Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

Future Plans for the Church

 

According to our current lectionary the Sunday before Advent is now known as “Christ the King”, but Jon took us back into the old Green Book Service Book and kept the 9.30am Eucharist as “Stir Up Sunday”. The day when according to tradition the Christmas puddings were made. The wording comes from the Collect for that day “ Stir up the wills of thy faithful people; that they bringing forth the fruit of good works may be plenteously rewarded”. The congregation was given a cookery demonstration when all the ingredients were brought to Jon by our “Pebbles “ children and later every member of the congregation had an opportunity to stir the mix as they left the church. Later that week the Rectory must have been full of steam as the mini puddings were steamed and then brought back into church the following Sunday to be distributed to all the families present. This was a reminder that Christians everywhere need to be alert and active in the Season of Advent as we prepare for the coming of the Saviour as a babe in a manger. St Mary’s is stirred and alive in so many ways, from supporting the Food Bank, the Shoe Box appeal, Toy Sunday and the various fund raising event for many charities not forgetting the wonderful response to the Christian Aid House to House appeal in May of this year. Thanks to Jon we have responded so well in supporting local and national requests for funds to help others not as fortunate as we are.

A Public Meeting, hosted by The Wenvoe Community Council and St Mary’s Church will be held in the Community Centre on February 8th 2018 at 7pm. To discuss the possibility of the Community Council purchasing the Church Hall.

Reason for selling the Church Hall

The hall began life as “The Reading Rooms” provided for the villagers by Mrs Laura Jenner in 1894. The site occupies cottages which were burnt down and a hall erected as a free reading room, with desks and tables including a fine bagatelle table and other games. Popular newspapers and magazines are supplied and is well patronised. (Report from the Barry and District News of 28th September 1894).

In recent years the Hall was gifted to St Mary’s Church by the Wenvoe Estate and was in 1982/3 extended for a new kitchen and toilet facility . Again in 2003 the hall was altered with a new entrance and a disabled toilet installed with the help of a £20,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly. It is now is dire need of more money to be spent on redecoration, a new kitchen and to upgrade the toilet facilities. The rentals we receive from the various lettings do not cover the outgoing costs of Insurance, Heat and Light, Cleaning and Maintenance. When the Church Council was presented with these facts the decision was taken to place the Hall on the market, and the money raised from the sale to be applied to an extension on the North side of the church, to replicate the facilities we have enjoyed in the Church Hall.

Reason for extending the Church.

St Mary’s is a fine church listed Grade II* in 1968 being of significant historic and architectural interest. The church over many years has been altered and improved i.e.. the Tower was removed and rebuilt in its present position in 1699. A new roof in the 1880’s, the heating system renewed a number of times, electricity installed in 1935. A gallery built and then removed during the Victorian restoration, the transept and larger vestry built in 1991. A sound system was installed and recently added to. All these alterations were needful for a growing church and the church is still growing today and in many ways is simply not fit for the 21st century.

Our vision for the future is to make St Mary’s continue as the worshipping centre of the community, with facilities such as toilet and kitchen together with a suitable extension to replicate the space we have in the Church Hall. There is no space in order to do special events or to entertain after services, both the usual Sunday Services – but to also to be able to offer facility such as Baptism Tea – all under one roof.. The church is very cluttered at the present time as we do not have space to store decorations, equipment, service books, liturgical items and registers. Our Sunday School “Pebbles” do not meet under the same roof as the rest of the worshipping community on a Sunday. This means a walk to cross the road in all weathers. The concept of a Sunday school is that they are part of a congregation, part of the church, not people who go to a different building. A living church is responsible for all its members from the youngest to the eldest. Hence the need to make our successful and growing Sunday School to be a full part of the congregation where we all gather together to be the Church.

The church has always had to look forward and embrace the new. Very few of us would want to attend the cold, dark, draughty church of the 12th century, if a church does not look forward to the future it will stand still and not have anything to offer future generations. Re-developments of St. Mary’s will help us to embrace the future whilst respecting the past and traditions of the church. It will also help us to use the church building more during the week for other activities and it will provide a new facility and meeting room to the village.

We commend our plans and aspirations to the community at large and we wish all readers a Very happy New Year.

. Parry Edwards

 

 

The Late Dennis Moran

 

The St Mary's 200 Club was started in 2004 by the late Dennis Moran, as a means of raising money to help with building maintenance of the church. For each £1 share bought, 50p goes to the building fund, and 50p is returned as prizes. The Club operates under the regulations of the Lotteries and Amusement Act, and is registered with the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Dennis Moran worked tirelessly to build up the membership, until his sad death in 2015. His efforts will be remembered and appreciated for a long time. By the end of 2017, the Club will have contributed almost £20,000 to the building fund and helped to maintain our lovely church, thanks to the fantastic generosity of the people of Wenvoe.

The prize draw is carried out each month, generally on the fourth Sunday, in the church hall after the morning service.The "random number indicator machine" which selects the share numbers for prizes was built by John Custance, and the children of the congregation have fun pressing the buttons each month to see who has won. In the last few days, the 300th share has been bought, which would surely have made Dennis very proud. We shall soon have to make a decision on whether to change the name of the club to the "300 Club"!

If anyone would like to join the Club, please contact Dickon Oliver on 02920 679108. Who knows, one day we may have a 400 Club!

 

 

November Events

November is always a time for remembrance, beginning with the Commemoration of All Souls which was held at St. Mary’s on November 5th at 6.00 pm. This coincided with that other celebration of remembrance, the fireworks for the unfortunate Guy Fawkes, and the church felt it was under siege, as the night sky was brilliantly illuminated with the aerial display of rockets and maroons.

The following Sunday the traditional service for REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY was held, beginning at 10.00 am in church. As in previous years the church was full, and with the Scouts and their banners being paraded, it was once again a opportunity to pay our respects and to honour those who lost their lives in the two world wars and other conflicts since the ending of WWII. This year the emphasis was on the Battle of Passchendaele which is described as the bloodiest and muddiest of battles and “Eternal Rain, everlasting mud. Hell on earth” is how it is remembered, by those who were fortunate to have survived and came home to tell the tale. This was a community service with representatives of organisations in the village taking part. The loose money on the collection plates amounted to £211 and will be donated to the work of the Royal British Legion in supporting the Armed Forces Community, including serving men and women, veterans and their families. Following on from the service the congregation headed by the choir assembled at the War Memorial in good time for the two minute silence and laying of the wreaths on behalf of the church, the Community Council, the Tuesday group, The Scouts and Wenvoe School. The Roll of Honour was read by the Chairman of the Wenvoe Community Council and The Vale of Glamorgan Brass band was in attendance. As on previous years the loud speakers provided by the Community Council was a great help with the proceedings. A big thank you to all who ensured with the smooth running of the arrangements in church and at the War Memorial, not forgetting the tea and coffee that was available in the Church Hall following the services.

The Christmas Chattery – Held in the Church Hall on Thursday November 9th attracted a good crowd of people all enjoying the opportunity to meet up for a “catch up” on things, which all meant that the financial result was a whopping £301.35 for the church building fund. Photographs of the proceedings will be published in the December issue of “Connections” the joint parish magazine, available in church on the first Sunday of December. Congratulations to the Social Committee for a great result.

The Parish Songs of Praise featuring the top six hymns as voted by congregations of the Ministry Area took place in St John the Baptist church in Sully on Sunday October 29th and the top six hymns were…..Love Divine, How Great thou Art, Cwm Phondda, Dear Lord and Saviour of Mankind, I the Lord of Sea and Sky, Eternal Father Strong to save which shared sixth place with Thine be the Glory.

Christmas Cards giving all the details of the Christmas Services will delivered to all homes in the early weeks of December. A reminder that the Community Carol Service will be at 7.00pm on Wednesday the 13th December in St. Mary’s Church followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the Community Centre.

Christmas Greetings and Blessings to all readers

Parry Edwards

 

 

August Events

 

 

A year has gone by since we combined our Parish Magazine with that of the Parish of Sully. During this time we have tried to contribute the news of what is happening in Wenvoe and St. Lythan’s, so that combined with the events in Sully, we have an overall picture of what is going on in our part of the Ministry Area. We have not always been successful but things are improving, and any contributions from the Wenvoe and St. Lythan’s congregations are always welcome. The magazine has been renamed to “Connections” and sales, month by month, vary with some copies ending up in the waste paper bin. From this month we are encouraging our congregation in Wenvoe to subscribe £5.00 p.a. for all the copies of the magazine during the year. Money please in an envelope, with your name, and you can then collect your copy without the need to carry the monthly 50p. This will also help us to gauge the number we need to have printed, thereby cutting down on waste.

August has been it usual quiet self in church, and we miss the “Pebbles” children and parents. They bring a “buzz” into church when they join us for the communion, otherwise we have maintained a goodly congregation at the 9.30 a.m. service, though there is a concern that the 7.45 a.m. service is down in numbers attending. This is compensated in some way by an increase in numbers attending the mid week communion on a Wednesday morning. The “All Age Service” on the 4th Sunday of the month is always a lively affair and the combined service on the 5th Sunday of month brings our three congregations together in a joint act of worship. The last one was held at St. Bleddians church in St.Lythan’s and the faithful group of worshipers there had worked really hard to present the church as beautifully as possible. The church grounds looked magnificent and my lasting impression of the morning was standing with Jon in the Button Chapel watching the rain coming down at a 45 degree angle. With the uncertainty of the weather the Pilgrimage walk to Llandaff Cathedral was postponed for another time.

A Faculty is being applied for the removal of the old concrete channelling at the base of the South Wall of the Nave, to cure the damp in the walls. This has been successful elsewhere in the church and hopefully the work can be done before the Winter sets in. We also have to appoint an architect for the general care and repair of the church fabric for the next 5 years. We have just completed the work required from the last Quinquenial inspection and this has been “signed off” by our last architect, who has now retired from practice. The maintenance of our church to keep it in good repair is costly and the money raised from the Building Appeal and the “200 Club” helps towards the cost of any repairs. Please continue to support this work when appeals are made.

Jude Billngham who organises the “Fair Trade” and “Food Bank” for us writes elsewhere in “What’s On” of her concern that the “Fair Trade” brand is in danger of being diluted by some of the multi-national companies as they set up their own source of supply. Support remains strong in the parish for “Fair Trade” products and the “Food Bank” and we thank Jude and

her team for all the work they put in, in supporting these worth while causes.

The Scarecrow Festival takes place on Saturday 23rd September between 2.00 pm-5.00pm in the churchyard, with wonderful scarecrows, competitions and refreshments, followed by our Harvest Festival on the Sunday morning. There is no evening service at Wenvoe this year, as the response has been very poor over the past few years.

So forward we go into the Autumn, planning for Remembrance Sunday and Christmas. Pebbles will be back with us, with new faces and mums and dad’s. The next “Messy Church” will be on Saturday October 21st in the community centre at 3.30 pm, its FREE and all are welcome as is the invitation to join in the worship at St. Mary’s where the welcome is warm and friendly. With every blessing to all our readers

Parry Edwards

 

 

 

 

Fair Trade In Wenvoe

 

Regular stalls:

 In St Mary’s Church hall following the All Age Service when coffee is served usually at 10 30am.

 In the Chattery; every second Thursday of each month from 10 30 until midday.

 

Additional stalls

 At the Scarecrow Festival on Saturday 23rd September from 2 till 5pm and Sunday from 10 30 – 11 am when the Christmas range will be launched.

 A stall in the Church Hall following the Remembrance Service on November 12th

 At Home with Jude and Nige; Friday 17th November – Open House at 5 Church Rise with refreshments and goods to sell or to order from 2 30 until 9pm.

 

For more information see the Traidcraft website on www.TraidcraftShop.co.uk/fairtrade or give me a call for information or a catalogue on 02920594708.

Jude Billingham

 

 

 

 

July News around the Parish

 

 

The highlight of the month, must be the arrival of our new Bishop of Llandaff who was enthroned in the Cathedral on the morning of July 22nd, where a large congregation from all over the Diocese had gathered, including many from the Diocese of Salisbury, where Bishop June had been Dean for over 13 years. In the Diocesan Magazine “Croeso” Bishop June writes of her joy about becoming the Bishop of Llandaff and she is described as being “a leader with clear vision, a pastoral heart, and a strategic mind” She also writes “The prospect of living in South Wales is just terrific because I am already rooted through my family in this part of the world. And it won’t take me long to fall in love with the diocese of Llandaff” We look forward to a time when we will be able to welcome her to Wenvoe.

The Parochial Church Council met during the month, where it was reported that a site meeting of interested parties from the diocese, the local authority and CADW had taken place to view the planned extension to the church. Their report back, raised a number of issues which have been referred back to our architect for comment and further discussion. Other reports to the council meeting included the final result of the recent Christian AID collection in the combined parishes of Wenvoe, Sully and St. Lythan’s. The excellent result the Wenvoe 200 club is making towards the repair and upkeep of the church building. FAIR TRADE AND TRADECRAFT sales continue with the majority of sales in the church coming from the Chattery. Concern was expressed of the threat to the Fair Trade “kite mark” being challenged by some of the major food stores. This not only weakens the Fair Trade message, but also weakens the good practice with third world partners in ensuring continued development. The Social Committee reported that while they had had a few quiet weeks the Chattery continues to meet monthly, in an enjoyable social and friendly get together, and that the planning of the September “Scarecrow Festival” is well in hand.

Members of the church congregation took part in the recent “Village Clean Up”, despite the wet conditions on the day. Litter seems to find its way in to the most obscure corners of the village verges etc. and these events are well worth while in bringing the community together in a common cause.

On the same day, in the same wet conditions, the “Great Outdoors” session of Messy Church took place in the school grounds. Reports back suggest that the rain made very little difference as some of the activities involved lots of water and that a change of clothing was essential. A big THANKYOU to all who arranged the afternoon’s programme and to those Mums. Dads and children who turned up. The next session will be on October 21st ..look out for details nearer the time.

The joint Parish Magazine “Connections”, which is available in church on the 1st Sunday of the Month priced at 50p, is being made available to the congregation in St Mary’s, from the September issue for £5.00 for the year. Names and money in an envelope please. This will give a better indication of the number of magazines we need allowing some extra copies for casual purchase.

Forthcoming events are the “Scarecrow Festival” and the “Harvest Festival” both on the weekend of the 23/24th September. See you there.

Greeting to all our readers, a warm welcome awaits you in St. Mary’s.

Parry Edwards

 

 

 

 

1 … 20 21 22 23 24 25