A north Wales farmer has described his heartbreak at losingmore than 80 sheep during horrendous snowfall at the end ofMarch. The terrible weather just before Easter couldn’t havecome at a worse time for farmers like Glyn Jones from Cwm yGeifr Farm in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog.

Many of his ewes were preparing to give birth to their lambsand a number were lost when they were born underneathhuge snow drifts because he simply couldn’t get to them.

“Eight to ten inches of snow was predicted for high ground,”Glyn reflected. “We prepared by taking extra silage the daybefore. Sadly a large proportion of dead sheep were foundnear the feeders. When the huge drifts finally melted thesheep had stayed close to the silage rather than using theirnatural instinct to find safe shelter.”

June/July 2013

www.dioceseofstasaph.org.uk

Sharing Good News with the Family of the Diocese

Continued on page 4 . . .

INS IDEINS IDEINS IDE

•Year of Pilgrimagelaunched in style p11

•Introducing our newCurates . . . . . . . . p8

•And a novel way toraise Parish Share inSouth WestTanganyika . . . . . p6

Rural Parishes devastatedby heavy snow

chioli, ac mae’r Eglwys wedi bod yn wellam weld Teyrnas Dduw fel rhywbeth sy’nperthyn i’r byd a ddaw, yn hytrach na rhy-wbeth i ymdrechu tuag ato a’i dystio-laethu yma, nawr.

Dyna pam rydw i bob amser o blaid mu-diadau yn yr Eglwys sy’n ceisio cysylltu â’rbyd, sy’n ceisio byw ymrwymiad angerd-dol Duw i iachâd a gobaith, i gymdeithasa chyfiawnder, i heddwch a chymod.Cymerwch olwg ar ymgyrch OShttp://enoughfoodif.org/, neu eincysylltiad â SWTwww.churchinwales.org.uk/asaph/life/society/world.php, neu TCCwww.tcc-wales.org.uk/ i weld y math obeth sydd gennyf dan sylw.

Efallai mai’r union adeg y bydd pobl yn eingweld ni yn newid y byd, a thystiolaethudrwy ymroddiad i’r cariad, y trugaredd a’rgrym a ddatgelwyd yn Iesu, y gwnawnnhw ddweud “Dyna i chi fudiad yr hoffwni fod yn rhan ohono!” Mae ein BlwyddynBererindod, a lansiwyd mewn steilddechrau Mai, yn wahoddiad i “fyndallan” – nid ar bererindod draddodiadolyn unig, na hyd yn oed ar daith ffydd, ondi fentro yn ein ffydd i newid y byd.

Roedd dod i mewn amynd allan yn themabwysig i ysgrifenwyr yr

Hen Destament. Yn achos brenin, roeddy mynd a dod seremonïol o ddinas ynnodi ei awdurdod, a chyfnod pan roeddmodd i’r werin ei weld. Yn achosunigolyn cyffredin, roedd mynd a dod yncynrychioli cyfnod o newid, a pherygl obosibl, gan adael diogelwch cartref iymwneud â byd ansicr. Gan hynny,roedd cynnig bendith ar y “mynd a dod”yn arwyddocaol i bawb.

Yn yr Eglwys heddiw, rydym yn aml wedibod yn well am “ddod i mewn”: yn gob-eithio gweld cynnydd yn nifer y mynych-wyr, ac o bryd i’w gilydd yn gwahodd rhaii ddod gyda ni. Serch hynny, mae’n wirdweud mai dim ond os oes rheswm ar-bennig y bydd y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn dodi’r eglwys – ar gyfer bedydd neu briodas,Sul y Cofio neu’r Cristingl.

Efallai bod hynny’n wir gan nad ydym, felEglwys, wedi bod yn rhai da am “fyndallan”, mynd â’n neges allan i’r gymuned,byw dysgeidiaeth Iesu yn ein cymdeithas.Rwy’n gwybod fod nifer o’n haelodau ynbobl allweddol sy’n gwneud gwaithelusennol a chymdeithasol ledled gogledda chanolbarth Cymru, ond yn aml nid ywgwaith o’r fath yn cael ei gydnabod am yddisgyblaeth Gristnogol mae’n ei gynry-

Bydd yr ARGLWYDD yn gwylio dy fynd a'th ddod yn awr ahyd byth. (Salm 121.8)The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming infrom this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121.8)

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passionate commitment to healing andhope, to community and justice, to peaceand reconciliation. Take a look at the IFcampaign http://enoughfoodif.org/, orour link with SWTwww.churchinwales.org.uk/asaph/life/society/world.php or TCCwww.tcc-wales.org.uk/ to see the sort ofthing I mean.

Perhaps it is precisely when people see uschanging the world, and witnessing bycommitment to the love, mercy andpower revealed in Jesus, that they will say“Now that is a movement of which I wantto be a part!”. Our Year of Pilgrimage,launched with panache at the beginningof May, is an invitation to “go out” – notjust on a traditional pilgrimage, or eventhe journey of faith, but to venture forthin our faith to change the world.

Coming in and going out was animportant theme for the writers of theOld Testament. For a king, ceremonialentries and exits from a city marked hisauthority, and a time when he wasaccessible to the common folk. For theordinary person, coming in and going outrepresented a time of change andpossibly danger, leaving the security ofhome to engage with an uncertain world.To offer a blessing for “going out andcoming in” was therefore of significancefor all people.

In the Church today, we have often beenbetter at the “Coming in”: hoping to seean increase in Church attendance, occa-sionally even inviting people to come withus. However, truth be told, most peoplenow will only come to church if there is aspecial reason – for a baptism or wedding,for Remembrance Sunday or Christingle.

Perhaps that is precisely because, as aChurch, we’ve not been so good at the“Going Out”, taking our message out intothe community, living out the teachings ofJesus in our society. I know that many ofour members are actu-ally key people in chari-table and society workacross north and midWales, but such work isoften not recognised forthe Christian discipleshipit represents, and theChurch has been betterat seeing God’s Kingdomas something that be-longs to the after life,than something to bestriven for and witnessedto in the here and now.

That’s why I’m always infavour of movements inthe Church that try toconnect with the world,that try to live out God’s

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Bishop Gregory has started his second EpiscopalVisitation which will span 2013 and 2014. His first stopwas the Deanery of Pool at St John’s Church in Pool Quaybefore visiting Cedewain and Mathrafal Deaneries. Youcan find out when the Bishop is visiting your Deanery onour website.

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In total around 24 inches of snow fell onGlyn’s farm and it was worse in the driftsas the wind caused many feet of snow topile up in the corners of fields, blockinggateways to the livestock.

Glyn said getting through the snow tofeed the sheep that were still alive washard work but worse was to come.

“Once the snow started melting, the fullhorror emerged,” he said. “The big losseswere as suspected around the feeders andin total over 80 sheep had lost their livesthrough suffocation.“

Only one of Glyn’s silage feeders avoidedbeing covered in a snow drift and eventhen six ewes were found frozen to themetal container. They were alive butexhausted from trying to get free.

“I hope a tragedy on this scale only occursonce in a lifetime because as a stockmanthrough and through it was heartbreakingto see how my ewes had suffered andhow powerless I was to help.”

Despite the snow melting and giving wayto spring sunshine, the devastation maywell be felt for months to come in ourfarming communities because of thefinancial implications of losing so manysheep.

Mel Jones is Regional Welfare Officer forRABI (Royal Agricultural BenevolentInstitution) and has been to farms in GlynCeiriog, Llanrhaedr ym Mochnant and

Llanrwst who each lost 150 sheep andlambs.

He said it’s topped off a miserable yearfor farmers:“The snow has caught the imaginationbut the problems were already there afterheavy rain in the autumn and the coldspring. We’ll expect a spike in farmersneeding our help in September andOctober because they’ll be down on thenumber of lambs they would normallysell.”

Meanwhile churches in our rural parisheshave offered to support farmers in anyway they can. The Archdeacon ofMontgomery the Venerable Dr Peter Pikehas worked with Rural Life Advisor RevdHeather Fenton to write to farmersdevastated by the weather.

Part of the letter reads:“We recognise that there is perhaps verylittle that we might be able to do for youpractically at this time, but please don’thesitate to ask if you think there mightbe. We wish to support you to the best ofour ability. “Please be assured of our prayers, andplease feel free to come and sit in ourchurch for a while, if you wish, for somequiet in the middle of what must be avery hectic time.”

The Farm Community Network (formerlyFarm Crisis Network) is available forfarmers across the UK and has aconfidential helpline to offer support tothose in need. The helpline is open 365days a year from 7am to 11pm and canbe contacted on 0845 367 9990.

Mae’r Rhwydwaith Cymunedau Ffermio(Rhwydwaith Argyfwng Ffermio, gynt) argael i ffermwyr ledled y Deyrnas Unedig,ac mae ganddo linell gymorth gyfrinacholi gynnig cefnogaeth i’r rhai mewn angen.Mae’r llinell gymorth yn agored 365diwrnod yr wythnos rhwng 7am ac 11pm,a gellir cysylltu â nhw ar 0845 367 9990.

Glyn Jones has had to hand-rear orphaned lambs

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IF Campaign aims to tackleglobal hungerMembers of Christian Aid fromaround the Diocese have been work-ing hard to promote the IF Cam-paign – the largest coalition ofcharities and pressure groups sinceMake Poverty History in 2005.Aiming to tackle the causes of globalhunger, the Campaign is seeking toexplain that there is enough food tofeed the world IF changes are madeto structures and work is done to ad-dress issues like multi-national companiesnot paying enough tax.Christian Aid joined CAFOD (the Catholicaid agency) to launch the IF Campaign inWrexham in January and since then workhas been done in the Diocese to highlightits work.In April, campaigners gathered with localAssembly Members Antoinette Sandbachand Llyr Huws Gruffydd at PontcysyllteAqueduct in Trevor before walking toLlangollen with their IF banners.Among the walkers was Cecilia Cordovawho works for Christian Aid in Bolivia. Shesaid that campaigns like this have alreadymade a difference there:“Ten years ago we had a partner workingon economic research and they realised thatmulti-national companies didn’t pay morethan 15% of their tax and they have beenable to share that information with Boli-vians.“We have seen change – now these com-panies pay more like 50% and some asmuch as 85% and it wasn’t just because ofthe Bolivian people, people in Britain wereputting pressure on these companies as wellso it is very important for us to have sup-port from the north.”Anna Jane Evans is the North Wales Re-gional Co-ordinator for Christian Aid and

says that big companies not paying tax is abig problem in poorer countries.“Tax avoidance of multi-nationals costs poorcountries $160billion every year. In ChristianAid week we will raise about $14million soeven $1billion would take years to collectso you need to think of the difference wecan make by raising our voices and changingstructures."She also wants people in the Diocese of StAsaph to recognise that their voice canmake a difference.She added:“The Jubilee Debt campaign when the G7met in Birmingham saw 70,000 people atthe rally and every person who went toBirmingham calling for debt cancellationwas actually worth £270,000 in debt thatwas actually cancelled.”

Public Assembly showsDemocracy in ActionMembers of TCC (Trefnu CymunedolCymru / Together Creating Communities)gathered at St Margaret’s Church,Wrexham in April with local MPs,councillors and residents for their SpringPublic Assembly.TCC is a group made up of like-mindedpeople from local communities in north-eastWales who meet together to take action on

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Church News • Newyddion yr Eglwys

issues that areimportant to them.Among them areChurches, other faithgroups and schools.During the Assemblymembers heard frompoliticians from acrossthe political spectrumand were brought upto date with four localissues that TCC have

been campaigning around.North Wales Police promised to use PoliceCommunity Support Officers (PCSOs) topatrol areas around St Giles’ Church inWrexham and into the town centre.Church members have become increasinglyconcerned with anti-social behaviour in thepast few months after finding needles andbroken glass in the Church grounds.There were also updates on funeral fees,payday loans and the Living Wagecampaign which Teulu Asaph reported onin our October/November 2012 edition.Every funeral director in Wrexham is nowcommitted to giving out their prices whileone payday loan company have agreed tochange the way they lend online so that it’sunlikely people will borrow more than theyneed. On top of that the Assembly wastold that St Joseph’s Catholic and AnglicanHigh School in Wrexham is now paying allstaff the Living Wage so 12 employees havereceived a pay rise.A statement was read from the deputyleader of Wrexham Council saying he hopedWrexham could become the first LivingWage Council in north Wales if TCCcontinued its work.Ian Lucas – MP for Wrexham – spoke aboutwhat a powerful and simple idea the LivingWage is, how important it is for workers’respect and dignity, and the benefits itbrings to the local economy.He said: “Together we can achieve a hugestep for Wrexham.” 

Creative giving in South WestTanganyikaImagine if your Church treasurer didn’t justhave to count the money at the end of theservice but sell off some of the gifts givenby the parishioners.That’s the reality of life as a treasurer in ourlinked Diocese of South West Tanganyikaaccording to Revd Mike Harrison. He andRoz are coming to the end of nine weeks inTanzania and that’s one of the more bizarrethings they have witnessed.At the end ofa service inKibena Parish,the treasurerstood outsidechurch andheld an auc-tion to sell thecrops thatwere donatedas part of theoffering by those who had no money togive. Mike and Roz’s blog gives some fascinatinginsights into everyday life in our linkedDiocese where power cuts are frequent, run-ning water is a luxury and each of the minimarkets in the streets there “make RuabonSpar look like Waitrose”.You can access the blog via the homepageof the Diocesan website.

Motorbikes UpdateAs part of the trip to South West Tan-ganyika Mike and Roz have been exploringhow the gifts of motorbikes for Priests totravel between churches are being used.The Diocese of St Asaph has donatedmoney for 37 motorbikes and the final onewas presented to Canon John Kwetu at thebeginning of the trip. Canon John visitedus in 2011 and the presentation of hismotorbike signalled the end of this process.Mike and Roz have seen a number of thebikes in action (around 17 at the time of

Church News • Newyddion yr Eglwys

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writing) and are also exploring other waysthat small donations might help to make abig difference to life in South West Tan-ganyika.£25 will pay for a cockerel and a hen tostart a chicken “pass-on”project which will help familiesto own livestock around theDiocese. Roz has alreadypresented hens to HIV/AIDSwidows and orphans inLuyanywi parish. For this towork there will also need tobe an incubator for the eggswhich will cost £600. Mikeand Roz are hoping to help make this areality and are also liaising with some of thepoorest parishes in the hope that they canbe twinned with parishes here.Mike said:“A great deal can be achieved by learningabout each other. Parishes in St Asaph havea great deal to learn from the vibrancy ofthe worship and the real involvement inwhat matters to local communities. “Communication can sometimes be chal-lenging but capacity is improving here allthe time. We are collecting mobile num-bers and some emails. As the above shows,relatively small sums can be very effectivehere.”

Building for the futurein Mold DeaneryA service of Rededication has been held atSt Mary's Church in Nercwys after therestoration of stone and glass work at the

mediaeval Church. At a Holy Eucharist in April, Revd JohnBernard Jones thanked those who donatedtowards the cost of restoration work whichwas in an area of the Church dating from1847.Records show stonework at the Churchdating back to the 13th Century.

John said:“At a more recent restoration dedicationservice in 1884 the then Bishopcommented that the restorers were‘building for the future’. That statementholds fast in our time, too!  “In 1847 and 1884 there were official

receptions for all thedignitaries after therestorations. Thistime we enjoyed awonderful spread ofrefreshment at theback of the Church.It was just as good –probably better!”

Diocesan Mothers’ Union festivalThe annual Mothers' Union Diocesan Festi-val was held in St Giles Parish Church,Wrexham in March. Bishop Gregory com-missioned the members of the Trustee Body.The picture shows members of the Mothers’Union with Bishop Gregory and other clergyfrom around the Diocese including RevdColin Mansley who is the MU Chaplain.

Canon John is presented with his motorbike

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How do you discern if God is calling you toordained ministry? For our In the Spotlightfeature in this edition we are going to be fo-cussing on two ordinands who, God willing,will serve as Curates in the Diocese of StAsaph after their ordination in June.Teulu Asaph editor Phil Topham went tomeet them at college to get to know thema bit more.Sam Erlandson strolls into the commonroom at St Michael’s College in Cardiffwearing a rugby shirt – Llanelli Scarletsto be precise – and it isn’t long beforehe’s kicking a ball about on the greenoutside, spinning passes from left to rightwith those he’s playing with.For Sam, this iscomfortable terri-tory. A qualifiedcoach with theWRU (WelshRugby Union), hehas a passion forthe game that hasseen him coachhis peers at schooland college aswell as helpingwith communityprojects with the Cardiff Blues during histime at St Mike’s. Now that he’s ap-proaching ordination and a curacy along-side the Revd Canon Pauline Walker inLlay, sport might have to take a back seat.“The majority of rugby games happen ona Sunday and I have asked Pauline forSunday mornings off,” he jokes. “But shewasn’t too responsive about that!”Sam will be ordained at St AsaphCathedral on Saturday 29 June and isreally looking forward to getting stuck in

to his Curacy. The rugby may not be topof the agenda anymore but he’s hoping touse it in his ministry – particularly amongyoung men.“I’m really very conscious about the lackof men sitting in the pews as a whole andof all ages, especially men who are myown age (24) – I think we are the ab-solute lost category in churches thesedays,” he reflects.“The rugby is just one opportunity I seefor reaching out to young lads and youngmen. I never forget the time when I wasinvolved in a project at Cardiff Blueswhere lots of lads were asking lots ofquestions that were naive but really ex-citing to answer. “Things like ‘Are you allowed to drink ifyou’re a Vicar? Are you allowed to getmarried?’ Of course you can – within rea-son! It just shocked them. What shockedthem was that here’s a guy wanting to bea Vicar and he’s normal. He’s not someweirdo going on about crazy things he’sreally normal.“From my experience as a 24-year-old manI think you have really got to give men apurpose in the Church and we need to

Ordained Ministry

Sam Erlandson and Lorraine Badger-Watts

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give them something practical to do andto actually feel valued. I think whatwould benefit that is having a down-to-earth Vicar who could actually talk tothem over a pint and talk to them on theirlevel, get them into Church on their leveland give them a purpose in the Church.”

Sam has had plenty of time to reflect onGod’s call to his life and says he haswanted to be a Vicar since he was aroundfour years old. That said, it has not beena straightforward path and in his teens hechanged his mind and decided to train in-stead as a primary school teacher.

He adds:“It was halfway through my teachingcourse at Bangor University that I re-heard the calling or started listening to itagain and that was when I went to seethe Dean of the Cathedral.

“His response at the time was: ‘we’vebeen waiting quite a while for you tocome and talk to us about this’ so straightaway he put me in touch with the DDO(Diocesan Director of Ordinands) andwithin about four months I was sitting onthe Diocesan panel.

“Leaving teaching for ministry was some-thing I had to really think a lot about be-cause there are so many parallels that it’ssomething you could get really confusedabout and could quite easily make a mis-take on. I prayed about it a lot and I hada lot of help from other more experiencedclergy and other teachers to help mecome to that decision.”

Now that decision has been made, Sam’sreally looking forward to serving his Cu-racy in Llay as he grew up in WrexhamCounty and worshipped in the Parish ofRuabon.

“I’m really excited because Pauline Walkeris very experienced and down to earth,”he explains. “I want to learn from her andI’m just excited about working with otherpeople now.”

As a Haematology Research Nurse withfour children under the age of 10, Lor-raine Badger-Watts had lots to considerwhen she heard God’s call on her life tobe a Priest.It was a calling so strong that in 2010 she,husband Carl and their four kids all movedto Cardiff so Lor-raine could beginher training at StMichael’s College.It’s a journey that’sseen the familyselling their homein Llandegla, thechildren settlinginto a new schoolin Cardiff and allsix of them star-ring in BBC TVshow “Vicar Academy”.Lorraine says her family have supportedher all the way and that’s made the wholeprocess so much easier.“Carl has been really supportive,” shereflects. “He has been prepared to followGod’s call on both of our lives. We havealways thought that if I was to go andtrain for ordained ministry that the voca-tion would not just be for me it would befor the whole family so that has been re-ally helpful.“I went to selection in the June and at thebeginning of July I was told that I hadbeen recommended to train so we hadtwo months to sell the house and movedown here and get the kids in school.That was a bit of a stressful time but wedid it and we’re here and we sold thehouse and it all worked out perfectly soGod was definitely in that.“It’s really helpful (to have Carl’s support)and it’s really good that the children havesettled down so well in Cardiff and theyare really excited about moving up toNorth Wales again.”Lorraine will work alongside Revd SallyRogers in the Petryal group of Parishes

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after her ordination at Petertide. She’spassionate about seeing churches inte-grate further with their communities andis looking forward to getting involved withwhat’s happening in Petryal.“I’m really excited about the parishes,”she enthuses. “I’ve met Sally Rogers andI’m really looking forward to working withher. I’m nervous about the fact that it’sa 70% Welsh speaking population so I amgoing to have to work really hard onbrushing up my Welsh but I went up foran Easter Vigil service and it was reallynice to meet the congregation and startto get to know them."Churches can be too focussed on whatis going on inside but now they are start-ing to think 'what can we do to be a partof the community which we serve' andthat's really exciting for me."Parishioners in Petryal might be familiarwith Lorraine already after she and thefamily were filmed for the TV show VicarAcademy which was shown last autumnon BBC Wales. It sounds like it was en-joyable but quite an eye-opener. She says:“It was very strange doing it but it was re-ally exciting and the kids loved having thebig cameras and microphones followingus around. There was a lot of filming andvery little of that was shown but we all re-ally enjoyed the process and it was justgood fun really.”Vicar Academy showed the Ordinandslearning to care for the sick and dying, tak-ing part in visits to prisons and hospitalsas well as showing them learning to

preach and teach. It’s the latter that madeLorraine question whether she had hearda call to the Priesthood at all.“I quite distinctly heard God saying ‘Iwant you to be a priest’ and I completelyignored it. My Parish priest at the timeRevd Gary Owen asked why I didn’t wantto do it and I said I could not imaginehow I would preach every Sunday be-cause that terrified me,” she remembers.“He said: ‘Right then. In a couple ofweeks we’ll get you preaching and seehow it goes.’ So I did that and it was ab-solutely fine.”So what is Lorraine’s advice if you thinkGod might have a similar calling on yourlife?“Think about it, pray about it and talk topeople that you know and who know youwell about what they think. Keep talkingand praying about it and don’t rule any-thing out because you never know what’sgoing to happen or what God’s plan foryou is.”The Church is entering an interesting timeand Lorraine, as a young mum, will comeinto ordained ministry just a few monthsahead of a vote that could allow womento become Bishops in the Church in Walesin future.“I’m all for women Bishops, but it’s notfor me,” she concludes. “Then again, Isaid that about being a Priest!”

All are warmly invited to the PetertideOrdination service at St Asaph Cathedralon Saturday 29 June at 10am.

Lorraine with children Elin, Mari, Gethin and Jac

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The Pilgrim’s Pullout Cathedral packed for Year ofPilgrimage launchHundreds of pilgrims gathered at St Asaph Cathedral on Sunday5 May to officially launch our Diocesan Year of Pilgrimage.The service was the climax to a weekend of events to celebrate

the launch that included the specially commissioned Pilgrim’s Stafftravelling to the Cathedral on a carriage drawn by four horses.

The Staff was first handed to Bishop Gregory inKnighton after it was carried from St Woolos’Cathedral in Newport to mid-Wales by the Dioceseof Monmouth who declared 2012 their Year ofPilgrimage. Bishop Dominic handed the Staff toBishop Gregory and it made its way through allthree Archdeaconries of our Diocese to get to theservice at the Cathedral.On Saturday afternoon the Staff arrived in Berriewin the Archdeaconry of Montgomery for a serviceled by the Venerable Dr Peter Pike. It then travelledto the Archdeaconry of Wrexham where it began ajourney to the Archdeaconry of St Asaph in BrynEglwys on Sunday morning.The carriage and four horses passed throughLlandegla, Ruthin, Denbigh and Trefnant on its wayto St Asaph.The Cathedral was packed for the launch servicewhich began with a pilgrimage around some of themost important places of the ancient building. Itstarted with a hymn at the Translator’s Memorialbefore Archdeacon Shirley presented the Pilgrim’s Staff to the Dean and the pilgrimagemade its way around the Cathedral via the font, the pulpit, the organ and the altar.Pilgrim’s then took their seats to hear readings from Genesis and Psalm 121 as well asthe RS Thomas poem “Tidal”.At the end of the service Bishop Gregory addressed the congregation saying:“To be a pilgrim people we must journey out to proclaim the Kingdom of God to theworld and to be agents of God’s love. “When I was picking up the Pilgrim’s Staff from Bishop Dominic yesterday I reflectedwith the congregation in Knighton that so often the Church is very good at coming in– particularly at coming in to Church – but that must always be accompanied by thegoing out. “Perhaps if the Church went out a little more on the adventure of faith, to be a witnessof God’s love, in the service of the Kingdom and of the world then others would seethe joy and journey with us. That is why I welcome the Year of Pilgrimage.”At the end of the service pilgrims picked up scallop shells to decorate (the traditionalemblem of pilgrimage) and certificates for their churches to demonstrate that they aretaking part in the Year of Pilgrimage.The Venerable Shirley Griffiths who is Archdeacon of Wrexham has chaired a teamoverseeing the Year of Pilgrimage and said:

“It is a delight that there is so much interest andenthusiasm on the part of so many people throughout thediocese in our Year of Pilgrimage. As well as travellingtraditional pilgrimage routes an innovative array ofpilgrimages has been devised including one by canal inthe Pool Deanery and a possible train pilgrimage toGlasgow to conclude this special year on St Asaph’s Day2014.”Don’t forget to keep an eye on the calendar of events onour websitewww.yearofpilgrimage.org.uk

Pilgrim’s poetry a hit with publisherA book of poems published to coincide with the Year ofPilgrimage includes work from people around the Diocese.It’s been published by Y Lolfa who have already printed work by Revd Peter Walker,Team Vicar in the Rhos Cystennin Rectorial Benefice.

Called “Travelling with the Saints” itincludes poems from clergy and laity.There are reflections on pilgrimage ingeneral and on holy sites around northWales and along the North WalesPilgrim’s Way. It was edited by Peter Walker and thepoems were chosen by the VenerableChris Potter and Revd Manon Parry.The picture shows a number of the poetswith their books at the Year of Pilgrimagelaunch service at St Asaph Cathedral.

Journey leadership with JourneyingFor many of us, the Year of Pilgrimage will be an opportunity to spend some time awayfrom the frantic activities of everyday life. Journeying is an ecumenical, not-for-profitorganisation which aims to help you do just that. They take small groups on holidayin an informal Christian ambience to the more off-the-beaten-track parts of Britain andIreland. Its origins lie in Celtic spirituality and most of the trips still reflect that approach.Pilgrimage has been part of the story from the earliest days and that continues to forma thread woven through all that they do. David Gleed from the Journeying team writes:Journey Leaders come from all walks of life. They may be ordained or lay, Protestantor Roman Catholic, men or women - but all share the aims of the organisation and havediscovered a closeness to God and Creation through travel to remote places and a wishto share this with others.We are always pleased to hear from others interested in discovering more about journeyleadership with Journeying.For more details Visit: www.journeying.co.uk Email: info@journeying.co.uk Telephone: 01799 513750 or write to our Pembrokeshire address: 18 Holyland Road,Pembroke SA71 4BL.

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The Pilgrims of 1955David Pryce-Morris, the first person to be Diocesan Communication Officer for StAsaph sent us his recollections of how a pilgrimage from almost 60 years ago raised upa generation of young Church leaders...Pilgrimages have always been special events in the lives of participants, often leavingan indelible mark on them. This is certainly true of one which took place on 11 August1955. It was the Church in Wales Youth Pilgrimage to St David’s and it certainlychanged my life and that of many others.I was fortunate to be able to join a hundred or so young people at the CampConference in St David’s College, Lampeter which preceded the pilgrimage. Leadingthe conference was the charismatic Franciscan friar Fr Silyn Roberts, his influence on usyoungsters was remarkable. I was in one of many groups of young people who enjoyed one another’s company andmany who were moved to lives of dedication and commitment. Our small group of fiveincluded Bryan Parry (Meliden) who became Canon of Birmingham Cathedral; AlbertRoberts (Shotton) became a priest in the Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield; MelYates (Shotton) became a churchwarden; Alan Rees (Swansea) became Abbot ofBelmont Abbey and yours truly was ordained in this diocese and became a Canon ofour Cathedral. Some years ago, whilst talking with Bishop Huw Jones he informed me that he toowas at the conference. Later he was thrilled to become Bishop of St David’s. There weremany more who served the Church in Wales as a consequence of Fr Silyn’s directionand example.It is said that 8000 youngsters gathered in that tiny city to process to the greatCathedral joined by the Archbishop and all the bishops of the Church in Wales – eventhe Cathedral grounds were packed with pilgrims. What a day! Such is the experience of pilgrimage. Nowadays Santiago de Compostella and manyother foreign shrines are easily accessible to pilgrims, in those days, just ten years afterthe war, before popular tourism travel, it took real effort and commitment to journeyto the far south-east of our province from our diocese. It was worth all that effort. The Church in Wales was inspired by that event and it possibly influenced the Churchmore than we can ever know. How good it is to know that in Wales pilgrimages arein vogue again and that our Diocese is helping to lead the way. No doubt God will useour Diocesan Year of Pilgrimage to change lives and strengthen our Church as did the1955 Youth Pilgrimage.

Well, Well, Well –St Mary’s opened tothe publicOne of the joys of the Year of Pilgrimageis that some places that are not normallyopen to the public are available forpilgrims over the next twelve months.Among them is St Mary’s Well in Wigfairwhich is accessible for a series of talks byhistorian Tristan Grey-Hulse. The first washeld on Monday 6 May as part of thelaunch of our Year of Pilgrimage and there

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will be another five in the series called “Saints and Shrines of the Diocese of St Asaph”.On Sunday 18 August at 2pm there will be a walk to St Mary’s Well where a shortservice will take place following a talk from Tristan at Neuadd Owen Village Hall inCefn. There is also a cheese and wine evening planned in Cefn on Friday 12 Julyalthough there will only be a talk on this occasion, not a trip to the Well.Three further talks are planned later in our Year of Pilgrimage and anyone who wouldlike more information is advised to view the Calendar page atwww.yearofpilgrimage.org.uk or call 01745 540345.

R S Thomas and pilgrimage to Ynys Enlli –Bardsey IslandIn his final instalment on RS Thomas, to coincide with the 100thanniversary of his birth and our Year of Pilgrimage, Revd AndrewSully explains the links between the poet’s work and pilgrimage.According to ‘Neb’, RS Thomas’ autobiography, in August 1953,after about 12 years in Manafon, the Thomas’ responded to anewspaper advert requesting volunteers to staff the new birdobservatory that had been established on Bardsey Island, in CristinHouse. There began the first of many visits to the island. After anunpromising journey to Bardsey, they settled down for a fortnight’sstay at the observatory, to learn something about the migrant birds as well as thosebirds drawn to the lighthouse on stormy nights. RS would return to Enlli many timesthereafter, until “he know every corner of this enchanting little island.” Making the treacherous crossing of the Enlli sound by boat evoked for him the dayswhen a pilgrimage to Enlli was deemed equivalent to three made to Rome. In thosedays Aberdaron was the wealthiest parish in the Diocese of Bangor because of themany pilgrims who made their journey there before crossing over to the island of20,000 saints. He writes of this in the poem, ‘Pilgrimages’ from ‘Frequencies’ in 1978. For RS it is thequality of timelessness which makes Enlli so special.When we undertake a pilgrimage we must put aside the usual constraints ofchronological time if we are to allow ourselves the space to participate in the pilgrimageexperience as fully as we can; to immerse ourselves in the journey, both spiritual andphysical. It is of the utmost importance to make the most of the eternal ‘now’.Everything is sacred on pilgrimage, nothing more so than time – we must not desecrateit in a hurry.To undertake a sacred journey such as a pilgrimage allows us time to think, to reflect,to listen to the lessons of the past and integrate them into a vision for the future. Wemust learn to live totally in the present moment. On pilgrimage we must look andreally see, listen and truly hear. True freedom lies in learning to pay attention to the infinite detail that makes up eachmoment of our lives, allowing us to experience them in a new way. Our mindfulnessenables us to live each day, each hour, as a new beginning, and to continue to face thefuture with an open heart and mind.Revd Andrew Sully is on a pilgrimage of his own at the moment, cycling from Vadstenain central Sweden, the shrine of St Birgitta of Sweden, to Trondheim in Norway, to theshrine of St Olav. He’s taking part in this during his summer sabbatical which beganon 20 May.

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Summer Programme 2013Training Together is a programme of training open to anyone connected with achurch in the Diocese of St Asaph, whether they are lay or clergy, a member of thePCC or not. All courses are FREE, unless otherwise stated.

Training Together on your DoorstepHas training ever been this straightforward?

You’ve all benefited from Training Together but unless you live inWrexham it’s always been a trek to get to St Margaret’s ChurchHall where most of our sessions take place. Now that is changing.

Instead of scheduling courses for you to attend through the year we’re asking you to inviteus to your parish or deanery to deliver the training where you are. Do you want to learn moreabout your role in church? We have a course for that. Do you need new skills to help yourchurch grow? We can help.

Here’s some examples of the courses we offer:So you’re on the PCCFunding your projectSetting and using the Parish BudgetThe Faculty ProcessFacilitating GroupsMedia MattersAll Age Church

There are plenty more and there’s a full list on the Training Together pages of theDiocesan website.

So what are you waiting for? We only ask two things. Firstly, you need to get 20 peopletogether for the training and secondly you need to provide Fair Trade tea, coffee and biscuits.

There are still some scheduled courses which are listed below but we want to bring TrainingTogether to you. For more information please get in touch with Sian Connelly in the DiocesanOffice – her contact details are at the bottom of the page.

To Book Your Place: please give your name, phone number, parish name andemail address tosianconnelly@churchinwales.org.uk or phone on 01745 532582.

Course Date & Time Venue

So You’re The PCCSecretary

So You’re TheChurchwarden

So You’re TheTreasurer

Wednesday 5th June(6.45pm – 9pm)

Tuesday 18th June(6.45pm – 9pm)

Wednesday 10th July(10am - 12pm)

St Margaret’s Church,Wrexham

St Margaret’s Church,Wrexham

Diocesan Office,St Asaph

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Book Club brings the Bible aliveParishioners in Newtown and Aberhafespsay they have been “inspired, encouragedand strengthened” by the Community BibleExperience – a new shared Bible readingplan published by Biblica which has beenused in Cedewain Deanery.

It uses the NIV2011 translation of the NewTestament but rearranges the books into adifferent order while taking away the splitsof chapters and verses so that it reads asone novel. It’s designed to be read over sixweeks and each daily reading takes 15-20minutes.

The churches have been taking part in theExperience as part of Cedewain Deanery’sAction Plan for 2013. Over 200 copies ofthe reading plan called “Books of the Bible”were given out across the Deanery andBook Clubs were organ-ised for people to have achance for reflection.

In Newtown and Aber-hafesp Sunday sermonseither gave an overviewof the reading or pro-vided background on theauthors. Biblica producepublicity material, maga-zine articles, and thereading plan for you toadapt and use in yourown context, as well asdaily email reminders so you can downloadan audio version of the readings. This wasdistributed and to the housebound in New-town.

Rector, the Revd Andy Grimwood said:“With a little planning it’s really easy to or-ganise and get the whole parish involved.The ‘Books of the Bible’ cost £3.50 eachand Newtown and Aberhafesp PCCs paidfor a copy for every member and a stock to

be given to visitors and contacts.

“Some people were struck by how the writ-ers were not superheroes, but ordinary peo-ple with common failings; or how the Biblestill speaks clearly and consistently to mod-ern day life. It really brought colour to Biblereading and helped the words of the NewTestament become alive and meaningful.

“It also raised somedeep questions andmuch soul search-ing so in the sum-mer we’ll be goingback and rereadingHebrews with ser-mons and bookclubs to tie in.”

Barbara MoelwynWilliams of Aber-hafesp added: “Itreally brought the

enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice home,” while forJoyce Hughes it showed: “how much Godloves me and is constantly seeking to revealthe truth to me.”

Andy is now hoping to tackle the Old Tes-tament later in the year. For more informa-tion visit www.newtownparishes.co.uk orwww.biblicaeurope.com or speak to Andyabout what’s been happening in CedewainDeanery.

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Your News • Eich newyddion chi

Holy Week around the DioceseChristians across the Diocese of St Asaphenjoyed Easter gardens, walks of witness,special services and beautiful flower dis-plays as part of this year’s Holy Week andEaster celebrations.In Rhyl, worshipperswere greeted with afloral cross at StThomas’ Church onEaster Sunday morn-ing. The cross wasdecorated with daf-fodils and lilies andpositioned near to anEaster garden withchicks and eggs torepresent the new life enjoyed by those whoaccept Christ as Lord and Saviour.

In St Asaph there was a walk of witnessfrom the Parish Church to the Cathedral. Across was carried at the front of the proces-sion which was led by the Dean.

In Pool Quay, St John’s Church held a serv-ice on Holy Saturday to light the Pascal Can-dle. The photograph shows parishionersgathered outside the Church while RevdStephen Willson lights the candle to repre-sent the new light of Christ.In the Bro Elfod Ministry Area there weretwo "Family Fun Days" during Holy Week in

the Messy Church tradition.One was held at CanolfanDewi Sant in Pensarn andthe other at St Mary's inTowyn.There was a Holy Week“trail” which included sto-ries from Palm Sundaythrough to Easter Day andthe children enjoyed a PalmSunday procession, theyshared pitta bread andblackcurrant juice to re-member the Last Supper

and made stained glass crosses and Eastergardens as they heard the account of theresurrection.They also watched an animated film aboutHoly Week and enjoyed sausage and chipsat Pensarn and Hot Cross Buns and cakes atTowyn. 

Musical workshops to be summer hitAfter the success of the summer musicalworkshops in Colwyn Bay over the lasttwo years, Revd Ginny Burton is taking theidea to her new parish of Towyn in August.Children will be able to spend five days re-hearsing “Jonah Man Jazz” – a musical

The lighting of the Pascal Candle in Pool Quay

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Your News • Eich newyddion chi

with a Biblical theme – before a perform-ance at the end of the week.The idea grew out of St Paul’s Church inColwyn Bay which will host its fourth Mu-sical Workshop this year. Children there willperform “Crikey Moses” after success with“Jonah Man Jazz”, “Captain Noah and hisFloating Zoo” and “Joseph at the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat” in previous years. Now organisers are encouraging otherChurches to consider whether they couldhost a musical workshop for children intheir parish.Bryn Heywood who oversees the work-shops in Colwyn Bay can offer advice onhow you can get started. You can contacthim on leeheywood581@btinternet.comor 07926 908571.Jonah Man Jazz – St Mary’s Church,Towyn, 12 – 16 August. For moredetails and to book places pleasecontact Revd Ginny Burton on01492 512160.Crikey Moses – St Paul’s Church,Colwyn Bay, 5 – 9 August. Formore details and to book placesplease contact Bryn Heywood on07926 908571.

Children’s Library opensin village ChurchSt Elidan’s Church in Llanelidan hasopened up a children’s library with

hundreds of books available foryoung people to borrow.Parishioners Polly and DaveSnape came up with the idea af-ter meetings were held in thechurch to see what more couldbe done to engage with the lo-cal community.A children’s library was one ofthe ideas put forward and it wasofficially opened as part of fam-ily service on Sunday 5 May.There’s a whole range of books

on offer from those aimed at babies and tod-dlers right through to teenage fiction. 400books were donated to the church to startthe ball rolling and St Elidan’s is now a mem-ber of Denbighshire Libraries and they cantake out up to 60 books at a time to lend toothers.Dave Snape – who is also PCC Secretary –said:“We had 24 people at the launch service inMay and most of the children at the servicetook books home with them that day.Since then we have had another half adozen kids sign up to borrow books.”St Elidan’s already work with the LeylandArms pub next door to run an adult libraryand book stall which helps to raise moneyfor church funds.

A Summer Musical Workshop in 2012

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Finnish tourism hitsLlanrhaeadr ym MochnantTourism officials from Finland have visitedSt Dogfan’s Church in Llanrhaeadr ymMochnant to learn more about thedevelopment of church tourism trails.Powys was chosen as the main focus of astudy visit by the group which was organisedby the Welsh Government’s Wales RuralNetwork (WRN) which is responsible forpromoting the exchange of information andexperiences between Wales and other EUcountries.Powys’ wealth of culture and heritage proj-ects stood out to the European study groupwho are looking to discover how we link cul-tural projects to community and economicdevelopment.

St Dogfan’s is one of 15 churches andchapels on the Meini Bywiol - Living StonesNorth Montgomeryshire Heritage Trail.The tourism officials were welcomed by theVicar – Revd Mike Powell – before a shortpresentation on the vision behind the Trailand how it came to fruition.There was then a talk by Ceinwen Edwardson the history of St Dogfan’s church and thelegacy of Bishop William Morgan. Thegroup then enjoyed lunch at the WynnstayArms Hotel in the village before they movedon to see other tourism projects in Powys.

Bro Elfod gets sweaty!You’ve heard of Messy Church but now theBro Elfod ministry area is getting ready tointroduce Sweaty Church.

They’ll host it at Canolfan Dewi Sant in Pen-sarn on Sunday 16 June and it’s designed forchildren who are keener on physical activitythan arts and crafts.Revd Ginny Burton said:“It’s about harnessing their boundless energyand channelling it in a positive direction, asthey learn about Jesus. The core principlesof Sweaty Church are that parents and chil-dren can learn about living the Christian

life together and this learning isdone through sports and games. “Sweaty Church started in St Paul’s,York, and is now spreading acrossthe country, much as MessyChurch did. Now it has reachedWales!”Sweaty Church will be a Sunday af-ternoon service for busy familiesand is aimed at 7-11s, their parentsand siblings who find Sunday morn-ings taken up with sports and otheractivities.Everyone gathers for the first 30minutes of the service, for singing,

games and sports activities before “halftime” complete with orange segments. Inthe second half, parents gather to discuss thetheme of the afternoon and its relevance tofamily life, while the children carry on thetheme with more games and activities. Theafternoon ends with tea, toast and prayer.More information can be found online atwww.sweatychurch.co.uk where there arewhole host of resources and ideas.

Your News • Eich newyddion chi

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Your News • Eich newyddion chi

It’s always tempting to ask“What if?”Revd Stuart Elliott has been watching 1998film Sliding Doors and it got him thinkingabout our journey and our destination...

Lying in hospital followinga terrible accident whichcost Helen (Gwyneth Pal-trow) her baby and almosther life, Helen asks: ‘Whatif?’ What if the last fewmonths had been differ-ent? What if I had foundout Gerry (John Lynch)was cheating earlier?What if I had caught thattrain? But the doorsclosed and the train leftthe station leaving Helenstanding on the platformand the whole sorry storyreplays.

No. Wait. Rewind.Come down the stairs tothe platform, through thesliding doors of the train, and ‘what if’ be-comes possible. At least for a while. Thetwo stories play along together. Firstly theslow breakdown of her life. First her job,then her relationship with Gerry who is see-ing Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn) while she isworking. Secondly, the ‘what if?’ shecatches the train, catches Gerry, gets outquick and restarts her life with her friendAnna and a new man James (John Han-nah). In the imaginary ‘what if?’ life, every-thing goes perfectly, at least for a while.

It’s amazing quite how perfect a ‘what if?’life can be when we put our imagination tothe task. James is the perfect gentleman atthe right moment with a friendly word orsuggestion. Perfect scenarios are neverquite what they seem. As the two versionsof Helen’s life start to come together, James

turns out not to be quite so perfect and He-len ends up under a van. Hospital. One lifehas a future, the other was just fantasy.

How often do we reject the real journey forone of fantasy? How often might we ask

the ‘if only?’ or ‘what if?’questions. As Gerry says,with a twinge of selfishguilt, “you don’t want togo asking yourself ‘whatif?’ ”

Well why not? I suggestthat this is precisely whatwe should do. Not neces-sarily after the event, norabout things we cannot ef-fect. When there is achoice to be made weshould tread the path care-fully and with decision. Atthe end of the film we areleft watching with baitedbreath as both versions ofHelen lie in a hospital bed.We are willing one to live.It is not always the desti-

nation that makes us who we are, but thejourney.

The path that Helen was on could notchange, for that was just fantasy, but per-haps the experience has made her futurebrighter. Jesus said in Matthew 7: “Enterthrough the narrow gate; for the gate iswide and the road is easy that leads to de-struction, and there are many who take it.For the gate is narrow and the road is hardthat leads to life, and there are few who findit.”

We are left at the end of the film with thetantalising question, ‘what if?’ Not the‘what if?’ of the past, but ‘what if?’ for thefuture. We have our own journey to beginas we let them go back behind the ‘SlidingDoors’.

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Conwy School celebrates Yearof PilgrimageA school in Conwy used the launch weekof our Year of Pilgrimage in May to takepart in their own pilgrimage from schoolto Church.

Pupils from Ysgol Eglwysbach walkeddown the main street of the village withbanners to St Martin’s Church where theywere met by Bishop Gregory.They then took part in a service at theChurch which included poetry on apilgrimage theme, the story of the GoodSamaritan from Luke’s Gospel and prayersled by the children in Welsh and English.After this Bishop Gregory showed the

children all the various vestments hewears as Bishop and what they symbolise.Among them were his mitre, cope, crosierand scarf. After he put on his cope heinvited some of the children to standunderneath it to demonstrate the Bishopcaring for his flock.At the end of the service the pupils carriedthe banners that had been blessed byBishop Gregory back to school.

Y Briodas - The WeddingThe weather was bright and dry for pupilsfrom the village school in Llanrhaeadr ymMochnant to celebrate their pretendwedding.

Ushers stood by ready to hand out ordersof service and the bridegroom arrived atchurch accompanied by his best man,followed by the bridesmaids, and then thebride with her father - all in sparklinglysmart limos.St Dogfan’s Parish Church held the“wedding” which was part of aneducational visit. The Vicar Revd MikePowell managed to officiate at thewedding without marrying the couple forreal!Frances Hunt from St Dogfans said:“Photos and a video were taken by pupils

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Focus on Schools • Sylw ar Ysgolion

themselves, who also designed the ordersof service, and pew end decorations.“Following the ‘ceremony’ a ‘reception’was held in the school hall which wasenjoyed by all.”The photograph shows the Revd MikePowell with Sophie and Kieran who playedthe bride and groom.

Ysgolion yn adfer d�r i FfynnonSanctaiddThree Welsh speaking schools – YsgolEglwysbach, Ysgol Llanddoged and YsgolBeuno Sant – joined together at Bala Lakefor a pilgrimage themed event in May.Revd Nia Morris took water from the lakeand led the pupils on pilgrimage to thenow dried up St Beuno’s Well in Bala.Here’s the report in Welsh:Daeth tair ysgol Gymraeg at ei gilydd iddysgu am bwysigrwydd Ffynnon Beunoyn y Bala fel rhan o Flwyddyn Bererindodyr Esgobaeth.

Fe wnaeth disgyblion o Ysgol Eglwysbach,Ysgol Llanddoged ac Ysgol Beuno Santymgynnull ar lannau Llyn Tegid i gymrydrhan mewn gweithgareddau i ysgolion, cyni’r Barchedig Nia Morris godi rhywfaint oddŵr y llyn mewn bwced. Yna, aeth yrysgolion â’r dŵr i Ffynnon Beuno – ffynnona sychodd ymhell yn ôl wrth i dai gael euhadeiladu o’i chwmpas – a’i dywallt imewn i’r ffynnon.

Dangosodd y Barchedig Nia i’r plant pamor bwysig oedd y ffynnon a pha morbwysig yw dŵr mewn gwasanaethbedydd, cyn i’r ysgolion ymuno mewngwasanaeth.Yn ystod yr addoliad, canwyd emyn a oeddyn cynnwys pennill newydd a ysgrifennwydgan y plant i fyfyrio ar y tair ysgol yn dodynghyd ar gyfer y gweithgaredd hwn ar ycyd:Mi gamwn 'mlaen draw i'r llynI ffynnon Beuno ac i Eglwys Crist,

Ysgol Llanddoged a EglwysBachA Ysgol Beuno Sant, mi awnyn iachA rhoi fy mywyd i Dduw.A chamwn ymlaen ynffrindiau i gydA rhoi ein bywydau i Dduw.Dywedodd y Barchedig Nia:“Mae athrawon yn gwelddigwyddiad fel hwn yn gyfle iddod â’r Flwyddyn Bererindodyn fyw. Gall yr ysgolion i gyd

gymryd rhan heb orfod gwneud ymdrecharbennig i fod mewn gwasanaethau y tuallan i oriau ysgol.”Cynhaliwyd y digwyddiad hwn gan YsgolBeuno Sant, a’r gobaith yw y bydd YsgolEglwysbach ac Ysgol Llanddoged yn cynnaldigwyddiadau ar gyfer y tair ysgol ynddiweddarach yn y Flwyddyn Bererindod.

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Summer Music –at St Paul’s Church, Craig y Don,

Llandudno LL30 1TPSunday 2 June, at 5pm –Ivor Novello ConcertSunday 9 June, at 5pm(in the Church Hall) – Opera Concertby Amici del Canto including the 1st Actof the Marriage of Figaro. This concertwill also take place at 7.30pm on Friday7th June.Sunday 16 June, at 5pm –Llandudno Youth Music Theatre(songs from the shows)Sunday 23 June, at 5pm –Songs of Praise with Beulah Brass Band(RSCM Music Sunday)Sunday 30 June, at 5pm –Jonathan Richards – Guitar Recital

These concerts are in aid of the OrganRepair Fund – preserving a 100 year oldHill 3-manual pipe organ. Admission to theconcerts is free – there will be a retiringcollection with a suggested minimumdonation of £5 (Gift Aid Envelopes willbe available).Advance Notice: join us in St Paul’sChurch, Craig y Don, Llandudno, onSaturday 21st September for an “Alleluia-Amen” Singing Day from 10am with aconcert at 7.30pm. Join us to sing theAlleluia & Amen Chorus and moreAlleluia and Amen pieces. More detailsat a later date.Lunchtime Organ Recital Series –at St Giles' Parish Church, WrexhamMondays at 12.30pm (Lunches available inthe South Aisle from 12 noon)

Monday 3 June – John Evans(Hamilton Street Methodist Church,Chester)Monday 10 June, – Philip Underwood(St John the Divine, Sale)Monday 17 June, – Charles Jones(Holy Trinity, Llandudno)

Monday 24 June, – Bob Jones(St Francis, Chester and Cinema OrganSupremo)Monday 1 July, – John Hosking(Assistant organist, St Asaph Cathedral)Monday 8 July, – Gerry Howe(St Giles', Wrexham)

Sunday 9 June – Teddy Bear’s picnicat St Marcella’s Church, Denbighin the afternoon – more details from theParish Office

Monday 10 June – 5.45pm – Installationof Revd Alan Tiltman as Canon Chancellorat St Asaph Cathedral during ChoralEvensong.

Saturday 15 June, 7 pm - Organ Recital onthe 'Father' Willis Organ at St Mary of theSalutation Parish Church, Welshpool.Andrey Chulovskiy plays his new composition'9 Musical Tableaux according to the GreatCanon of St Andrew of Crete', organ worksby J.S.Bach, F.Liszt, M.Reger, H.Villa-Lobos.Tickets £10, children £5 on the door.More information atwww.andreychulovskiy.com or from RevdSteve Willson on 01938 553164.

Saturday 15 June, 1pm – 3pm – FeteAccompli – a murder mystery eventbased on a Church Fete. EmmanuelChurch, Bistre. More details from RevdAlex Mayes on 01352 744872.

Saturday 22 June, 7.30pm –The Voice of an Angel. An evening withsoprano Kate Griffiths at LlanelidanChurch, Ruthin. Tickets cost £10 and £8and are available by phoning 01824 750288.

Saturday 22 June – The Little Big Bandwith Fairtrade sparkling wine reception,Wrexham Rugby Club to raise money forTCC - 7.30pm for 8pm. Tickets £10 fromtcc@tcc-wales.org.uk or 01978 262588 

Teulu Asaph - Sharing Good News with the Family of the DioceseEditor: Phil Topham, Diocesan Communication OfficerDiocesan Office, High Street, St. Asaph LL17 0RD 01745 582245comms.stasaph@churchinwales.org.ukWhat is your good news? Let us know what is happening in your parish or deanery. Interestingphotographs and short articles particularly welcome. Croesewir unrhyw erthyglau ynglyn adigwyddiadau eglwysig yn Gymraeg.  Gellir cynnwys crynodeb byr o'r erthygl, na ddylai fod ynfwy na 250 o eriau, yn Saesneg. Diolch yn fawr.

Deadlines: August/September edition: 5 JulyOctober/November edition: 4 September

Teulu Asaph is designed by A R Doe graphics. www.ardoe.co.uk

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Sunday 23 June – 11am – Eucharistto celebrate anniversaries in ministry,St Asaph Cathedral.

Saturday 29 June – 10am – PetertideOrdinations at St Asaph Cathedral.All welcome.

Sunday 30 June – Messy Church afternoonat St Mary's Church, Denbigh –more details from the Parish Office

St Paul's Colwyn Bay – lunchtime concertsin June - all at 1pm. 5th - Graham Eccles,12th John Horton, 19th John Hosking,26th Fay Adamson.

Around the Diocese • O Amgylch yr Esgobaeth

Teulu Asaph – the futureMy dad tells me that when he wasgrowing up Wagon Wheels (thatbiscuit and marshmallow snackcovered in chocolate) were the size ofdinner plates. The more likelyexplanation is that he simply grew up but his observation raises an interesting point.Nothing, it seems, ever gets bigger.

The same can’t be said of your copy of Teulu Asaph.

For our next edition in August/September we will be moving from an A5 edition to anA4 edition. This change is in response to the feedback we received from thequestionnaire which was in the middle pages of the February/March edition.

You asked us to include more content from the schools, to cram less information ontoeach page, to engage with those outside of our Churches and to be more honest aboutChurch life. You want us to recognise that the Christian walk is not always full of smiles.

With that in mind we will move to a 16-page A4 magazine which should allow us toinclude bigger pictures, be more creative with the design and hopefully make Teulu Asapheasier to read. The flexibility should also allow us to include more content and makemore of our articles available in Welsh. From August/September you will also see abrand new design and style which we hope will help Teulu Asaph to work harder for usin the future.

A small working group has been formed to oversee these changes and includes a mix ofClerical and Lay representatives, those from rural parishes and urban parishes, Welshspeakers and even a designer who used to work for Saatchi and Saatchi.

Thank you all for your valuable feedback and we look forward to hearing your reactionto the new Teulu Asaph in the summer.