Events 2003

The first meeting of our new year was a follow-up to our successful Catholic History Day when the main theme was the removal and re-building of the church from Llandeilo Tal-y-bont near Pontardulais at St. Fagans Museum and the wonderful wall-paintings that were revealed in the process. Some forty members assembled at the church site in glorious weather. Warned to be attired in shoes and clothing suitable for a visit to a medieval building site, they were issued with "hard hats" and separated into two groups. Ray Smith gave each group a talk on the materials used and the craft involved in restoring the church to what it its appearance would have been like in 1520 - a Catholic church in pre-Reformation times. He stressed the care taken to use authentic stone and woodwork in restoring features where time and vandalism had taken its toll and showed each attentive group how he went about manufacturing windows and wooden roof arches. Ken Brassil took each party in turn to relate again the wonderful story of the medieval architecture of the church and the revelation, after five hundred years, of hidden and mutilated remnants of wall-paintings which were an integral part of worship and learning for a mainly unschooled but by no means ignorant congregation. We are most grateful to the authorities at St. Fagans and in particular to our two excellent mentors who made the visit so enjoyable and inspiring.

Members of the group at St Fagans. 22nd September 2002

CATHOLIC HISTORY DAY 2002:

Our President, Bishop Mullins, was fulsome in his thanks to the speakers and declared himself inspired by what he had heard. He has agreed to review Dr. Gray's book and recommended it most highly to individuals and schools. At the opening of the afternoon session he gave a very interesting response to the morning session widening the aspects of the pre-Reformation liturgy and answering numerous questions on our possible involvement in the rebuilding, furnishing and possible liturgical events at St. Teilo's.

It has been suggested that a consequence of this event might be the formation of a focus group which would meet monthly to study church and people in pre-Reformation Wales. Interested ? Contact. WAMCHS, Pastoral Resources Centre. 910 Newport Rd., Rumney, Cardiff CF3 4LL. Tel. (029) 2036 0044E-mail info@wamchs.co.uk

LLANARTH COURT.

The visit to Llanarth at the end of April was most successful. Blessed with glorious weather more than seventy members and friends gathered for a tour and an illustrated lecture by Celia Nash, ably assisted by husband Paddy. (They have been associated with Llanarth for more than fifty years since Paddy joined the staff there when it was a Dominican school). Celia's talk which had been thoroughly researched told the story of the immense contribution - spiritual and financial - made by members of the Jones / Herbert family to the maintenance and ultimate growth of the Catholic Faith in Monmouthshire and industrial South Wales. Sitting in the audience was a member of that renowned family - Mr. Ben Herbert who is a vice-president of our Society. 

After a cup of tea, we gathered in what must be one of the oldest post-Reformation chapels in Wales. Built in 1750 by the Jones family they maintained it and kept it open for worship at times when penal laws were still in operation and to be a Catholic could to attract discrimination and persecution. Eventually it was handed over to the Archdiocese. We ended our day with Benediction when once again the Latin chants of "O Salutaris" and "Tantum Ergo" were sung as they must have been two hundred and fifty years ago.

A very large party of members and friends assembled at the Abbey on Sunday afternoon 17th February to hear a most interesting talk by Sister Marie de Montfort. The fascinating story of its history and how the beautiful site of this ancient Cistercian Abbey was a rallying point for Catholics when owned by the staunchly recusant Morgan family and came back into the hands of a Catholic religious order four hundred years after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

After a tour of the older parts of the house, a cup of tea and a chat, we were privileged to join the sisters for evening prayer in their magnificent modern chapel. All agreed that it was a splendid historical visit. Further information on the Abbey and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy can be had from their website

Events 2003