Category: St Mary’s Parish Church News

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August 2022 News Update

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After many trials and holdups our new priest The Rev. Lyndon Hutchison-Hounsell and his wife Chris finally made it to the Rectory on the evening of the 8th August after a gruelling journey from London, Ontario Canada. They were welcomed with many useful gifts to help furnish their home as well as messages of welcome and greetings. It has been heart-warming to see the response from all over our three churches to make them feel at home in Wales and that they are among friends. Before Vicar Lyndon can take any services in our churches he will have to be licensed by the Bishop, and this hopefully will be in September at a date yet to be announced. He is anxious to meet as many people as possible and has been around the village, with visits to St, Mary’s, the Wenvoe Arms, The Hub and other places, so please make yourselves known to them.

The latest edition of the Ministry Area “Connections” magazine was available during August and a copy has been placed at The Hub in Wenvoe, during the library opening hours. Lyndon wrote a letter for the magazine as follows

“Hello, De Morgannwg Ministry Area!

It is such a pleasure to be able to say hello and I so look forward to getting to know all of you. I’m sure you’re curious about who I am and, of course, you will get to know me over the course of the next few months, too. As an introduction, here’s a little bit about me and my wife, Chris.

We’ve been married for 33 years. We have lived in various locations in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. My family is from Newfoundland. We have two adult children, Thomas and Emma. Thomas is studying architecture and has a passion for sustainability. Emma is an artist who enjoys working with textiles – especially knitting.

Chris and I love to travel. We spent two months in Italy in 2012 and four months in the UK in 2019. We enjoy visiting holy sites and places where other pilgrims have walked before. We are looking forward to spending many hours on the trails of the Wales Coastal Path and Brecon Beacons. We hope to share those walks with many of you.

We also enjoy music and dancing, reading historical and mystery novels, and local food and drink. I enjoy singing and playing some guitar. Chris enjoys knitting and researching her genealogy. We are looking forward to being introduced to cricket, rugby, and football, (as spectators) and would like try our hand at bowls and croquet.

I have been a professed member of the Third Order of the Society of Saint Francis for more than 20 years. There’s lots to talk about but suffice it to say this means I have a keen interest in caring for the earth and those in need.

I was ordained priest in 1993 so I’ve been at this for a while. But that’s not to say I don’t have anything to learn. I most certainly do and I look forward to

continuing my spiritual formation alongside the good people of De Morgannwg Ministry Area.

Peace and many blessings,

Lyndon

During the month of August our church services have been led by visiting priests and we have been enjoying the varying styles of worship they bring to the church. Being a holiday month we always expect a downturn in attendances with people away on holiday, but the number of worshippers has been very encouraging, and things can only improve once Lyndon is able to officiate and establish the normal pattern of services in our churches.

Work on the tower is progressing now at a faster rate than before with the mortaring gang applying the lime mortar as quickly as the weather conditions allow. The recent hot sunshine dries the mortar out too quickly and causes cracks, delaying the final mortaring to be applied. So hopefully the work will be completed in September, the scaffolding, removed, the clock restarted, and the ground around the tower cleaned up in time for the Harvest Festival and BYO picnic in the church grounds to meet up with our new priest. So watch for the announcement on the church notice boards and the community pages.

The Rev. Kevin Barry, our former curate will be licenced to the East Vale Ministry Area on Sunday 4th September at Llancarfan church at 6.00pm and members of our three churches will be there to support him and to acknowledge the time he spent with us. Our best wishes and prayers go with Kevin and his family for this next stage in his ministry in the Church in Wales.

We supported the Christian Aid “East Africa Hunger Appeal” with retiring collections at our Sunday services. “After the worst drought in 40 years millions of people across East Africa are facing the threat of famine and dying. With the war in Ukraine causing global food prices to rocket, we are facing crisis on crisis. Due to climate change many families are now homeless, identified as displaced” Faced with a situation like that we have no option but to try and help with whatever money we are able to raise to ease their situation especially in the provision of water purification kits, dispersing animal feed and medicine. Christian Aid is supporting over 300,000 people and more help is needed. Thank you to all who supported this appeal in our churches.

Looking ahead we are planning a number of events to meet up with our new priest during September. They are all in the planning stage and no firm dates have been agreed at the time of writing, so keep your eye on the notice boards in church and on the weekly newsletter.

Thank you for reading this, the very latest news from St. Mary’s and we invite you to join with us during the month as we celebrate a new chapter in the life of the church here in Wenvoe. God Bless.

Parry Edwards

 

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July 2022 News Update

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July has been a busy month in the life of the church. Sunday services have been well attended. A wedding, a memorial service and two funerals have kept the churchwardens busy making the necessary arrangements for these events to go ahead smoothly. The Joint Church Council met during the month under the chairmanship of Howard Rees. We also had a school visit and Kevin explained the vestment colours used during the seasons of the church’s year.

During the month we acknowledged the twelve years that Alison has been the leader of the “Pebbles” group of children who have been meeting at 9.30 am on a Sunday morning in term time, and then joining the congregation at the Eucharist service. Alison has now stepped down from that role in order to pursue a different journey in her faith as she prepares to train to become a Reader. This is a calling I received some 47 years ago and I know from experience how that will enrich her life as it enriched mine. A presentation of flowers and lots of goodies was made to Alison following the Eucharist on Sunday 17th July to acknowledge with great thanks the work she has put into her role as leader. Da Iawn Alison.

For the moment the “Pebbles” will not be meeting until such time as a new leader comes forward, or even if a grouping of the young parents can be formed to take the work forward. We feel that this is the right thing to do until our new Vicar is in post, who we know is eager to be part of our worshipping community, and especially in making contact with the school and becoming their Vicar as our last priest was so well known and loved as “Vicar Jon”.

It was also with sadness that we said farewell to our Curate Rev. Kevin Barry who is leaving us to join the Ministry Area of East Glamorgan. His farewell service was a joint celebration at St. John the Baptist in Sully on Sunday 24th July. A presentation was made to him marking the time we had joined with him on his faith journey as Ordinand, Deacon and Priest. We also remembered Kim and Olivia who in their quiet way came among us, supporting Kevin in the life changes required when preparing for the Priesthood. We wish them well for the future role he will now take on, and trust that they will recall with pleasure the times spent in our three churches.

Work on the tower proceeds ever so slowly and the contractors have asked for an extension of the time originally agreed. We are very much in the hands of our architects and we want the work done to the correct standard, as that of the completed work on the church porch. As the Bishop told me when I raised the delay in announcing our new Vicar “Patience is a virtue and will bring its own reward”

The announcement we long waited for about the arrival of our new Vicar was revealed in the morning services on Sunday 17th July. He is the Rev. Lyndon Hutchison-Housell and his wife Chris. They arrived in the Rectory in late July and will be taking the month of August as a holiday as they buy a car and set up house. He is hopeful of taking services in September, but he will have to be licensed first by Bishop June. He is very much a people person and wants to get involved in the community, to get to know “church people” as well as “non church people”. So our patience has been rewarded and we look forward to welcoming them both into the community.

On the afternoon of Sunday 17th July, at St. Bleddian’s Church a service of dedication of the refurbishment of the churchyard path and gates took place in memory of the late John Bird. John’s generous bequest has funded the work and will fund further work within the church.

Sunday 10th July was Sea Sunday. A retiring collection for the Mission to Seamen amounted to £73.00. In our prayers that day the work of the Mission to all who work at sea, was commended to God’s grace and protection, for without those brave men and women, who so often work in the most dangerous conditions to bring us the goods we need, our lives would be greatly impoverished.

We continue to support the Barry food bank with items donated every Thursday morning. The need is greater than ever, with falling donations due to the high cost of living we are all experiencing, and the greater demand they are experiencing from impoverished families in Barry and the Vale. There is an up to date list in the church porch of items that are most urgently needed and can be safely left in the porch. All items gratefully accepted.

The CHATTERY coffee morning has been restarted and the next one will be at 10.30am on Thursday August 11th in the church hall. All are welcome for a chat and catchup on what has been going on whether at home or on holiday. It is good to meet up with those not seen for some time, so do come along, a great welcome, posh biscuits and a free raffle.

Sad news of the passing of Mrs Doreen Searchfield was received during the month. Doreen was a faithful member of the congregation when she and Raymond lived in Whitehall Close. When left a widow she moved to sheltered housing in Cheltenham and latterly to residential care. Her funeral has been arranged at 12.00 noon on Tuesday 2nd August followed by interment in the Community Cemetery. Our thoughts and prayers are for her family at this sad time.

We are making tentative plans for a Messy church session in the Autumn, a BYO picnic at the time of the Harvest Festival, Remembrance Sunday, All Saints and All Souls Day, Community Christmas Carol Service, Advent Windows whilst keeping in mind that COVID and its variations have not gone away. So watch this space.

St Mary’s Church in Wenvoe is your church, ready to serve you in times of joy and of sorrow. God Bless and thank you for reading this news.

Parry Edwards

 

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June 2022 News Update

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H.M. The Queen’s 70th Jubilee, called the Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in great style in Wenvoe, with the streets and houses decorated with bunting and flags; the only jarring note was the piles of green bags of garden waste littering the streets as the local authority had failed to collect the previous weekend.

The four day programme of events kicked off with the lighting of the Jubilee Beacon and the unveiling of the Toposcope at the Quarryman’s Tribute at Twyn yr Odyn on the Thursday evening. Friday saw many coming to the informal service of thanksgiving followed by a picnic in the church grounds, with fun and games for the children. Saturday the Community Centre was packed almost to capacity with a Bake a Cake and Eat party, with an exhibition of “Old Wenvoe Memorabilia” with many Oh’s and Ah’s. On Sunday many street parties took place in spite of a down turn in the weather All the arrangements were spearheaded by Glenys and Mike Tucker and a great show of thanks is due to them for doggedly making sure that all went so smoothly. So well done everybody who helped with setting up the various crowns on the post boxes and telephone box, the planting of the flower beds in red, white and blue at the War Memorial, the Wenvoe Community Council for the setting up of the beacon, toposcope and allowing use of the Community Centre. Some people were asking can we do this next year. There will never be another celebration such as this in our lifetime, but the next coronation of Charles III could be such an occasion.

At long last the work on the exterior of the church has started with the porch looking very good with the lime mortar applied to the joints between the stones. The tower is a much bigger job and the scaffolding will be in place until the Autumn while raking out of the old cement mortar. Fresh stone has been brought in to replace that which has degraded over the years, and hopefully the work will be completed before our new priest arrives.

The new interior lighting scheme was also completed and how different the church looks. We have a range of nine different scenes for use at normal and alternative services. The system is all LED and colour coded to bring out the colours of the frontals and vestments and has been provided by the generous bequest of the late Mr Ron Thomas who was a faithful worshipper at St. Mary’s when he lived in Walston Rd. Thank you Ron; your bequest has been well spent.

The earliest we can expect to see our new priest take up his position as Vicar in Wenvoe, St. Lythan’s and Sully, will be in September. The delay has been in due part to the confirmation of a sponsor and the necessary application of a visa. These things take time and we have been patiently awaiting the release of his name etc. In the meantime the Rev. Kevin Barry will be leaving us with his last joint Eucharist service for our three churches at St. John’s church in Sully on July 24th, when he will join the East Vale Ministry Area and serve his time at Llancarfan and other churches. Plans are in hand for a farewell get together at Sully following the service on that day. We wish Kevin every blessing on his work, having been with us as an Ordinand some three years ago.

PEBBLES for young children

Alyson who has run this group on Sunday mornings for many years has decided that she wants to work in other areas of the church in becoming a Reader, so is stepping down and we are looking for a replacement in September to keep this little group of young children and their parents together. This is important work in the life of the church, when stories from the Bible and craft work can do so much to bring the words to life. Also singing is a means of children working together and growing together, so please think about this and if you are able to help please talk to the churchwardens.

JOINT CHURCH COUNCIL

Mr Ken Mathews has also decided that it is time for him to relinquish the post of Secretary to the council and Mrs Jennifer Ford has agreed to be our new secretary. We wish to thank Ken for the time he has given to St. Mary’s over the years and he will continue to lay out the weekly newsletter, and keep an eye on the heating system in church. At the same time we wish to welcome Jen to our deliberations on the JCC and will be watching her grow into the job.

CHRISTIAN AID APPEAL

The grand total raised from the appeal this year came to £2,597.67 including gift aid, with contributions from the “Coffee, Cakes and Books,” Gwenfo School and St. Bleddians and St John‘s churches and the house envelope appeal in Wenvoe. We must thank Jude Billinham and her team for the work entailed in presenting this appeal, to raise funds for those in Africa who are not as fortunate as we are.

LLANDAFF UNLOCKED CHURCHES FESTIVAL.

St Mary’s church was opened for visiting on Saturdays the 18th and 25th in support of the festival and an opportunity to see our new lighting scheme.

Thank you for reading the News of St. Mary’s. The church door is open on Sunday for our morning worship at 9.30am; a warm welcome to all.

Parry Edwards

 

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May 2022 News Update

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At long last we can report that work on the repointing of the tower and porch is now underway. The porch has already been completed and it is certainly an improvement on the previous cement mortar. This has all been removed and conservation lime mortar used for the repointing. Work on the tower will continue during the summer months for completion in the autumn, before the frosts set in.

The new lighting scheme has been installed and was trialled on the congregation on Sunday 15th May. Reactions were varied, but generally the new lighting is far superior to the old set up and is easily managed by means of a small keyboard, with pre-set combinations for us in our normal services and the occasional ones of baptism, weddings and funerals. All the light fittings are LED which will give us long life in use and are very economical. We were able to install this scheme due to the generous bequest made to St. Mary’s by the late Mr Ron Thomas, a former resident of Walston Road and a faithful worshipper at St. Mary’s.

The sound system has been checked over and closed circuit television has been installed, with a monitor screen in the transept. The unobtrusive camera is focused on the area of the nave in front of the Rood Screen and Lectern so that when sat in the transept the priest and readers can be seen. Over the years since the transept was built in 1991, people have often felt cut off from the main service as they could not see what was taking place. Now it is hoped that the TV monitor will help them be part of the service. A facility has also been built into the system allowing us to transmit recordings of our service on Facebook. However, no decision has been taken at the present moment.

During the time all this work has been taking place, we have not forgotten the need to provide toilet facilities/catering facilities in the church, and our church architect has been in discussions with the Diocesan Advisory Committee as to what form of extension they will support. We will await their decisions and will work on the advice they have to give as we attempt to bring the church building into a worshipping space fit for use in the 21st century. The question on what we do with the church hall remains on our wish list with regard to selling the site. The present kitchen/toilet facilities need updating and dampness of the building needs work to rectify it, but we continue to use it for church activities.

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CHRISTIAN AID APPEAL

This year the appeal was launched in church on May 1st when Jude Billingham, the organiser for fund raising, gave a presentation during the morning service. This was followed on Saturday May 14th with a Coffee and Cake and Book event in the church hall. This brought a lot of people together and showed Jude and her team of helpers great support for the time they had spent preparing for this event. Appeal envelopes have been delivered to the streets in Wenvoe and Sully to raise money for this most

excellent cause to help those in Africa who are not as fortunate as we are. The results of the appeal will not be known until some time in June when all the results of the various activities taking place will be collated.

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CHURCHES UNLOCKED JUNE 18th – 26th

This is a programme organised by the diocese to open 10 churches considered to be well worth visiting for their historic and artistic features. We will open St. Mary’s on Saturday 18th and Saturday 25th June between 2.00- 4.00 pm. So a date for your diaries. You will get a great welcome and a demo of our lighting system.

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H.M. THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE FAMILY PICNIC –

Details of Picnic

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The appointment of our new priest has been made, but the official announcement has been delayed by reason of obtaining a visa from the Home Office. We know he is married and will be bringing his wife to live in the Rectory in Wenvoe. He is joining us from Canada and his name will be released at the appropriate time. In the meantime, we hold him and his family in our prayers. We will make them very welcome and who knows, we may even fly the Canadian flag from the flagpole on the tower.

See you at the picnic and you are welcome to our Sunday service.

Parry Edwards

 

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