Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

News Update

The holiday month of August sees a little less activity in St. Mary’s, with the “Pebbles” on their Summer break and some of the faithful away on holiday, but the worship continues week by week and on the twice a month Wednesday Eucharist.

We ended July with a United Service at St. Bleddian’s church in St Lythans. The hot weather had broken on that day but the church was full and it was a delight to see representatives of the three churches coming together to worship and praise Almighty God. Helen Ormrod was there to thank the parishes for the wonderful response to her appeal to help fund her place on the Mercy Ship, which will be based off the coast of Guinea. The total raised was £3,100 and Helen has already booked her passage and we wish her well, knowing that she will be part of a team of health care professionals bringing their skills to a part of the world that so desperately needs it. As a Thank You to the parishes, Jon and Sheonagh held an “At Home” at the Rectory on the afternoon of Sunday 19th August to show how much they and Helen appreciate the kindness, the fellowship and support they have received.

At the United service at St. Lythan’s, we had a guest organist, Mary Williams from Barry. Mary normally attends All Saints Church in Barry and as our rota of organists were all on holiday, she was available to play for our service. Mary is the daughter of JF Williams a former Dean of Llandaff, and her aunt Mrs Idris Davies lived in Wenvoe. So she felt really at home and played very well on an instrument she was not used to. Thank you Mary.

Jon has felt for some time that more people are needed to be Licensed to Assist in the distribution at the Eucharist, and Jenny Ford, Allan Oliver, Judith Billingham and Sandra Davies have all been licensed by Bishop June, in addition to those already able to carry out this important ministry and took up their duties during August. The involvement of Lay people in the ministry of the church is a good sign that all is going in the right direction in the life of the church.

The Building Committee had an opportunity to see

the latest version of the plans for the proposed church extension, on the North side of the nave. Following on, the P.C.C. met on the 28th August to discuss and approve the plans, before they are submitted to the Diocesan Advisory Committee for their comment and decision. We are much in the hands of our architect, Richard, to spearhead this through the negotiations with the DAC and we await their response.

Things to look forward to in September at St. Mary’s, and to which a warm welcome awaits.

Saturday 22nd September 2pm – 5pm SCARECROW FESTIVAL

Sunday 23rd September HARVEST FESTIVAL

Sunday 30th September at St. John’s church in Sully, United Eucharist Service with Bishop June at 10.30am.

BBC “Celebration” programme rehearsal on Monday October 1st at St. Mary’s with the recording a week later on October 8th at 6.30 pm. Jon wishes to thank everyone who took part in selecting their favourite passage and book of the Bible. Many of the comments made for interesting reading and there is a broad sweep of favourites which will make the broadcast meaningful and thoughtful, and represents how the congregations of the three churches approaches the worship of Almighty God in 2018/9.

The Parish Magazine “Connections” which is available in church on the first Sunday of the month, proves popular with a near “sell out” in recent months. A reminder to the congregation in Wenvoe that we offer a year’s subscription for £5.00, payable now, which many find more convenient than paying month by month. The magazine, which shares news with St. Lythan’s and Sully, brings the activities of the parishes together in a well produced publication.

Blessings to all our readers

Parry Edwards

 

 

St. Mary’s Scarecrow Festival

A poem to celebrate
St. Mary’s Scarecrow Festival.
“ The Scarecrow” by Walter de la Mare

 

All winter through I bow my head
Beneath the driving rain;
The north wind powders me with snow
And blows me black again.
At midnight ‘neath a blaze of stars
I flame with glittering rime;
And stand above the stubble, stiff
As mail at morning prime.
But when that child called Spring
And all his children come
Scattering their buds and dew
Upon these acres of my home;
Some rapture in my rags awakes,
I lift void eyes and scan
The skies for crows, those ravening foes
Of my strange master, Man.
I watch him striding lank behind
His clashing team, and know
Soon will the wheat swish body high
Where once lay sterile snow.
Soon will I gaze across a sea
Of sun begotten grain;
Which my unflinching watch has sealed
For harvest once again.

 

 

Good News…. The “French Drains” are in

 

St. Mary’s Parish Church News

Good News…. The “French Drains” are in and the work completed with the church path to the porch restored with tarmac laid where the “soak aways” were dug.. The bones which were discovered during the “dig” have been re-interred near to where they were found, this is always a problem when work is done in the churchyard, and the reason why an archaeologist is always in attendance, and his report will be received in due course cataloging the finds. The next phase of work necessary will be on the top of the tower, both internal and external, to clear away an accumulation of foliage and silt etc and to examine the roof timbers for signs of rot and infestation of any beetle activity.

The churchyard is looking good, but is suffering from the long spell of dry hot weather with the grass being parched. It is at times like this that, patches appear in the turf showing that a gravestone lies underneath.

On Sunday 15th July, we said farewell to Rev, Canon Robin Morrison and his wife Linda as they are moving to live in West London to be near their daughter. Robin, since his retirement, has been a regular member of our congregation as well as taking services when Jon has been on holiday. He presided at the 9.30 am Eucharist and in his address he reminded us that we are called with the three “P’s”… we are to be Pastoral, Prophetic and Priestly, how God reaches out to us in everyday life as well as in the church. We will miss him, for he has been a good friend to St Mary’s and we wish him and his wife every happiness in their new home.

Every member of the congregations of the six churches in the Ministry Area has been invited to submit their favourite book of the Bible, or favourite verse from the Bible, in preparation for the recording of BBC Wales programme “Celebration” which will be broadcast on Bible Sunday October 8th (with a rehearsal on Oct 1st). Jon will be taking these suggestions to form a service around them. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Ministry Area and how by drawing people together, with praise and hymns, the Good News of Jesus is taken out from within the church to the world around us.

The summer Session of “Messy Church” was held on Saturday 21st July when the theme was “Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand”. A good time was enjoyed by the parents and children, with craft work, storytelling, singing and of course the feeding at the end. Thanks are given to all who help to organise these events which have been very popular during the year, and of course there are more to come.

Ministry Area Confirmation Service took place in Llandaff Cathedral on Wednesday 18th July with Bishop June presiding, The candidates from Wenvoe are Adam, Jacques, Erin, Christopher, Celyn, Maisey, Tia, Nathan, Harry, Lucia and Poppy. They were well supported by parents and friends together with others from within the Ministry Area churches.

July has been a very busy month at St. Mary’s with two memorable funerals of John Custance and Gwyn Rees of Wrinston Farm and looking ahead August will also be a busy time with three weddings planned in Wenvoe. Our little church is doing well at present with good congregations and a welcome awaits all who come to church perhaps for the first time. The Wednesday morning Eucharist services are especially well attended when refreshments are available for a time of friendship and social chat. Similarly the monthly “Chattery” in the Church hall is an opportunity to meet up with friends and those who are not in the congregation and chat over all the local news. A warm welcome awaits all in this very friendly gathering on the second Thursday of the month.

Its holiday time, so enjoy it and let us hope the sun continues to shine though a little rain in the nights would not come amiss.

With every blessing to all readers

Parry Edwards

 

 

June News

 

 

In last month’s “What’s On” mention was made of the “French Drains” being dug on the south side of the nave to cure the dampness creeping up the walls inside the church. That was delayed but the good news is that it is now happening. Talking to Mike our “digger” and Justin the archaeologist in attendance, during the “dig”, an amount of bones were found in the excavations, which is not surprising in a churchyard, but it revealed that years ago it was common to dig a new grave where burials had been interred before. When this happens the bones are collected together and re buried in the ground adjacent to the fresh burial. There has been talk of “French Drains” for some now and the name originates not from anything to do with the country across the English Channel, but to an American, Henry Flagg French 1813 – 1885 of Concord, Massachusetts who designed the trenches filled with a perforated drain pipe and different grades of aggravate to drain water away from penetrating the walls of buildings.. We know they work, as the similar drains dug around the base of the tower some years ago, has made the interior walls much drier than they were.

At the recent visit of the Archdeacon, Peggy Jackson, she raised the possibility of opening the church during the week for visitors to call in to look around. Our insurer the EIG is in favour of keeping church building open wherever possible and while the PCC expressed an interest in pursuing the matter, a number of concerns were raised regarding security and safeguarding of the building when it was left unsupervised. This will be discussed further as the concensus was that it would be a good idea to keep the church open rather than locked up.

The “Evening Entertainment” in the Wenvoe Community Centre was well attended and thanks must go to Johnny Tudor and Olwen Rees, who during the evening entertained the audience with showbiz details and songs. The evening raised a goodly amount towards the fund to enable Miss Helen Ormrod to be on The Mercy Ship helping to provide health care to impoverished parts of the world. The next event will be the Silent Auction on July 7th , when the marine artist Nick Rees has kindly donated a signed limited edition print “The

early evening light, The Holms, Bristol Channel” .

A forthcoming event will be another evening on June 23rd in the Wenvoe Community Centre with weatherman Derek Brockway and Nicola Smith will again be sharing lots of funny and entertaining things that have happened in their careers with the BBC. Nicola was born in Wenvoe and raised in Walston Road. Her Grandmother, Margaret Barton will be remembered by many in Wenvoe when she and her husband Thomas Barton farmed at Garn Farm

A Family Fun Quiz is planned for Saturday July 14th at 6 pm in The Church Hall, Tickets are £10 per family or £3. Single. Tickets on sale soon.

 

The Food Bank in Barry continues to be well supported

 

, and the Tussel Trust thanks the churches for contributions to the Food bank. In short supply this month are tinned potatoes and tinned meat in gravy. As always every item of food is very gratefully received. The Food Banks have been in the news recently as more calls are made on their resources where Universal Credit has been rolled out, and so many people have difficulties in making ends meet while awaiting their welfare payments.

Christian Aid appeal for 2018

The count of all the monies raised in the house to house collections, gift aid, Lent lunches and the funds raised at the Gwenfo School non uniform day came to £2,670.38 which is a wonderful result. Many thanks to the organisers, the collectors, the Lent Lunchers, and Gwenfo School for their support in helping to raise this amount of money for Christian Aid, Da Iawn Diolch.

John Custance R.I.P

We were saddened to hear that John Custance had died suddenly. He had been in hospital and released home when he had a relapse and was readmitted to hospital. John was a regular communicant in church and he helped in so many ways. His technical background with the sound systems in the BBC enabled him to install the loudspeakers for the playing of a recording of church bells in the tower of the church. He devised the automatic machine for drawing the winning numbers of the 200 club. He was also involved in the Christmas Post with the Wenvoe Scouts and in recent years had helped with the Chattery meetings in the Church Hall. He will be sorely missed by Jackie and his family and with all his friends in church and community. “Well done thou good and faithfull servant”

 

Now that summer is officially with us, we wish all readers a happy holiday and a return, refreshed for the Autumn programme of activities in planning in church and in the community

Parry Edwards

 

 

 

April Report

 

Our Easter celebrations began with a memorable Palm Sunday procession from the Church Hall, complete with music from pipe and drum and singing “Make way, make way for Christ the King”. This was our way of re-enacting Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted with palms and garments strewed on the ground. The only thing missing was the “ass the foal of an ass”..so maybe next year – who knows. (Jon take note). With our palm crosses blessed and held high we began that journey into Holy Week with special services, the Agape Supper, the Good Friday services where at the children’s service in the morning they decorated a bare wooden cross with daffodils in bud which had opened by Easter day itself. As in previous years the church was beautifully decorated with flowers and Easter lilies donated by members of the congregation in memory of loved ones, no longer with us. A special thank you to all who prepared the church for the most important service in the church’s calendar.

Another major event in the church’s year is the Annual Vestry Meeting, where the Parish Report is presented to the congregation as an account of what has taken place during the year. It is also the time when the Churchwardens and Officers of the Church and Sidespeople are appointed. This year we have had a change of wardens, Jenny Ford has stepped down and was thanked for all the work she has done in her years of office, and Carol Wyllie has been appointed as Rectors Warden, Sandra Dicks was re -elected as People’s Warden. The compilation of the Parish Report falls on many shoulders, covering all aspects of the happenings in the Church’s Year, and thanks go to Jenny for taking on this task as she prepared to hand over her work to Carol.

The main item in the report is the Incumbent’s Report, where the parish priest gives his take on the events during the past year. Thanks were given for all the willing help Jon has received during the year and he in turn thanked many people for their support and willingness in preparing the church for the wide range of services we now have week by week. Jon then read his report to the 9.30am Eucharist congregation on the 3rd Sunday of Easter when the Commissioning of Churchwardens, the PCC, Officers of the Church and Sidespeople took place.

The Building Committee recently met with our newly appointed Architect, Richard, with a site meeting to discuss the proposed drainage scheme in the churchyard along the South wall of the Nave, and East wall where there are two table tombs dating from the 18th century were considered to be in the way of adequately draining the proposed “French drains” into the “soakaways”. After much discussion and exchange of views, and an inspection of the internal wall adjacent to the Altar, it was decided not to proceed with an additional faculty as walls appear to be dry. There was a collective sigh of relief as this would have put a strain of our available building funds, and the enormous amount of permissions needed to move gravestones and even exhumations.

The churchyard is looking at its best, despite all the snow and cold winds, we experienced during March, this is due to the work Mike Tucker has put in since he started work in January. During a recent visit from our Archdeacon, she was not very happy with all the lovely daffodils planted in the graves, as in her opinion, they are not suitable according to churchyard regulations. Long may they remain there I say.

The PCC has had a response from Wenvoe Community Council to the ongoing saga of the sycamore tree, near to our churchyard boundary wall and have offered to lop some of the overhanging branches, this will be up for discussion and response at the next PCC meeting in May.

Lent Lunches and Agape Supper – An item in the in church weekly newsletter in April is worth sharing with our wider number of readers….. “Grateful thanks to everyone who contributed to making this year’s Lent Lunches and Agape Supper a success. To all who worked hard setting out the hall, making and serving delicious homemade soups, then of course washing up. Also thanks to everyone who supported the lunches and gave a total generous donation of £396.95 to Christian Aid.”

A timely reminder… the annual Christian Aid Appeal will be launched with a “Big Breakfast” on Saturday 12th May in the Community Centre. The following week will see the house to house collections. Please give generously to this appeal, so many people far worse off than we are really depend on the support they are given from your giving.

Thank you for taking time to read this.

Parry Edwards

 

 

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