Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

---

The church remains closed for public worship in line with the Bench of Bishops recommendations and the latest Welsh Government guidance. The decision to re-open the church will come when it is considered safe enough, keeping in mind social distancing, the necessity to sanitise your hands and wear a face mask. These regulations do not make it easy to have a meaningful act of worship, keeping apart from each other, no touching or hugging, no close contact between priest and his people are the very opposite of what should be taking place, when we share the love of Christ with each other. It is a very sad situation that we find ourselves in, and the question arises, will our people want to come back to worshipping as once was the norm on a Sunday morning.

There are many, many followers of the online services provided by Jon and his team, the comments show that the service is well received, but all members of our congregation are not online, and are not familiar with the workings of the internet. Those who are housebound, others who are elderly are not being catered for at present, yet thank God these are the very people who are maintaining their financial contributions, which is keeping the work of the church and the work in the church going ahead, and so we remain financially sound despite all the problems of Covid 19.

The vaccination programme is being rolled out and it is to be hoped all the most elderly and vulnerable in the community have had their “jabs”, with many being asked to attend at vaccination centres in Cardiff and Barry. Some have experienced reactions while others have accepted it with no adverse problems. The latest news is that we may have to accept an annual vaccination just like the “Flu” jab and get a top up each year until the time when this virus is beaten. Then perhaps we can look forward to meeting together, to hear the Word of God read, to sing the hymns, recite the prayers and become a worshipping community once again. We look forward to the day when weddings can be celebrated, when funerals can be arranged with no limits placed on the numbers allowed to be present. That day will come, we will meet together, and we will thank God for bringing us through these most difficult of times.

The P.C.C. have accepted estimates for the redecoration of the nave in the church and also the chancel ceiling. It is many years since we last repainted the interior and the walls are not looking their best at present. The work will be carried out in April all being well. The church pews are being removed from the walls and replastering arranged, for the day when we might be allowed to replace the pews with stackable chairs, which would make St. Mary’s more “fit for purpose” for the future. The doors to the tower vestry have been reglazed, following the glass on one door cracking over a year ago. A new ladder on the tower roof has been installed to assist the willing volunteers who raise the flag on the flag pole during the year. So much work is going on despite being closed for public worship. The latest job has been to install letter boxes in the church porch and the church hall, in an attempt to get a “post code” so that mail can be correctly delivered. The Church Hall is being surveyed to get an accurate picture of the condition of the building before any decisions are taken on its refurbishment. The wheelwright shop is also being looked at to assess what needs to be done to make it watertight etc.

The Food Bank in Barry is well supported by a band of loyal members of the congregation, and they are thankful that we are able to take so many food items and sundry dry goods, that are so needed by those who are not as fortunate in these difficult times of unemployment and hardship. Thank you once again for all you contribute to help those who are in real need at this time.

So for the time being we are entering the solemn season of Lent, with online services, St. David will be remembered, Mothering Sunday will be marked with flowers outside the church to give to Mums and Grans alike. Palm Sunday will have palm crosses available, and the great festival of Easter will soon be with us.

God Bless us and keep safe, wear a face mask, and say hello to anyone you meet on your daily exercise.

Parry Edwards

 

---

---

 

MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS

---

Greetings from a beleaguered Parish Church that remains closed and unable to offer worship and comfort to her congregation. If 2020 was the year when we were forced to lock the church door, let us hope and pray that 2021 will be the year in which we shall be able to open to all, and welcome all into the hallowed space we have had in Wenvoe for more than 800 years.

In these worrying times, the business side of St. Mary’s has carried on with the help of Zoom. Regular meetings of the officers of the church have been held, backed up by regular meetings of the Parochial Church Council to enable the church to meet its financial and legal responsibilities. We are grateful to all who have maintained their financial giving, to those who have supported the limited fund raising we have been able to arrange, and to those who have kindly donated money over the past months. Wenvoe Church is needed more than ever, for the time when our lives and the life of the community will be back to a “new” normal. Where else can you get your child baptised, your sons and daughters married and say that final goodbye to a loved ones? There is only one place and that is in St. Mary’s Church. So, a big, big thank you to all who have supported us.

During the dark nights of December, in the run up to Christmas, the Wenvoe Advent Window displays were a great success. The windows were shown on our Facebook page and from the generosity of many people, £186.00 was raised for church funds. There have been a number of requests of ‘what do we do next year’ meaning of course what will we do for this year. Any ideas please to Jude Billingham, the organiser.

The closure of the church has meant that Jon and Kevin have been able to offer an online service each Sunday morning, and there have been many followers who have ‘hooked up’ to take part. Many are local members of the congregations from our three churches, and they are joined by others from far and wide. Together we have maintained close contact with one another, by simply keying in that you are watching and that you have sent a greeting. Thank God for technology that is useful and so necessary in these days when we cannot meet as was our usual practice.

 

---

CHURCH HALL

Every few years we come around to considering what do we do with the church hall. We know only too well that it is not fit for purpose, and that a lot of money is needed to bring the building, the toilets and the kitchen up to modern day standards. These lockdowns have concentrated the minds of church officers that we do something or else the building will continue to deteriorate. A recent survey of the building and its facilities have been circulated to all members of the PCC, with options as to how things could be improved. Watch this space.

Another project is what do we do to bring our church building into a better state, and can we do this while we are closed and shut down. The church needs redecoration, we really do need toilet facilities on site, we would like to offer refreshment facilities on site, we would like to get rid of the pews and bring in stackable chairs, so that we can re-arrange the seating for different types of services, and hold our “chattery” get togethers in a more comfortable setting. There is much we would like to do, but getting the necessary permissions takes a great deal of time and effort, with the church authorities wishing to keep us preserved in aspic. Once again watch this space.

The Steering Group for the NEW MINISTRY AREA has met on Zoom as we start the process of coming together. Two sub-groups on Governance and the other on Communication have been set up. The work of either is to bring together the common things we hold so dear. We are a diverse group of Christians worshipping the ONE true God…. NINE CHURCHES WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING GOD’S LOVE TO HIS PEOPLE.

Keep safe, wash those hands, wear your mask and God Bless.

Parry Edwards

 

---

---

 

---

MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS

---

So it’s goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021, farewell to all the problems during the past year and now we look forward to better times in the New Year.

Our Christmas programme in church, which was always dependent on the Wales Gov’t and Church in Wales directions and regulations, took place in such different conditions from any year anyone of us can remember. No Community Carol Service could be held, so we had an online Carol Service at 6.oopm on Sunday 20th December, with contributions from a virtual choir, readings, prayers and carols sung some of which were “signed” – how wonderful was that. We have so much talent in our churches and through the miracle of the internet, we have been able to worship together, have Bible Study and so much more. To take part in these activities, we have to be computer literate, and it is amazing that so many of us have turned out to be “silver surfers” with the world of knowledge and interactive information at our fingertips.

NEW MINISTRY AREA

The momentum to the forming of the enlarged Ministry Area, when we welcome Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark into fellowship with us, is gathering apace with the first steering committee being held in January. There is much to discuss and agree on, and as the formation of the enlarged group will be brought into being by the Bishop’s Decree, we have no choice but to do as we are commanded. It is our intention to cooperate with each other’s churches so that we can agree amicably between ourselves, to avoid being told what we will do. This new arrangement is far reaching, with all financial affairs being pooled into one Ministry Area account. Governance of the new group will be under the leadership of Jon, who has been appointed the leader by Bishop June. He will be assisted by one Parochial Church Council, made up of members from each of the nine churches. The chair of this new council will be a lay person, who with an area treasurer and secretary will oversee all the business and work of the individual churches. Each church will then have a local church council to manage the affairs of their particular church, but will have to refer to the Ministry Area PCC to agree any items they want to pursue. This sounds very complicated and bureaucratic but with willingness and co-operation between us, let us hope that it will turn out to be a workable plan for the future of all the churches, under the bye line of

“NINE CHURCHES WORKING TOGETHER IN HARMONY TO DO GOD’S WORK”.

NEW YEAR APPEAL FOR St Mary’s

At this time of the New Year, it is the time to make a gift, in appreciation of some kindness received in the preceding year. St. Mary’s church is in great need of your gift in recognition of the part the church in Wenvoe has played throughout the past year and the hundreds of years before that. A gift in memory of a loved one, a special occasion, or just simply wanting to see the church in Wenvoe remain at the heart of the village for many years to come. Please make your cheques payable to St. Mary’s Church Wenvoe and can be slipped under the church door. Thank you.

FOODBANK

Thank you all for your generous donations to the Foodbank during the last two months. It has been a privilege to transport everything to the centre in Barry. In particular all the Christmas goodies were amazing and will be well used. Indeed, we have never seen the centre so busy receiving donations, packing the goods and sending them out making deliveries of basic foodstuffs and treats for Christmas. The staff and volunteers have really got to know us again and have been really pleased with what has been achieved.

Of course help will still be vital after Christmas when people may have precarious work patterns during lock down periods. The last date we made a delivery in December was on 17th December and we will then make the first one in the New Year on 7th January 2021..

THE BIG WRAP

This year due to the pandemic restrictions The Big Wrap needed to make alternative plans to help families who would find it hard to give their children Christmas presents. Our usual method of giving toys needed to change and following discussions with the organisation we decided to make a monetary donation. We were overwhelmed with your generous donations and were able to give them our collection of £810 from the three churches. Again, they were so pleased with what we achieved and alongside other donations they will be working with social services to buy appropriate toys and gifts.

Many thanks for all your gifts

Jude ( Food bank organiser)

 

---

---

 

A Remembrance Day Like No Other

A headline in my newspaper said it so well ‘It was a Remembrance Day like no other’ and the same could be said for the year we have been living through in 2020. Nothing has been the same as we have had in what we call a normal year, and now we have to talk of a new normal way of living in the shadow of the COVID virus. There is much talk of a vaccine which will offer some protection against this terrifying disease, but when will it be ready for the general public, or will it be reserved for those at most risk? Let us hope that it will come soon and prove to be effective.

Remembrance Sunday was marked with a memorable service on line, with Jon bringing in members of our congregations and the school children from Wenvoe School, as we joined in with the national service from Whitehall marking the 100 years since the Unknown Soldier was buried in Westminster Abbey. I had not seen the old Pathe news reel in black and white. It was most moving, as was the pilgrimage Her Majesty the Queen made to the grave in the Abbey in the week prior. On Armistice Day following on the 11th, Jon had welcomed the children from Wenvoe School to mark the two minutes silence and laying of wreaths. So despite all the restrictions imposed on us during the second lockdown, honour was given to those brave young men who gave their lives for King and Country in WWI and the wars since then. Also remembered were the doctors and nurses in the NHS who have also put their lives on the line in fighting the virus in our hospitals and nursing homes.

Wales came out of the second lockdown on the 9th of November and St. Mary’s. with all other churches in Wales during this period had remained closed, which meant that commemorations of All Saints and all Souls Days were held as virtual worship online. The 10.30am services on Facebook on Sunday mornings attract not only members of our congregations, but also have an international following, with worshippers logged in from Ireland and Spain. The use of Zoom for holding meetings has been a boon in these strange times. The Annual Vestry Meeting, which had been delayed from earlier in the spring of this year, was finally held on the 9th November, when all officers were confirmed in their present positions until Easter of next year.

The Diocese of Llandaff has decided to put in place the recommendations of the Harris Report of a few years ago which stated that the way forward was to form all the parishes into Ministry Areas, each consisting of three clergy and a greater involvement of the laity in the organisation and running of each church. We will be joined with the parishes of Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark by Bishop’s Decree by January 2022. There has been discussion between the churches as to how we can make this work for the benefit of all, so that each church knows that their voice is being heard in any decision making. We have to accept that while the management of the parishes will change, the ‘man/woman and child’ in the pew will not see any difference in the services we have been used to. Jon will still be our parish priest as well as being the Leader of the combined Ministry Area, and will have a lay person to head up the combined Council under his leadership. Our prayers are with Jon as he takes on this role and I am sure we will give him as much support as we can to make his task that much easier. The six churches in our present grouping were joined by the churches of Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark in a Zoom ‘Road Show’ chaired by Bishop June on the 11th November, which gave everyone an opportunity to question the senior officers of the diocese about what the new Ministry Area will be like. Both the legal status and the financial status of the new enlarged grouping were laid out; this has given all a great deal of thought and raised many questions. To that end a transitional group will be set up under the leadership of Jon to make sure that everyone will be singing from the same hymn sheet. The year of 2021 will be an interesting year for many reasons, and the church council here, has pledged to give Jon as much support as we can to help him achieve the results the Bishop and the diocese expect of all church members.

By the time you read this we will have entered the Season of Advent, and the first of the Wenvoe Advent Windows will have been lit up for us to see. So it only remains to wish all readers a Happy and Blessed Christmas and please take care, the virus has not gone way.

 

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Parry Edwards

 

---

---

 

 

Dear All,

This year the Season of Advent commences on 29th November. A traditional theme for Advent is From Darkness into Light. I cannot remember a year when this theme has ever been so appropriate. For many months we have lived in times of lockdowns and isolation. The drawing in of the winter nights seems to echo the general feeling most of us have at the moment. But the message of advent is about hope, the very real hope of darkness being turned or transformed into Light. Advent is also a time of preparation, as we look forward to celebrating the Nativity of Jesus, Jesus often referred to as being the light of the world.

In the coming weeks I hope you feel a sense of the light overcoming the darkness. We may witness this with the lights on our Christmas Trees or you may have an Advent Candle that you light every night, or you may enjoy an aromatic candle with the scent of Christmas Spices. You may also be encouraged by the Advent Windows displays around the village. Thank you so much to everyone who has organised and contributed to this village activity which will be to my mind a real symbol of light and hope for the future.

As I write this letter, I do not know what the restrictions will be in our churches for worshipping at Christmas. The Church in Wales is suggesting that everyone on Christmas Eve goes outside their front door and sings Silent Night. I am still working out the full plan for the churches in Wenvoe and St Lythans but at the time of writing my intention is to do as printed here

Sunday 20th December
9.30am Said Eucharist, St Mary’s Church, Wenvoe
10.30am All Age Agape, Christingle ad Nativity Play on Facebook and YouTube
3.00pm Said Eucharist at St Bleddian’s Church, St Lythans
6.00pm Christmas Carol Service on Facebook and YouTube
Thursday 24th December
5.00pm Lighting of Advent Window in Wenvoe Church followed by short outdoor Crib Service
10.15pm Said Eucharist for Christmas Eve at Wenvoe Church
11.30pm Said Eucharist for Christmas Eve at Wenvoe Church
Friday 25th December
8.00am Said Eucharist for Christmas Day at Wenvoe Church
9.00am Said Eucharist for Christmas Day at St Lythans Church
10.30am Agape Service for Christmas Day with Carols on Facebook and YouTube

 

If we are able to do more than offer Said Eucharist services over Christmas then this will be detailed on posters outside the churches and on our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/sullywenvoeandstlythans

With my thoughts and prayers to you through Advent and for the Christmas Season
Jon Ormrod
Priest in Charge of Wenvoe and St Lythans

 

---

---