Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

December Church News

December Church News

Nadolig Llawen. A Happy Christmas to all readers from the congregation at St. Mary’s.

If you cannot make it to church, join us online …www.ipcamlive.com/stmarywenvoe.

A message from our treasurer Ray Harris:

“The 27th of September was a disastrous day for St. Mary’s, when the figure of Christ on the Rood screen was dislodged when the cross was being dusted; likely that the glue holding the figure in place had dried out. The wood carving, which is some 150 years old, crashed to the floor and was damaged and feared to be beyond repair.

Our church architect suggested we consult Steve Shackell, a retired French polisher and furniture restorer to seek his advice regarding a possible repair. Steve, took the figure, not only damaged by the fall but severely weakened internally by a historic wood worm infestation, to his workshop, saying it would be a “labour of love ”to repair and restore the carving.

The figure was returned to the church on Tuesday the 28th October fully repaired and restored. Steve’s report read “Every worm hole was injected with a solution of polish and thinners to consolidate the internal powdery, woodworm eaten timber enabling the repair. The arms and lower legs were glued to the main body. Two coats of woodworm killer were applied. Damaged areas were filled, and missing pieces were modelled in wax and coloured. Finally, the completed carving was waxed and polished.

What was Steve’s fee? Nothing. Steve has asked that we make a donation to the Medical Missionaries of Mary, an order of nuns who provide worldwide medical care. To get an overview of their dedicated work see the magazine placed at the font.

Members of the congregation have been making donations in thanks to Steve and to support the work of the Missionaries of Mary. For friends and those who are not regular attendees at our Sunday worship, donations can be made in cash or cheques (payable to MADM St Mary) via our secure post boxes at the church hall or church porch or to make a card donation use the card machine by the Font when in church.

The repair and restoration of the figure is truly amazing. It is darker than before due to the waxes used, so we thank Steve and his colleague for a church treasure now restored to its rightful place at the entrance to the chancel.

We also thank Ray for the speed in which he ensured a repair was possible.

There were a number of special services during the month of November. All Saints and All Souls on Sunday November 1st were joyful and uplifting and the remembrance of those loved ones we see no longer but remember with love; their names were read out during the Sunday afternoon service. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: For the first time the attendance in church was lower than in previous years, yet at the War Memorial the numbers, huddled under their umbrellas, was larger than last year. We were remembering those whose names are carved in stone at the War Memorial and 12 wreaths were laid in tribute. We thank the Vale of Glamorgan Brass Band for providing the music, and the bugler sounded the start and ending of the two minutes silence. A collection taken in church amounted to £300 and this has been forwarded to the Royal British Legion to aid them in their work with veterans of WWII. We also thank Mr Ray Harris for compiling the service booklets and for choosing the hymns sung during the service and the readers for reading with such clarity. The Head Girl and Boy from Gwenfo School offered the prayers with such confidence, despite their young age; it is to their generation to carry forward the message of Remembrance that Prince William spoke of when he delivered a video message to all schools on Armistice Day.

The Armistice was remembered when Vicar Lyndon and the Reader Emeritus met with pupils from Year 6 at Gwenfo School at the War Memorial, the Roll of Honour of names carved on the War Memorial was read out and two minutes silence was kept, as the Nation at large paused in tribute to remember the fallen.

Those who laid down their lives in all wars, are not forgotten and they will be remembered by few or by many in the years ahead – “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them”

Fifty Years and Counting: During the morning service on Sunday 16th November Parry Edwards was congratulated on completing fifty years since his licencing in 1975. Archdeacon Mark of Margam was present to celebrate the Eucharist. This was a happy occasion with Parry’s family present with the congregation to pay tribute to his years of service to St. Mary’s. Parry spoke of how the church membership had changed during his readership in Wenvoe; there were few present who could have been in church when he preached his first sermon. The service followed with hospitality and friendship in the refurbished Church Hall. As Vicar Lyndon has written “50 years and counting…” who knows! My thanks to all who made it a memorable time which I will treasure.

God bless,

Parry

November Church News

November Church News

Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary’s Church. Join us for our Sunday service at www.ipcamlive.com/stmarywenvoe at 9.30am.

Our joyful celebration of the harvest was also the occasion when we formally said farewell to Alyson Price as she has now embarked on her final two-year preparation for the full-time ministry. Alyson has been a stalwart member of our congregation and for many years was the leader in our Pebbles Group of young children. She has been a teacher for 32 years and she has opened a new chapter in her life. We wish her well and at a presentation in the newly refurbished church hall Alyson was presented with a card of good wishes, flowers and a gift of an All Seasons Stole for the day of her ordination.

Harvest is always a special time, and the church was filled with the largest congregation of the year so far. The Vale Foodbank received the tinned goods, fresh vegetables and cash offerings to help fill the gap for an ever-increasing need for their services. It is our duty as Christians to share the bounty of the earth with those who are not as fortunate as we are. Thank you to those who helped prepare the church for harvest, to those who brought an abundance of foods and other items, and to Jude and Nigel for their weekly delivery to the food bank in Barry.

Our Harvest Thanksgiving continued on Sunday October 12th at St.Bleddian’s Church at 3.00pm. It is good to see the church prepared and cleaned ready when it is not in regular use. So, a big THANK YOU to the faithful for such a special effort to present the church as we have always known it.

During the process of cleaning, the Rood Screen at St Mary’s, the central figure of Christ became dislodged and fell to the floor in pieces. It was devastating to see such a beloved artefact, which had been hanging there for over 150 years shattered. Upon examination it was thought to be repairable, and on the advice of our church architect, a retired French polisher and joiner agreed to undertake the restoration. We await the results. The figure of limewood and its attendant figures of St. Mary and St. John are full of historic wood worm which had been treated and will be subject to remedial action to ensure they are preserved for the future.

The Refurbishment of the Church Hall: The hall has been transformed with new LED strip lighting, a complete repainting, together with the kitchen and toilets and all thanks to the donations received to make the hall fit for purpose. The provision of new curtains at the windows and acoustic panels on the walls is to be welcomed to lower the noise levels. The contractor has been working on the church hall floor and the results are more than we expected. The floor has been sanded and sealed with three coats of sealant and looks amazing. We can now be proud and pleased to able to present the hall to prospective hirers as a very pleasant venue. There will be a new Hiring Agreement and NEW rates of hiring; this will come into force in the New Year.

Quiz Night at the Church Hall: On Saturday 11th October Wenvoe church hall was full of people in teams ready to compete in a fiendish quiz. Ray Harris was armed with taxing questions and Alun Jones updated a screen displaying the scores after each round. Fortunately, the new acoustic boards worked well and the sound system meant that everyone could hear. At the end there was a fun round based on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. This most enjoyable evening raised £545 towards the refurbishment of the church hall. Grateful thanks to everyone who organised or supported the quiz night’

Remembrance Sunday, November 9th will follow the successful pattern of previous years with a community service at 10.00am with the commemoration at the Village War Memorial at 11.00 am for the reading of the Roll of Honour, the two minute silence, and the laying of wreaths. This year Vicar Lyndon will be presiding over the proceedings and as usual we welcome the Vale Brass Band to provide the music, and also welcome the Scouts and their leaders, bringing their banners into church. Remembrance is a time of recalling the sacrifices made by the young men of our village and all over the country to defeat the enemy, so that we can live the life we do today. WE WILL NOT FORGET THEM. Do join us in church or at the War Memorial. The collection in church will be donated to the ROYAL BRITISH LEGION for their work in rehabilitating the veterans who through age are getting fewer each year. There will be refreshments in the church hall to follow and an opportunity to meet up with friends not often seen.

On Remembrance Day 11th November at 11.00am there will a service at the War Memorial with Year 6 pupils from Wenvoe School. You are welcome to join us.

Service of Thanksgiving: Sunday 16th November will be a special thanksgiving for the 50 years that our Reader Emeritus has served in St. Mary’s and elsewhere following his licencing by Bishop John Poole Hughes in 1975. Join us with Archdeacon Mark of Margam as we give thanks for half a century of faithful service. WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.

Church Clock: The church clock that has ticked the hours, the months and the years away since it was installed in 1880 seems to have a life of its own. Recently for no apparent reason it stopped. The engineer who looks after it on behalf of the original maker Smiths of Derby, could find no reason other than wear and tear and managed to get the clock working. There is a cost for this and as the clock is a public amenity for the community the Wenvoe Community council was informally approached for help in maintaining it. So far there has been no response from them and the invoice has been paid from our meagre church funds.

It is always a joy and a privilege to share news of St. Mary’s with you all.

God bless,

Parry.

50 Years of Faithful Service and Counting…

50 Years of Faithful Service and Counting…

Please join us on Sunday 16th November at our 9:30am Eucharist in St Mary’s Church followed by refreshments in the Church Hall.

We will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Parry Edward’s licensing as a Reader in the Church in Wales.

A Licenced Reader is someone who has trained for two years in theology. They are given responsibility to preach and to lead funerals and baptisms. Parry has done all of this and so much more.

Currently, Parry’s official title is Reader Emeritus, but we all know his work continues!

So, please join us in celebrating this milestone with Parry. All are welcome.

Vicar Lyndon

October Church News

October Church News

Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary’s Church.

First a correction to the September Church News. The refurbishment of the Church Hall has been funded by the donations from members of the congregation who wish to see the hall restored to encourage more use from the community. To date the lighting has been replaced with LED strip lighting. The lobby has been redecorated, the reveals to the windows in the hall repaired, the Gents Toilet refurbished, the next phase will include the redecoration of the main hall and kitchen/storeroom, by Alex Reynolds’ company at no cost to the church. Thank you, Alex. Sound absorbing panels are to be fitted to the walls to lessen the noise factor when the hall is in use. The wood block floor is to be restored to its former state and with the addition of new curtains at the windows, the church hall will once again be a more welcoming place than previously. So, a big thank you to all who have contributed to the work with donations or practical help in sorting out the storeroom and helping with the hard work, it will be worth all your efforts.

Pilgrimage to Ewenny Priory and Merthyr Mawr

On Saturday 4 October you are invited to take part in our pilgrimage, starting at Ewenny Priory at 10.00am and proceeding via St Bride’s Major to the church at Merthyr Mawr. At each of the churches we will pause to pray and look around. We will finish with a pub meal at around 4.00pm. You can take part by walking (total distance about 7 miles), following by car, or by joining in the prayers at home. More details from Lyndon lyndontssf @outlook.com or David Kennedy kennedy dcf64@aol.com

The celebration of the Harvest took place on September 28th. We were pleased to welcome Alison Price who took part in the Eucharist service. Alison is an active member of the church and has led the Pebbles group for many years. She is currently undertaking her training for the ministry and has begun the final stage of her studies and practice experience during the month. To wish her well there were refreshments following the service and she was presented with a gift from the congregation.

The church was decorated with flowers and displays of the donated food items for the Food Bank were placed in the windows. Many thanks for the recent donations to the Food Bank. The weekly items placed in the boxes in the porch are well received. Items most in need are tinned meat products, tinned vegetables and potatoes, sugar, jams and peanut butter and toiletries. Many thanks for the continued support of the needs of the Food Bank.

A celebration of the Harvest at St. Bleddian’s church at St. Lythans will be held at 3.00pm on October 12th. “Come ye thankful people come”. Regular worship in the church is now limited to Festivals in the church’s calendar, so it is a joy to maintain the round of worship in this ancient church. All are welcome to join us and refreshments

will follow the service.

The Chattery continues to meet in the Church Hall on the second Thursday of the month and is well supported and the FREE raffle is always a time of much hilarity. This is an opportunity to meet in a safe warm place, especially during the coming Winter months, to catch up with news and chat to old friends with the latest news. The modest charge of £2.00 includes the free raffle ticket. All are welcome. The next date will be on October 9th at 10.30am. All are assured of a warm welcome.

200 Club. Renewal letters have been sent to all subscribers to the 200 club, The proceeds from the subscriptions are a major source of income for the building fund, which is used to keep the fabric of the church building in good order. Each share costs £12 for the year, half is used for prize money and half for the Building Fund and prize draws are monthly. Please consider joining if you have not already done so; new shareholders are always welcome. And to those whose support is gratefully received perhaps taking out an extra share this year, in addition to those already held, will help us to make more of a 300 club. Thank you.

The Inaugural Ministry Area BBQ Saturday 7th September. Representatives from the Ministry Area gathered at The Vicarage in Rhoose for a BBQ hosted by the Rev. Denise Maud. The weather was fine and the company enjoyed meeting up and making new contacts thank you Denise, Andrew and their two children for making us all so welcome.

Remembrance Sunday 9th November. Our traditional service of remembrance will be held at 10.00am in church followed by the silence and laying of wreaths at the Village War Memorial.

Quiz Night. Those of you who obtained your tickets for a quiz hosted by Ray Harris, enjoy the evening and do support the raffle in the half time interval. All monies raised go towards the refurbishment of the Church Hall.

It is good to share our news of St. Mary’s with you and maybe one day we will see you in church where a warm welcome awaits.

 

Parry

September 2025 Church News

September Church News

Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary’s Church.

Traditionally September is known as the season of mists and mellowness. This year, autumn seems to have arrived earlier with the trees already shedding their leaves. September is also a time of change for our young people as they change schools or move up to another school year. It can be a very unsettling time for them, leaving old pals behind and making new friends, very often far from where they are living. It is all called “part of growing up” and we as a church wish them and their teachers well, knowing that they will come to enjoy the new school year.

The month of August has been a busy one for those of us connected to St. Mary’s. We are so often complimented on how well looked after your church and grounds are kept. Mike keeps the grass cut, the paths swept and bushes removed. Before you enter the church, you know that great care is taken of this jewel in the community. Inside our visitors are again amazed at how well presented the interior is. Our lighting scheme plays a part in this, highlighting certain parts – the wall monuments to the Thomas family of Wenvoe Castle, the Rood Screen, the reredos at the altar. We opened the church on Saturday afternoons in August for visitors to explore our church. Numbers varied, but the volunteers who were present, reported the appreciation shown by those who came. There will be more opportunities for OPEN CURCH during September.

Church Hall with a New Look

The report in last month’s “What’s On” of the refusal of the local authority to support our application to extend the church, has spurred us on to look afresh at the Church Hall, known locally as the Reading Room. Money that had been kept in reserve for the church extension has now been released to refurbish the Church Hall to “make it fit for purpose” for today’s use. So far, the lighting has been renewed in the lobby, the toilets and main hall. The reveals of the windows have been repaired and painted. The damp in the Gent’s toilet will be eradicated and the fittings etc. refitted when the building work is complete. Hot air hand dryers have been fitted in all three toilets.

This current work has also been possible due to some generous donations received. The most generous response is the offer to decorate the hall and exterior woodwork. The kitchen area will have a revamp to bring it in line with today’s food preparation regulations. Finally, it was time to tackle the store cupboard/room which had over the years become a dumping ground for all sorts of things. Many black bags later, the space is now usable for the things that are needed. So, thank you everyone – you did a great job. Thank you also to those who donated towards this phase of the refurbishment, knowing that there are other works that are planned, which will need local authority agreement.

The Church Hall is sited, in a most prominent part, of the centre of the village and has been greatly enhanced by the development of the garden around the bench seat by Mike Tucker and will be the setting for the Village Show on September 6th. The hall has been valued in the community ever since it was given to the church by the Randolph family for use in the then parish, having been provided by Mrs Laura Jenner of Wenvoe Castle for her tenants to read the newspapers, warm themselves by the fire, chat to each other and generally as a place to meet and relax. Our long-term plan is for this to continue to be a place for hire for family occasions, parties and other meetings.

VJ80 A Day of Solemn Reflection

This took place on August 15th. HM the King paid tribute to all who suffered greatly under their captors and moving ceremonies were held around the UK. The main ceremonies took place at the National Arboretum away from London, though a lone piper played a lament at the Cenotaph in the early morning in Whitehall. The war ended by the dropping of two atom bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a tremendous loss of life and injury to the Japanese people. Their suffering is still present in the population to this day and many retold how their current ailments are related to those terrible events of 80 years ago.

There have been two funerals at St. Mary’s during August. On the 14th Barbara O’Grady was laid to rest in the community cemetery. The church was full to support her grieving family, and our condolences go to Mike and his children. The congregation was saddened to hear of the passing of Ian Moody after a short illness. Ian’s funeral was held on the 26th August and he was buried with his late wife Carole in the community cemetery. Ian was a well-respected and active member of the community and our condolences are sent to Kim and her family.

Dates for your Diary

Ministry Area Barbeque will be held in Rhoose on September 6th

Harvest Thanksgiving is on September 28th

An afternoon concert by Sian’s Singers will be at 3.00 pm on October 19th.

For those of you who may be unable to attend church in person, all services at St Mary’s are live streamed at http://www.ipcamlive.com/stmarys church

Thank you for reading,

Parry

August Church News

August Church News

Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary’s Church.

A warm welcome awaits you at our service on a Sunday morning at 9.30 am, but if you cannot make it log on to our website https://www.ipcamlive.com/stmaryschurch. We know many far and wide do log on, including our friends in the Glenburnie Care Home, and we consider this as a part of our mission to spread the Good News of Jesus in the world. Give it a try. You will be pleasantly surprised.

July has been a relatively quiet time in church with many enjoying their holiday at home or abroad. That does not mean our door is closed. We have hosted three funerals during the month. Each one was different to the other in many ways, but the same message is preached, that of hope. For Christians death is not the ending of a life but a beginning to a new life in the glorious heavenly kingdom that Jesus told us all about. It is natural to grieve for the departed, but a new day dawns and life goes on. Think on the words of this well-known Easter hymn

The strife is o’er, the battle done;

the victory of life is won;

the song of triumph has begun.

Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst,

but Christ their legions has dispersed.

Let shouts of holy joy outburst.

Alleluia!

Our dearly departed are not forgotten. Week by week we remember their passing a year after the event. We understand that a formal church funeral is not for everyone, and that Direct Cremation is gaining in popularity. Vicar Lyndon is only too ready to advise during difficult times when decisions have to be made to say farewell to a loved one.

The month may have been a quiet one, but there are always housekeeping jobs to be carried out. We have a very large safe in the Tower vestry that holds all our records. These comprise Registers of baptism, marriage and burials for Wenvoe and St. Lythans, service registers, and other misc. documents relating to church activities over the years. Many are facsimile copies of original registers deposited at Glamorgan Archives, and copies provided for use in the parishes. They have now been listed giving the years they cover dating from the 16th century. Parish registers are fascinating records of events many years ago and were authorised by Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister in 1535; there was a great deal of suspicion that Cromwell was bringing in a tax for his master on the sacraments of the church.

Registers began to be compiled for every “wedding, christening and burying” as the Act states. At the beginning the priest or churchwarden obtained a sheet of paper and ruled it into three columns for the three records to be written up. In 1597 a scheme for a “more careful keeping of parish registers” was introduced with entries now made on parchment, and copies were to be made of the old register previously written on paper. Our Wenvoe register appears to have been copied at this time. These loose sheets were then folded and placed in the parish chest, where over the years they were often attacked by mice and damp. Soon these loose sheets were bound into books and later legislation saw the introduction of preprinted register books which are much easier to read. For family history buffs they are an excellent source of historical facts.

Visitors to the church often ask when it was built, and who built it. The stock reply is we do not know, but we can safely say that there was a church on this site back in the 13th cent. Which means that the people of Wenvoe have worshipped here for 800 years and that the ancient Yew Tree possibly predates the building. At some point in time the church was financed by the introduction of a Church Rate levied on the landowners, on individual cottages or fields, the ale house and every farm in the Parish. The actual rate was fixed at the annual Easter vestry meeting and in Wenvoe we have records from 1829 -1870 when the amount of a penny farthing – 5d was levied. The amount raised was used to pay the parish clerk, see to the purchase of candles and coals for the stove, washing the surplice and the purchase of bottles of wine for the communion. Even the killing of polecats appears in the expenditure items. White liming of the interior was a regular feature, as were repairs and cleaning of the churchyard. The amount on the collection plate was not used for the church but went to supporting the poor and aged of the parish. The priest’s stipend came from the Tythe also levied on the parish or from his private means. The church Rate was finally abolished by an act of parliament in 1868, to the great satisfaction of the non-conformists who objected to paying a tax when their own chapels were self-financed by their own membership.

From the Wenvoe record of church rates, one year of 1860 stands out when the amount collected was increased by subscriptions from the wealthier parishioners to £64, 16 shillings, 10d and a farthing. Was that the year that the soaring Gothic chancel arch was raised, to replace the old crude low arch similar to the entrance to the tower?

More news next month of solar panels, alternative means of heating the church and renovations in the Church Hall.

Parry

 

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