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.
Cecelia Ahern is an Irish novelist, known for her works like PS, I Love You; Where Rainbows End; and If You Could See Me Now.
