Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

ST. MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS

Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is already three weeks old as I write this, looking back at the Christmas Services, we had almost record numbers attending the Community Carol Service, The Waiting for Jesus service, and the Midnight Communion Service saw the highest number of communicants for many years. It is thought that the Christmas Card, designed by the children in our “Pebbles” group, and delivered to all homes in the parish, brought the Christmas services to all in a way that we have not done for a number of years. Reaching out into the community is one of the prime reasons why we are here to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, born at Christmas to be the Light of the World and the Saviour of Mankind.

In the midst of all the celebrations this year, two families lost their loved ones and the funerals of Joan Bosley and Vera Tipples were very well attended, showing the respect and love that these two ladies were held in by their families and neighbours.

We were able to donate to various charities from the collections taken at recent services. The Remembrance Day service raised £208 for the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal. The collection for Ty Hafan was increased to £400 for the childrens hospice at Sully. An additional amount, again for Ty Hafan was taken using a sealed collection tin, amount unknown.

As you will recall, Archbishop Barry has retired during the month and we were able to send a donation of £100 towards his retirement fund. The Right Reverend Barry Morgan has been the longest serving Bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion and has been here in Llandaff since 1999, having been translated from Bangor where he had been their Bishop for 7 years. He has been at the helm of the Church in Wales for the last 14 years, and has arguably been Wales’ most outspoken cleric, never afraid to champion causes from Welsh devolution to the ordination of women bishops. We wish him a long and happy retirement, though sadly without his wife Hilary who died last year.

So there is now a vacancy in the Diocese. .technically, any priest of the Anglican communion who is more than 30 years old can be elected Bishop. Both men and women can be elected, and the process begins with a secret ballot under the control of the Electoral College . 47 members of the church from all over Wales will gather at Llandaff to make their decision and will be literally locked in while the world is locked out. Later the commission will meet again to elect a new Archbishop from among the other diocesan bishops, Until this decision is arrived at the present senior bishop, who the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon has the responsibility of looking after day to day running of the Church in Wales.

The current programme of work in the churchyard is coming to an end with the drainage around the transept and vestry completed and the trenches filled with aggregate to make French drains to take the water off the roofs into another soak away. The church porch is completed with work to the paving slabs and the curved ceiling repaired and repainted. Shortly the cleaning of the stained glass of the East Window will be carried out before new stainless steel window guards are to be fitted. The church gates have been removed to receive the top coat of paint, and the Kissing Gate between the church and the Old Rectory will also be refurbished. Mike, our contractor, has been a most efficient worker, meticulous in his care, and with due respect for the surroundings. We have been very fortunate in having him, and hope he will be the choice for the work we have planned for 2017.

There are in church, leaflets from a Christian Charity called TWAM CYMRU, based in Penarth who collect tools and other items, which are refurbished and sent abroad to equip craftsmen and women to earn a living in the developing world. If you wish to get rid of any tools, of any kind, contact Andrew on 029 2007 05614.

TRAIDCRAFT during the year was well supported with stalls at the various events and coffee mornings. The FOODBANK regular collections have continued, plus the special collections for Christmas goodies and there was an impressive selection of toys and gifts for the Big Wrap. Once again we thank Jude Billingham and her team of helpers for the hard work they put into organising not only the work they do for the Food Bank but also for the time and effort they put into the Christian Aid appeal every year.

During the year, at the many social events held in the church hall and elsewhere, a thank you is due to the Social Committee for all the preparation made for the serving of tea and coffee after services and the “Chattery”. They have arranged that the Lenten lunches will begin on March 8th in the Church Hall and volunteers are asked for to make the soup etc. The Annual Fun Quiz is booked for February 4th at 7.30pm in the Community Centre, Tickets are £6 available from Carol and Sandra. Once again we thank Ian Moody for not only devising the quiz, but also acting as Quizmaster on the night

The Parish Magazine has a new name… it is called CONNECTIONS and is available for collection in church, priced 50p a copy. This month’s front cover is a lovely photograph of Snow Drops, a sure sign that Spring is on the way, and that in church, the season of Lent, followed by Easter is on the horizon, more next month on Lent services. In the meantime please submit any writings or articles or any newsworthy items for the magazine to me for inclusion as part of the Wenvoe contribution.

Parry Edwards

ST. MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS

A Happy New Year to all our readers… a Blwythin Newedd Dda..

The season of Advent in the church has been marked with the traditional lighting of the Advent candles each Sunday. The first Sunday marked the Patriarchs thinking of Abraham the father of the Nation of Israel. Then on the second Sunday we remembered the Prophets of old, hearing of Isaiah in the Old Testament, on the third Sunday we heard of John Baptist the last of the prophets as he prepared the way for the coming Messiah. On the fourth Sunday our prayer was for Mary and Joseph when the candle for Love was lit and finally on Christmas Eve the white central candle will be lit for the Birth of the long awaited Saviour, Jesus the Light of the Light. Advent is a special time of waiting and preparation for the greatest event in the Christian Calendar. The hymns we sing reflect the solemn nature of our worship and week by week we gradually relax as we draw nearer to Christmas day itself, for on the Sunday before Christmas our ”Pebbles” children performed their Nativity play at the 9.30 am service. This always brings the Mums and Dads, the Aunties and Uncles and even the Grandparents to see their little ones make their debut on the stage, and all are always welcome, with coffee and tea in Church Hall after the service. Well done to our “Pebbles” leaders and helpers in coaching the “Pebblettes” in their speaking roles, now greatly helped with our new sound system so we can hear them clearly in all parts of the church.

The Community Carol Service on Wednesday evening the 14th December, brought the different organisations in the village together, with Readings and Hymns based on the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. The collection taken during the service was donated to the work of Ty Hafan, the children hospice at Sully. The evening was rounded off with mince pies and mulled wine in the Community Centre, kindly provided by the Wenvoe Community Council. Mention must be made of the superb decorated Christmas tree outside the community Centre, larger than last year, a mobile crane was needed to erect it in place. Well done, Diolch am fawr.

A session of “Messy Church” with the theme of The Nativity, was held in the Community centre on Saturday afternoon the 3rd of December. The activities included making things that told the story of how Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem long ago including a large collage of last year’s Christmas cards for display in the church. This is a combined act of worship and time based around arts, crafts, celebration and eating together, arranged with St Mary’s and The Vale Church, and is well appreciated with the families who attend with their children. Look out for the dates of the next sessions in 2017.

This year we have given a Christmas Card to every house in the parish, the cover designed by children from “Pebbles” giving all the times of the Services over Christmas, and of course extending a warm welcome to all at this special time of the year. To the homes with young children, it is a time of excitement and expectation, to the older generation it is a time of reflection of events in the past, but to all it is the ending of one year and the wondering of what 2017 will bring into our lives.

The work in the Churchyard continues, at a slower pace than we would have liked, but if a job is worth doing is must be well done, and Mike our contractor is very methodical and careful in his work. The drainage to take away the rainwater from the roofs has been a particular problem for him. With old drainage pipes being uncovered, not knowing where they drain to, realising that we have a stream running into the trench around the Transept which means another “soak away” has to be dug. Work in any churchyard raises all kinds of problems and situations which cannot be foreseen at the time until you put a spade into the ground, however the day will come when the work will be finished on the North side of the church, before we commence on the South side of the nave

The church finances can cover the costs of the current work and the St. Mary’s 200 Club has given the Building Fund the proceeds of the year, after the prize money has been allocated. A surplus of £1,750 has been deposited which is a wonderful result, and thanks go to all who are shareholders in the 200 Club and of course there is room for many more. Contact Dickon Oliver for an application form and continue to help us keep the church building fit for future generations. (see page 5).

The other work going on the churchyard is the repair of the “Morgan” grave by the churchyard gate. Messrs Mossfords have removed the white marble stonework to their workshops and have relaid the foundations in readiness for the headstone/white cross to be sited. The cost for this is taken from the trust fund set up by the family some years ago to maintain the grave, and will not need any additional work for some years to come.

Looking back over the year, 2016 has been a very busy year in the life of the church, and 2017 will be full of opportunities to spread the Gospel out into the parish. Work on the preparations and ideas for our extension on the North side will be formulated and examined by many statuary organisations, and it is a project worth doing for the future of the church in Wenvoe. Some time in the year the St Mary’s Building Fund will be relaunched to raise our contribution to the work, and grants will be applied for from Charitable bodies who have funds for this purpose.

Just a reminder… Jon our Priest in Charge, known to many as Vicar Jon, is always available twice a month in St. Mary’s Church on Monday afternoons, as part of the “Open Door” scheme, running in Wenvoe and Sully. He is available for any discussion or problem or suggestion you have, and wish to chat with him. No appointment needed, just turn up.

Once again A Happy and Prosperous New Year to all readers of “What’s On” in Wenvoe from the congregations at St Mary’s and St Lythan’s.

Parry Edwards

The return of our “Pebbles” group after their Summer break, brought the usual joyous hustle and bustle when they joined the congregation during the communion. It is lovely to see new children attending for the first time and also the mums and dads joining in the worship. It is due to the expertise and encouragement of their leaders during the short time they are in the Church Hall. In what they are taught through the medium of play and crafting, that they are able to tell us what they have been doing and learning about the theme of the Gospel readings for the day. Well done and may it long continue.

It is has been a busy time, during the month for the smaller congregation at St Lythan’s. Apart from a meeting of their PCC on the 14th of the month, the Cadw Open Day on Saturday 17th which brought a response from people who had not visited the church before. The idea of opening our churches is a good one, but needs to be staffed with church members to explain details of the building that they may not be aware of. September seems to be the month in which many buildings not normally open to the public are invited in to see for themselves the treasures contained inside. In any village or hamlet with a church many centuries old, these buildings are a constant reminder they have weathered many a storm during their lifetime and would not exist today but for the care and attention by the worshippers who Sunday by Sunday come together to praise and worship Almighty God and Jesus his son. On Sunday 18th there is a Pet Service at St Lythan’s hoping to build on the success of last years’ service, when many people brought their pets to be blessed.

At long last our builder Mike has made a start on the work in and around St Mary’s church, which was highlighted in the last Quinquennial Inspection of the church’s fabric. Mike comes highly recommended and is a skilled craftsman in the restoration of old buildings and structures. The work is outside repairing some of the boundary walls of the churchyard, the flooring in the porch has to be regrouted and the barrel ceiling to be replastered and painted. The steps of the Churchyard Cross are to be repointed to prevent rainwater entering and so avoid frost damage during the winter months. Stonework on the outside of the Vestry has perished and new stone set in place, and recently it was discovered that a piece of the corbel on the roof of the Transcept had fallen away and this also will need to be replaced. Looking after the fabric of church buildings is a major item in our budget, and this is helped by the 200 Club which has been able to fund a lot of the work

We are looking forward to a repeat of the success of the Scarecrow Festival in St Mary’s on the 24th September, which is combined with the Cadw Open Door programme between 2pm and 5pm. This is followed by our Harvest Festival on the following Sunday with the normal morning services and Harvest Praise at 6.00pm. A report of these events will be in next months “What’s On”.

Looking ahead Messy Church in the Community Centre on Saturday 1st October at 3.30 – 5.30 pm when the theme will be “Light of the World”. Barn Dance in the Village hall on October 15th, Tickets from Sandra Davies.

With every Blessing and see you in church

Parry Edwards

August Review

The month of August is often called the “Silly Season” often due to fact that nothing of great import happens during this month. Our School closes for their summer break, parliament is in recess, and the country slows down while we bask in long lasting sunshine. However life in the church keeps going, often against the odds, and while we miss having “Pebbles” with us, they are always in our thoughts and prayers that they and their leaders enjoy their break and will return once again in September, when they will be back in church on the 4th September.

The long awaited work on the sound system in church has been carried out during the month, and the difference between the old and the new is there for all to hear. We have installed new speakers in the nave and transept, and also one in the porch. Plus we now have the facility to provide an outside speaker for any overflow of people during large funerals or outside services or events. In addition a microphone has been installed on the chancel screen to pick up the vows being made between bride and groom at their weddings, so that the congregation can hear. And the work doesn’t stop there, for we also have a mobile microphone so that we can hear the children when they make their contribution to our services on special occasions. This is a wonderful asset to have in the church and even more wonderful it has been gifted to the church in memory of wonderful parents. Many of the things around us in St Mary’s are there because in the past they have also been gifted to beatify the building, in providing new hymn books, the pew Bibles and so much more. When the current building programme gets going and the planning of the proposed extension at the west end of the church is granted and completed we will have a church building that is more than fit for purpose. As the words of the hymn has it “We love thy place O God, wherein thy glory dwells” so we are looking forward in hope for all these things to come about. So to all the generous men and women who have donated, not only their time, but the money, both in the past and the present we say THANKYOU.

At the recent united service of the Ministry group at

St Lythan’s Church, it was distressing to see that, a large wall monument in the Button Chapel had detached itself from the wall and crashed to the floor. Luckily there was no damage other to the top stone panel which was shattered in pieces. And upon examination, it seems the iron fixing had become corroded with the amount of water and damp within the walls. The memorial is to John Sproson aged 6 years the son of Richard and Mary Sproson of the City of London who died in 1809. The only other record we have is the burial of Mary Sproson in 1826 when place of abode was given as Dyffryn. St Lythan’s church, like St Mary’s has a problem with damp and water infiltration in the walls, and the proposed remedy is to create around the base of the outside walls a “French Drain” which means digging down a metre or so and refilling with crushed stone, plus drainage pipes to take the rain water away from the building to soakaways. This causes all sorts of problems when you start digging in graveyards, with archaeologists being called in to supervise, make reports and decide which way the work has to proceed. This was the remedy at St Mary’s, some years ago, when the walls around the base of the tower, had a “French Drain” installed, and has solved the problem we had of damp, and as a result the walls are now dry.

September will bring a new surge of life to St Mary’s with the “Scarecrow Festival” on the 24th/25th, the Harvest Festival Services on Sunday 25th, including the Community Harvest Praise at 6.00 pm. The launching of the combined Parish magazine with the parish of Sully and with Jon refreshed from his holiday visiting the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe events, who knows what delights we have in store during the Autumn and Winter months.

With every Blessing, see you in church

Parry Edwards