A Remembrance Day Like No Other
A Remembrance Day Like No Other
A headline in my newspaper said it so well ‘It was a Remembrance Day like no other’ and the same could be said for the year we have been living through in 2020. Nothing has been the same as we have had in what we call a normal year, and now we have to talk of a new normal way of living in the shadow of the COVID virus. There is much talk of a vaccine which will offer some protection against this terrifying disease, but when will it be ready for the general public, or will it be reserved for those at most risk? Let us hope that it will come soon and prove to be effective.
Remembrance Sunday was marked with a memorable service on line, with Jon bringing in members of our congregations and the school children from Wenvoe School, as we joined in with the national service from Whitehall marking the 100 years since the Unknown Soldier was buried in Westminster Abbey. I had not seen the old Pathe news reel in black and white. It was most moving, as was the pilgrimage Her Majesty the Queen made to the grave in the Abbey in the week prior. On Armistice Day following on the 11th, Jon had welcomed the children from Wenvoe School to mark the two minutes silence and laying of wreaths. So despite all the restrictions imposed on us during the second lockdown, honour was given to those brave young men who gave their lives for King and Country in WWI and the wars since then. Also remembered were the doctors and nurses in the NHS who have also put their lives on the line in fighting the virus in our hospitals and nursing homes.
Wales came out of the second lockdown on the 9th of November and St. Mary’s. with all other churches in Wales during this period had remained closed, which meant that commemorations of All Saints and all Souls Days were held as virtual worship online. The 10.30am services on Facebook on Sunday mornings attract not only members of our congregations, but also have an international following, with worshippers logged in from Ireland and Spain. The use of Zoom for holding meetings has been a boon in these strange times. The Annual Vestry Meeting, which had been delayed from earlier in the spring of this year, was finally held on the 9th November, when all officers were confirmed in their present positions until Easter of next year.
The Diocese of Llandaff has decided to put in place the recommendations of the Harris Report of a few years ago which stated that the way forward was to form all the parishes into Ministry Areas, each consisting of three clergy and a greater involvement of the laity in the organisation and running of each church. We will be joined with the parishes of Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark by Bishop’s Decree by January 2022. There has been discussion between the churches as to how we can make this work for the benefit of all, so that each church knows that their voice is being heard in any decision making. We have to accept that while the management of the parishes will change, the ‘man/woman and child’ in the pew will not see any difference in the services we have been used to. Jon will still be our parish priest as well as being the Leader of the combined Ministry Area, and will have a lay person to head up the combined Council under his leadership. Our prayers are with Jon as he takes on this role and I am sure we will give him as much support as we can to make his task that much easier. The six churches in our present grouping were joined by the churches of Porthkerry, Rhoose and Penmark in a Zoom ‘Road Show’ chaired by Bishop June on the 11th November, which gave everyone an opportunity to question the senior officers of the diocese about what the new Ministry Area will be like. Both the legal status and the financial status of the new enlarged grouping were laid out; this has given all a great deal of thought and raised many questions. To that end a transitional group will be set up under the leadership of Jon to make sure that everyone will be singing from the same hymn sheet. The year of 2021 will be an interesting year for many reasons, and the church council here, has pledged to give Jon as much support as we can to help him achieve the results the Bishop and the diocese expect of all church members.
By the time you read this we will have entered the Season of Advent, and the first of the Wenvoe Advent Windows will have been lit up for us to see. So it only remains to wish all readers a Happy and Blessed Christmas and please take care, the virus has not gone way.
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Parry Edwards