St Mary’s Parish Church News

August Review

The month of August is often called the “Silly Season” often due to fact that nothing of great import happens during this month. Our School closes for their summer break, parliament is in recess, and the country slows down while we bask in long lasting sunshine. However life in the church keeps going, often against the odds, and while we miss having “Pebbles” with us, they are always in our thoughts and prayers that they and their leaders enjoy their break and will return once again in September, when they will be back in church on the 4th September.

The long awaited work on the sound system in church has been carried out during the month, and the difference between the old and the new is there for all to hear. We have installed new speakers in the nave and transept, and also one in the porch. Plus we now have the facility to provide an outside speaker for any overflow of people during large funerals or outside services or events. In addition a microphone has been installed on the chancel screen to pick up the vows being made between bride and groom at their weddings, so that the congregation can hear. And the work doesn’t stop there, for we also have a mobile microphone so that we can hear the children when they make their contribution to our services on special occasions. This is a wonderful asset to have in the church and even more wonderful it has been gifted to the church in memory of wonderful parents. Many of the things around us in St Mary’s are there because in the past they have also been gifted to beatify the building, in providing new hymn books, the pew Bibles and so much more. When the current building programme gets going and the planning of the proposed extension at the west end of the church is granted and completed we will have a church building that is more than fit for purpose. As the words of the hymn has it “We love thy place O God, wherein thy glory dwells” so we are looking forward in hope for all these things to come about. So to all the generous men and women who have donated, not only their time, but the money, both in the past and the present we say THANKYOU.

At the recent united service of the Ministry group at

St Lythan’s Church, it was distressing to see that, a large wall monument in the Button Chapel had detached itself from the wall and crashed to the floor. Luckily there was no damage other to the top stone panel which was shattered in pieces. And upon examination, it seems the iron fixing had become corroded with the amount of water and damp within the walls. The memorial is to John Sproson aged 6 years the son of Richard and Mary Sproson of the City of London who died in 1809. The only other record we have is the burial of Mary Sproson in 1826 when place of abode was given as Dyffryn. St Lythan’s church, like St Mary’s has a problem with damp and water infiltration in the walls, and the proposed remedy is to create around the base of the outside walls a “French Drain” which means digging down a metre or so and refilling with crushed stone, plus drainage pipes to take the rain water away from the building to soakaways. This causes all sorts of problems when you start digging in graveyards, with archaeologists being called in to supervise, make reports and decide which way the work has to proceed. This was the remedy at St Mary’s, some years ago, when the walls around the base of the tower, had a “French Drain” installed, and has solved the problem we had of damp, and as a result the walls are now dry.

September will bring a new surge of life to St Mary’s with the “Scarecrow Festival” on the 24th/25th, the Harvest Festival Services on Sunday 25th, including the Community Harvest Praise at 6.00 pm. The launching of the combined Parish magazine with the parish of Sully and with Jon refreshed from his holiday visiting the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe events, who knows what delights we have in store during the Autumn and Winter months.

 

With every Blessing, see you in church

Parry Edwards