning Prayer streamed online only

Tues30th March – Tuesday in Holy Week

10.00am Morning Prayer streamed online only

Wed 31st March – Wednesday in Holy Week

10.00am Said Eucharist at Wenvoe possibly streamed online

Thurs 1st April – Maundy Thursday

10.00am Said Eucharist at Sully; also streamed online

7.00pm Agape Meal; streamed online only

Fri 2nd April – Good Friday

10.00am All Age Good Friday Worship streamed online only

1.00pm Good Friday Prayers at St Lythans

1.30pm-2.15pm Walk of Witness from St Lythans to Wenvoe streamed online

2.15pm Good Friday Meditations at Wenvoe and possibly streamed online

2.15pm Good Friday Meditations at Sully

Sun 4th April – Easter Day

6.45am Sunrise Service at Sully also streamed online

9.30am Said Eucharist at Wenvoe

10.30am Agape Service streamed online only

3.00pm Said Eucharist at St Lythans

6.00pm Said Eucharist at Sully also streamed online

Please note that ALL these services are subject to change. Services which are online only are noted. Services in the churches will be confirmed closer to the time via the Facebook page and newsletter and will need to be booked in advance.

With Blessings

Jon Ormrod

revjonormrod@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

 

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