Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

 

The fine spell of weather in June, has enabled our stone mason, Mike, to carry out the remedial work on the capping of the boundary walls along the southern edge of the churchyard. This means that all the work required to be carried out from the last quinquenial inspection is now complete.

An application for a faculty from the diocesan authorities for the removal of the concrete channelling along the base of the south wall of the nave and the chancel, and a French drain to be dug to take water and moisture out of the walls is being prepared and a notice to that effect has been displayed on the south door of the church. Part of this work will mean that the “soak away” will be sited under the main path to the church, where there should be no disturbance to any burials, and will mean that access to the church will be affected, but only for a short time.

The main event of last month was the organising of the annual Christian Aid Appeal with house to house collections in the three parishes, and other fund raising events such as the Lenten Lunches and the Agape Supper in the church Hall during the season of Lent. Thanks must go all who were involved in making this year such a success and to those who have so generously given donations. The final sum came to £2,960.85, which is a fantastic amount to raise. Well done to all.

There is news to report from our village school… they are preparing for their School Inspection commencing on June 26th.. and also they have asked for help in a project they have started with the Gwenfo Primary School Peace Garden. A new peace garden is under development in the school grounds. This will be a place where pupils can sit quietly to reflect, pray or talk quietly with their friends. The hard landscaping is complete and has been paid for by PTA funds. Now the borders need planting. If you are able to donate a cutting, or divide a perennial and donate part to the school they would be very grateful. This has already been announced in church and donations of plant material from interested parties would be most welcome. The school will be happy to receive plants etc.

The next United Service for the Three Parishes will be at St Bleiddian’s Church, St Lythan’s on Sunday July 30th at 10.30am. this will be followed by a Pilgrimage Walk to Llandaff Cathedral with co-ordinated and timed stops along the way for people to join the walk where they wish to and there will also be a place where we will stop for a picnic lunch in Trelai Park. The walk will end with Cathedral evensong and there will be lifts back to St.Lythans/ Wenvoe. Full details are in the “Connections” three parishes magazine or on St. Mary’s church notice board in the south porch.

The next Film Night at the Rectory will be at 7.30pm on Friday 7th July when the film “Moana” will be screened. Names please on the list in church if you wish to attend.

The next “Messy Church” event will be on Saturday 15th July at 3.30 – 5.30 pm in the school grounds, where a programme celebrating the Great Outdoors with games and activities, worship and food outside. All people of all ages are most welcome and the event is FREE.

Celebrating a 3rd anniversary… Yes Jon has been here three years. How quickly the time seems to have gone by. In these three years there have been a number of changes, both in services, times of services, a combined parish magazine, and an awareness that each of our parishes are not on their own but part of a larger group, now called a Ministry Area. This is the policy of Llandaff diocese and the Church in Wales, to group parishes together, in sharing the work God has called us to do with one another. During this month we shall be welcoming our new Bishop in Llandaff, the Very Rev, June Osbourne, now Dean of Salisbury in the Church of England. Following the confirmation of her appointment, Dean June will be consecrated as Bishop at Brecon on July 15th and enthroned at Llandaff Cathedral on 22 July.

Greetings to all our readers

Parry Edwards

 

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Welcome to the merry month of June, called after the goddess Juno, and also the subject of the lyric “June in busting out all over, the meadow and the hill” by Rogers and Hammerstein from the stage show “Carousel” in 1956. Sunday worship at St. Mary’s is also “busting” out with new life, with a huge welcome given to the 14 candidates who were confirmed by Bishop Dominic at St. Peter’s Church in Dinas Powis on the 21st May.
Another “Busting out” was the flowering cherry tree outside the south porch in the churchyard. It flowered most gloriously this year and many people came to see it and take photographs. Let us hope it was not its swansong and that it will continue to blossom for many years to come. The replacement hawthorns alongside the path to the porch are flowering already and the churchyard is an asset much appreciated by the community, and is a perfect setting for the weddings planned during the year.
At the recent meeting of the Parochial Church Council, Trudy Kennedy was welcomed as a new member, and prayers were said for our new Bishop, the Very Rev. June Osborne, who is at present Dean of Salisbury Cathedral. It was also reported that the work to replace the frost damage to the mortar on the south curtilage walls of the churchyard would be replaced free of charge during the summer. The faculty notice for the installation of the French drains to the south wall of the nave has been affixed to the church door in preparation for submission to the Diocesan Advisory Committee. This requires that the concrete channelling be removed and a new “soak away” be dug under the path away from any burials. The work required under the last quinquenial inspection has now been completed, and the new drains will Help to remove the dampness within the walls.
Concern was raised about the lack of wheel chair access leading from the chancel step to the altar rail. The chancel step is also proving to be difficult for members of our aging congregation, and investigation will be made to see whether a suitable ramp can be purchased to make access safer and easier.The “200” Club continues to prosper and at present the subscription list stands at 293 paid up shares, thanks to 130 shareholders. A total of £2750 was transferred to the St. Mary’s building fund during 2016, leaving a balance of £1295 at the end 2016. Prize winnings totalling £1600 had been returned to shareholders in the course of the year, and this will be increased to £1700, with an extra £100 in May and again in July. The Usual summer “super draw” will be in August. Invitations for share renewals will be sent out at the end of August.. Thanks are due to Dickon Oliver for his stewardship of the “200” Club.
The big event in May was the “Christian Aid House Collection” in our three parishes. A report will be given in next month’s “What’s On” . The amount we collect has been has been helped by the money donated during the Lenten Lunches and the Agape Supper on Maunday Thursday in Holy week. Once again thanks are due to the social committee and their helpers.
The “Welcome” Pack to our new residents on the Redrow “Grange Site” have been updated and distributed when the houses are occupied. The pack contains a welcome to the parish and has individual leaflets explaining what is going on in church. It is professionally presented and printed and the invitation is extended to visit and join in any of the activities at a time of their choosing.
This year the joint Parish Picnic will be held at the Jubilee hall in Smithies Ave, Sully following the morning services on Sunday June 25th. There will be games and activities for those who wish to take part in them.
The parish magazine across the three parishes “Connections” contained a very full report of the Ministry Area Visit to Brecon. The day went well and after a lunch in the “Pilgrims Rest” there was an opportunity to tour the cathedral and attend Evensong before returning home. A similar visit is planned to next year.
Whitsuntide/Pentecostal greetings to all our readers.

Parry Edwards

 

 

What a joy it was to hear the church bells ring out on Easter morning announcing that the Lord has risen, and that it was time to celebrate this most wonderful event in the Christian Church worldwide. During the season of Lent the bells had been silent, in keeping with the church being stripped of all the decorations and shiny brass ornaments within the church. In Lent our services are much plainer, with only the Lenten Hymns being sung and the Eucharist service for the most part being said. Jon said that he is almost a Puritan during Lent, happy when the church is bare, but knowing that when the great day of Easter dawns, St. Mary’s will be ablaze with the Pascal Candle lit, the flowers decorating the church, the glorious Easter music, the uplifting Gospel readings and of course not forgetting the mini Easter Fair Trade Easter Eggs given to the congregation as they left church. A special thank you to all who came to decorate the church, to those who clean the church week by week, and to Jon who prepares the service leaflets.

The Easter Vestry met prior to Easter Day, when the Parish report was presented to the parishioners who remained after the 9.30 am morning service. The churchwardens remain in office for another year and the members of the P.C.C. were duly elected, with some new faces to welcome and to say a thank you for those who did not wish to serve any longer. The church’s financial affairs are in good order and once again a thank you to the Treasurer, Ray Harris, for all the work he does in keeping track of all the payments and receipts during the year.

The work in the churchyard is almost complete with the East Window having been cleaned and the new window guards fitted. The hawthorn trees along the path to the porch have been replaced, slightly shorter than the original trees that had died, but they will grow, all that remains is the replacing of the lime mortar on the boundary walls which failed during the frosts of last Winter.

Fair Trade and Traidcraft continue to be well supported week by week and the appeal for Easter Eggs for the food Bank brought in a large variety of chocolate eggs, for the children of needy families in Barry and the Vale.

The sad news of the resignation of the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Rev. David Wilborne was received before Easter and his final service in the Cathedral was on Easter Day. A presentation was made to him in appreciation of all the help and support he had given to the Diocese during the eight years since he was appointed. The Parish made a contribution of £100 towards his leaving in recognition of the support he gave in Wenvoe during the last vacancy, and also the support that Jon received from David during the early part of his ministry.

The East Africa Appeal at St Mary’s raised £400 with help from the congregation and church funds, and this has been forwarded to Christian Aid. We have a good record of raising money for worthy causes, and help is required in May for the annual Christian Aid Week street collections, see the lists in church in early May.

The magazine continues to be taken up slowly each month. On Easter Sunday we invited the congregation

to take a copy FREE of charge, and they disappeared like snow in summer. The May edition will be in church on the first Sunday of the month.

By the time you read this the Summer House Group at The Rectory will have already began meeting to re-visit the teaching of the Apostles and Nicene creeds. The other dates to meet are the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th of May. The sessions take place between 7.30 – 9.00 pm.

The May screening of the film “A United Kingdom” takes place in The Rectory on Friday 5th May at 7.30 pm. The film is based on the true story of the heir to the throne of Bechuanaland. Seretse Khama who studies in London immediately after World War II meets Ruth Williams whom he eventually married, despite the protests of their families. They overcome the many difficulties they faced especially about relations with South Africa and the stability of the entire region of southern Africa.

Messy Church again met in the Wenvoe Community Centre on Saturday 8th April. Many craft activities, worship and a party tea was enjoyed by a goodly crowd of parents and children. The theme was on the events of the first Palm Sunday so long ago in Jerusalem. Future dates to meet are planned, so keep an eye on the church notice board.

Greeting to all our readers of “What’s On in Wenvoe”

Parry Edwards

ST. MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS 

At the recent Parochial Church Council meeting it was reported that the plans for the church extension on the North side of the church, were progressing with further discussions with our architect Julie Boulby. There is much to sort out before we can think of applying for planning consents from the diocese and the local authority. We must ensure that before a spade is put into ground we are quite sure that what we want will stand the test of time, and will serve us and the community for many years ahead. There are a number of restraints on the site, such as the yew tree and the cremation burial plots, and we are anxious that these are not interfered with, so discussions will continue until we are ready to present our plans to the full PCC and then the congregation.

The quinquenial works in the churchyard are slowly coming to an end with only the cleaning of the East window and the new security guards to be fitted. The lime render applied to the boundary walls between the church and the Old Rectory has failed due to frost damage, and will be replaced when all danger of any frost has passed. The old concrete channelling on the south side of the nave and chancel will be removed and new French drain dug with a new soak away under the path. A faculty is being applied for the work scheduled later in the year, to avoid any interference with weddings, as access to the church will be affected during the time the work will be carried out. The saga of the replacement of the hawthorns on the path outside the porch continues with more promises from our contractor that they will be replaced, and the existing trees pruned to a more regular shape. A new notice board will shortly be erected in the churchyard facing the Old Port Road which will enable posters and other information to be more readily available.

Mention of Saga’s… the choice of a Bishop for our Diocese is proving to be difficult. The Electoral College met for three days at the cathedral in February, but failed to find a candidate with 66% of the vote. It passed to the Bench of Bishops who have met for another three days in the cathedral, who have come up with a short list on which they will take soundings around the diocese and hopefully will eventually present us with a new Bishop. Watch this space!!!

We are now in the Season of Lent with opportunities to explore the faith with Lenten Talks and discussion groups in Wenvoe and Sully. The Lenten Lunches in the church hall have been well attended, with very tasty soups prepared by members of the congregation. The Pebbles children will be giving us their presentation on Mothering Sunday at the All Age Eucharist, with flowers for Mums and Grannies. We will be delivering a Easter Card to all the homes in the parish, the cover being designed by the children, giving all the times of the services during Holy week and Easter day. Once again the appeal is made for Easter Lilies to be given in memory of loved ones who have died, to decorate the church for Easter.

On Sunday April 2nd we are launching an appeal for the Famine in East Africa. The loose moneys on the collection plate will be donated to Christian Aid and we know that there will be a generous response to this appeal. This Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Tide and there can be no better way than marking Our Lord’s passion and suffering by doing something to relieve the suffering of the people in that part of Africa who are in dire straits due to the failure of the rains to grow their crops.

Support for Traidcraft continues with the Spring Catalogue available in addition to Easter goodies and cards and gifts. The Food Bank collections have continued with the weekly collections taken into the Barry Food bank.

The next session of Messy Church will be on Saturday April 8th between 3.30pm – 5.30pm in the community Centre with an Easter theme for the crafts and worship and a tea party etc. It is FREE and all people of all ages are welcome.

Ministry Area Trip to Brecon on 30th April following the United Service in St John the Baptist Church in Sully. After lunch in the Pilgrims Tea Rooms there will be an opportunity to go on a tour of the Cathedral and attend the 3.30 pm Choral Evensong if you would like to. Names please on the lists in church to confirm the numbers as soon a possible. The cost of the coach is approximately £10.00 and the return home will after Evensong. Please note that your time in Brecon is your own if you wish to do other things. The lunch and the tour have been organised and are just our suggestions.

Happy Easter to all readers

Parry Edwards