My Dear Friends,

Laurentia Johns was born and grew up in Swansea and after study in Oxford and Havard entered Stanbrook Abbey. She has edited Touched by God in memory of Dom Alan Rees, also from Swansea, ten monastic journeys where the contributors give honest and personal accounts of what the monastic life is really like and how it brings them closer to God. Following on the BBC programme ‘The Monastery’ the monastic life has been seen as a means of healing of disciplined living and of people coming to terms with themselves. The Rule of St. Benedict is studied and applied far beyond the confines of the monastery.

Initially we may find this surprising in an age of Free Expression, numbers of people coming together in halls for fellowship with secular readings and music, non-eucharistic worship ever more popular, and ever declining congregations.

Yet there are encouraging signs that interest in prayer and reflection is to be found amonst us. Numbers of people go to Llangasty and Nicholaston House in Gower for days of reflection and longer periods of retreat. Llangasty has regular Drop in Days’ which are an opportunity ‘to pause for prayer and personal reflection.’ Take a packed lunch and do your own thing is how best it is summed up.

The Resource Centre at Eastmoor was the venue for an eight week course on Prayer earlier in the year and

large numbers of people attended. Again in September there is to be a five week course – Journey of Discovery – Ways of Praying Today with two sessions every week on a Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writing in 1935 said:’the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a

life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ’.

Jonathan Wilson in his 1998 book called Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World. From this neo-Monastic communities began in the United States and other parts of the world. They are mostly lay people living in community disciplined by their own rules, in some

cases the Rule of St. Benedict.

Fr. Mark Soady is the Vicar of St. Mary’s Abergavenny and his parish is to launch a new community called The Holywell Community. I have included an account of the plans for the new community on the back page of The Newsletter. What I have looked at here I find very encouraging and although some of the ideas are new and strange to us, they show that people are looking for a clearer understanding and meaning to their lives, which many hope to find in prayer and contemplation.

With best wishes, Brian.

Diocese of Swansea and Brecon

The Newsletter for Retired Clergy and their Families No. 67 Autumn 2014

From the Editor: Chancellor Brian H. Jones

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Family News

We send our congratulations and best wishes to:

Dr. Paul Shackerley the new Dean of Brecon, wishing him well for his ministry amongst us.

To Bev and Sher John who are retiring and

will make their home in Clydach and to Andy and Margaret Robinson who also retire to Talybont

We send our good wishes and prayers to:

Those who have been in hospital recently Tudor Jones, Peter Jackson and David Walker who has moved into a nursing home.

I am pleased to know of any who are unwell so that they may be included on our prayer lists.

We send our sympathy and prayers to:

Bishop John and his family on the death of his mother.

John Workman and his family on the death of Isa.

To Angela Reid and her family on Martin’s sudden death.

David and Diane Evans on the death of their son.

In Memoriam Isa Workman

John and Isa had been married for 65 years, in the early years living and working in Swansea and worshipping in St James, active as choristers and all the other parish activities. It was there that their two children Mike and Janet were choristers, were confirmed and where Janet was married.

Their lives changed when John retired, trained for ordination and was ordained in 1983 to serve his title as Minor Canon in the Cathedral. John’s ministry became her ministry and they shared the day to day care of God’s people. The Clergy House became a place of hospitality and friendship.

Her great strength was her prayer life with Prayer Groups meeting in the house, and she was a Mothers’ Union speaker on Prayer and Spirituality. She regularly conducted Quiet Days and Retreats in Llangasty and the Skreen at Erwood.

After three years they moved to Swansea where John was instituted as Vicar of Cwmbwrla. Isa developed her ministry to the Mothers’ Union as Branch Leader, Deanery Presiding Member and Diocesan Prayer Representative.

Then came retirement and back to St. James where she looked after the Mothers’ Union for a while until they moved to their present home in the Mayals and worshipped at St. Peter’s Newton. Both Michael and Janet lived near them so it was a time for grandchildren and recently one great grandchild.

We send our sympathy and prayers to John , Michael, Janet and their families and commend Isa to the new life that is the life of God.

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The Retireds’ Group

The Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 10.30a.m. in the Eastmoor Resource Centre. The following speakers have been arranged for the coming term.

Sept.9th Revd. Tim Williams, vicar of Llanfaes, BreconOctober14th Kevin Johns, chaplain to the Swans.November 11th Canon John WaltersDecember 9th Judge Stuart Batcup

Monday February 9th Quiet Day at LlangastyConductor Fr. Mark Griffiths.

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A Day of Celebration

As part of our celebrations of the 90 th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, a special service was held at the Cathedral to acknowledge and give thanks for the contribution made to the life of the Diocese by our own retired clerics and by other retired clerics who have joined us from elsewhere.

Many of these clerics, from home and away, continue to exercise a much valued ministry among us. In addition, and mindful of the fact that spouses have provided huge support and also, in many cases, exercised a much appreciated and ‘unpaid ministry’ of their own, we also wanted to acknowledge all that they also have contributed to our Diocesan life.

The event was well attended by almost 100 retired clerics and family members. The weather was lovely and everyone enjoyed a nice afternoon tea in a marquee on the Cathedral lawn. Everyone enjoyed catching up with old friends and acquaintances with some people travelling from Dorset, Swindon, Portsmouth and Shropshire – as well as a lot of people from closer to Brecon. There was lots of catching up and people shared stories, memories and photos from their days working in the Diocese.

There were books on display of historical photos and memorabilia which had been donated before the event and which depicted many historical events – visits from Prince Charles, the Queen and even the Queen Mother, the first ordination of women in Brecon Cathedral in 1997, photos of the Cathedral chapter and the Bishops of the Diocese right back to 1923, and photos of damage to churches in Swansea from WWII and the subsequent repair and re-building. People spent hours looking through these photos and reminiscing about their time in the Diocese.

But as well as looking back, the event was about looking forward, and all of the attendees re-confirmed their faith and their dedication to the Diocese and their commitment to working with the Diocese in the future.

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  Rachel Mulholland

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Llangasty – “Taking Forward the Vision” – a footnote

“only touch and go”

The establishment of the Llangasty Retreat House Trust which has care for the House, was very much a case of hope and enthusiasm overcoming practical difficulties. The agreement by the two diocesan Bishops – Roy Davies and Dewi Bridges – if possible to accept the Sisters’ wonderful gift and thereby

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advance Miss Raikes’ vision for the House, was driven forward by the enthusiasm of Wynford Rees, who chaired the Feasibility Committee, strongly supported by Roger Raikes who became first Chairman of the Trust. For me it was my first experience of putting together a feasibility study, and I have honestly to say (with the benefit of hindsight) that my relative ignorance proved blissful. It looked as though it would work, where wider experience would have foreseen all the practical difficulties and financial hurdles necessary in transforming the House in order to meet the requirements of 20th century legislation and provide living standards expected by 20th century retreatants. (Sister Rosalie’s famous black book was no longer adequate to the task and Spartan experiences were no longer in vogue.) Happily the Boards of Finance of both dioceses gave (and continue to give) great support even in lean times. Hard work on the part of the Warden and Staff over the years have also contributed significantly to enable those coming to Llangasty to find “peace of body, mind and spirit” which had inspired Miss Raikes. Hugh Thomas

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College Days

Reading Geraint Hughes' article in the last edition of the newsletter prompted me to reflect, as I have in fact often remarked in more cynical moments over the years, that my three and a bit years in Bishop Burgess Theological Hall, St. David's College Lampeter, from 1965 to 1968, were a very pleasant time in an Oxbridge college transported into the rural wilds of mid-Wales, but hardly a training for the ministry. On reflection nearly fifty years later, that may be a little harsh,but in comparison to Geraint's description of the semi- monastic regime in Llandaff, life in Lampeter was much more relaxed. There were, I suppose, several reasons for that: Burgess Hall was part of a much larger university college on the same campus, and while we did have stricter rules than the college, we shared in all the activities, societies, sports and so on that were going on in the college across the road. We ate our meals at the same time in the same refectory, and we shared the chapel services with the

rest of the college - Matins and Evensong daily, which were obligatory for us, and a daily Eucharist which was voluntary. Gowns were worn by everybody, but cassocks were only officially worn when you were reading the lessons or officiating,although a small proportion of the brethren did wear them to other services. Evensong was choral, and there was a chapel choir. The college admitted its first female students in October 1965, which must have changed the atmosphere of the college considerably, and meant that there were girls in the chapel choir, as well as attending some of the same college lectures. There was a specific course leading to a certificate in pastoral studies just for Burgess Hall students, and there was also a course on Worship, given by a local vicar, Donald Jones, which I'm afraid those of us who were graduates were a bit dilatory in attending. There were four distinctly different groups of ordinands in Burgess Hall- those of us like Sydney Thomas, John Gravell, Geoffrey Morris and myself, who were graduates of other universities, and were much the same age as the recent influx of new young lecturers in the college, those who were recent Lampeter graduates , like John Pascoe and John Holliman, who had already been in Lampeter for three or four years, a significantly large group of much younger men who had come straight from school, , and another group of older students who had been attending St.John's College, Ystrad Meurig, or similar institutions in England in order to gain the necessary academic qualifications before embarking on a Diploma in Theology,which was a three year course.Most of the graduates chose to study for a Licence in Theology, which was a two year course, but it was also possible to study for a Lampeter B.D., a postgraduate degree with some extraordinary extra residential and ecclesiastical requirements attached to it, and because the Professor of Theology was keen for some of us to do it, that was why I spent ten terms in Lampeter and was not ordained until Advent 1968.The Principal of the College, J.R.Lloyd Thomas, formerly Dean of Monmouth, was also officially Warden of Burgess Hall, but did not participate in any activities connected to Burgess Hall, except for attendance in the College Chapel, and presiding at the Eucharist once a week. Everyday pastoral care of Burgess Hall was the responsibility of the Sub-Warden, Father John MacDonald, a former Librarian of Pusey House, Oxford, whose churchmanship was noticeably different to that of the Principal, which led to a certain amount of divided loyalty within the Hall. Burgess Hall did have its own small chapel, where Compline was said nightly but was not compulsory, and where other services, connected to the Society of St. David, were held. Any spiritual encouragement in practices of meditation and prayer was consequently regarded by a sizeable proportion of Burgess Hall ordinands as somewhat suspect to say the least!The only other full time member of Burgess Hall staff was the Revd. W.D."Billy" Jones, an amiable church

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historian and a keen cricketer and golfer, who with his wife and family looked after Dewi Hostel, a smaller annexe to Burgess Hall further down College Street, where the Sheikh Kalifa Department of Theology ,Religious and Islamic Studies now stands.

A large proportion of the College staff were ordained in the 1960s and several of them contributed to the nurture of the ordinands in Burgess Hall in different ways. Andrew Macintosh,later to become Dean of St.Johns College, Cambridge,was a young lecturer in Hebrew (who incidentally sold me his motor bike!), who took several of us with him to Hemel Hempstead one year for a mission during Holy Week, but nothing like that was officially organised by the college. The only other activity of that sort I took part in was organised by Graham Chadwick for Swansea and Brecon ordinands, when Tudor and I spent a memorable week in Llyswen with Arthur Howells. Also in many respects Burgess Hall was totally integrated with the College.and many members represented the college in sports activities like rugby and cricket. I was chairman of the croquet club, Eisteddfod Chairman, and represented the college in inter-college debates, as well as being involved in other activities more directly relevant to theological students. The Richard Hooker Society was a forum for much theological and philosophical discussion particularly encouraged by the Professor of Philosophy, Raymond Renowden, later to become Dean of St.Asaph, and regularly attended by other members of staff like PMK Morris and DP Davies, newly arrived from St.Marys ,Swansea.

Was all this an appropriate preparation for ordination? It certainly wasn't what I had expected when I had had my interview with the Bishop, and had expressed the hope that I might go to St.Stephens House, and I can quite understand why others of my contemporaries, graduating from Lampeter while I was in Burgess Hall, chose to go elsewhere for their specific preparation for the priesthood. However, as I said at the beginning I had a very pleasant time here in Lampeter, where I have now retired, which I don't regret for one moment, but my real training for ministry took place on the hoof in Morriston under the inspiring tutelage of Hubert Hughes.

I was thinking about those who were in college, or Burgess Hall, at the same time as me. Norman Lea, who was ordained with me, left Lampeter in 1966, and went to Mirfield. Derrick Standish left Lampeter in 1967 and went to Wycliffe Hall. Gwyn Warrington was in Burgess Hall until1967 but served his title in Pembroke Dock. David Wilkinson (junior)  did his Dip.Theol in Burgess Hall then went to Wycliffe Hall for a year before being ordained in 1969. Mike Walters spent three years in Burgess Hall and was made Deacon in 1969 when I was Priested. Willy Williams, Brynmor's son, was also in Burgess Hall at the same

time but dropped out for a while before being ordained in 1971. Lionel Hopkins , who succeeded me in Morriston after a first curacy in Pontardulais, was in Burgess Hall from 1967-70. Joe Morgan, (Mission to Seamen) was a St. Davids ordinand who also had three years in Burgess Hall and was ordained later. Andrew Willis and Randolph Thomas also overlapped with me by a term. John Beaumont Ellis spent five years in Lampeter, the last two in Burgess Hall, served his title in Abergavenny, then came to St. Gabriel's for a second curacy in 1972. Tony Ellis, curate of Sketty, doesn't admit to his three years in Burgess Hall in Crockford any more, but he was there! Geoff Davies, curate of Brynmawr and now in South Africa was also in Burgess Hall 67-70. I've probably forgotten someone very obvious, but I think that's all!

Bill Fillery

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The Weekly Food BankSadly there are adults and children in Swansea who are going hungry. In these difficult times without enough money faced with a sudden crisis such as redundancy, bereavement, benefit delay or illness, some find they are unable to feed themselves and their families. We are used to seeing such things in other parts of the world, but this is right on our doorstep.

The Foodbank which was opened by Riverside Christian Fellowship in Gorseinon in December 2010 is part of a national network set up by the Christian charity the Trussell Trust and run by local churches. There are currently over 400 foodbanks all across the United Kingdom with 35 in Wales.

Working presently from five distribution centres – Red Café, Mumbles and Saron Christian Fellowship, Ystradgynlais on Mondays, Ty Croeso, High Street, Clydach on Tuesdays, City Church, Dyfatty Street on Wednesdays and Gorseinon Institute on Thursdays – in each venue between the hours of 10.0a.m. and 12 noon. In each place we issue food to individuals and families in crisis referred to us by one of a hundred or so partner agencies who work in different parts of the City and with different client groups. Since we opened we have helped 10,000 people from all over the City. Help is offered to single people, young or old and

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families of all sorts and size. The largest family I think was Mum and Dad and nine children.

Foodbank centres are staffed by teams of volunteers, and we are very grateful to people all across the City who have generously supported us by donating non-perishable foods either at one of our supermarket collections, one of our centres, through their local church (we currently have support of varying degrees from over 70 churches or chapels) a local school is one of the growing number of business-based ‘Bring a Tin to Work’ collections.

It is sad to have so many people on our door step who are facing such difficulties but it is great that we are able to do something however small to help. You can contact the food bank on 07815 534095.

David Ward Riverside Christian Fellowship

Bishop John was joined by Kirsty Williams AM and Roger Williams MP to launch the first food bank in Brecon, at Bishop Bevan Hall on Friday July21st.

The current issue of the Diocesan News features the Caereithin Parish Food Bank which has supplied local needs for some time

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The Glass QuiltAnna Bessant describes her Glass Quilt as ‘ a space for meditation. Like a quilt glass can be warm and comfortable as it transforms the light which passes through it and bathes us in gentle tones.’

The wall of glass is made from 49 stained-glass roundels placed into a woven metal screen. The four different colourways of the roundels give an impression of a Jerusalem cross, which represents the four ancient sites of Christianity and pilgrimage (Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch and Rome). In each of the roundels nine small circles form a

cross, these circles represent the nine coins in the story of the Lost Coin in Luke 15. This type of cross is known as a Bezant Cross – a bezant was a coin of the Roman Empire.The yurt in which the Glass Quilt is housed comes from Mongolia. The white felt, sacred in Mongolian culture, makes yurts look like pearls in the vast landscapes of the steppes, yet they leave no permanent mark on it. They are the homes of

nomads, eternal pilgrims through the world. It is therefore an appropriate home for the Quilt as it makes its pilgrimage around the Cathedrals of Wales.

Using the Quilt for contemplation and meditation.

The Glass Quilt is above all Light. Enjoy the experience of light filtered through the glass. In Christian tradition light has resonances – Jesus, the light of the world – light used to describe the presence of God e.g. the Mount of the Transfiguration.

Hidden within the Quilt is the biblical story of the Lost Coin from chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke.

In the story of Morwen’s Angel from the legend associated with Abergwesyn themes of light and pilgrimage are further explored.

Finally the story of Martha and the Lost Coin a meditation based on the Parable of the Lost Coin describing Martha’s feelings and emotions at the realisation that the coin is lost and the joy when it is eventually found.

The Quilt abounds in opportunities for meditation and reflection. It is at present on tour to the Welsh Cathedrals and will be in Brecon for a month from September 16th. We look forward to visiting the exhibition.

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The Hay Festival – Diana Jones

The highlight for me in the festival was my involvement with the B.B.C. who appealed for residents of Hay to come forward and to speak about any interesting antique which they had inherited. I have an old Welsh costume from Carmarthenshire which I inherited from my aunt. It is over one hundred years old, the Welsh hat having been dated by St. Fagan’s as 1870 – 1890. I also have a beautiful crazy quilt which was made by mother and grandmother in the 1920s when they lived in Rhondda Street in Swansea.

I contacted the B.B.C. and the day for filming was May 20th in Hay Castle. The filming had been arranged to take place on the lawn but the weather put an end to that, instead it all happened in a caravan designed for the purpose. Originally it was planned that my Welsh costume should be displayed on a tailor’s dummy, but instead I wore it, while the quilt was displayed over the dummy – in the centre of the picture. I was warmly greeted by Tim Wannacott flamboyantly dressed as usual. He asked me a few questions in order to give me an idea of how the programme would progress. Then it was time for the cameras to roll. We talked about the costume and then turned our attention to the quilt.

When it was all over I was assured that it had all gone well. The programme will be shown in the autumn on B.B.C 2. It was a memorable

experience which I never thought would come my way.The festival itself spread over ten days with a wide range of speakers – poets, journalists, politicians scientists, theologians and musicians. St. Mary’s Church also had a full programme with a Flower Festival on the theme of ‘the Joys of Mary’ with additional displays commemorating the Great War.

I saw three events – Barbara Erskine who wrote ‘the Lady of Hay, was interviewed by Phil Rickman who lives in the Golden Valley. I went to his event too having read his latest book ‘the Magus of Hay.’

My final event was readings of Dylan Thomas by Rob Brydon, Tom Hollander, Jonathan Pryce and Cerys Matthews who also sang Eli Jenkins’ Prayer. A model of Dylan Thomas’ boathouse in Laugharne was on view on the Festival site. A memorable occasion, so fortunate that I live here!!

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Our Contributors.

I am grateful to all our contributors to this issue of The Newsletter. For Rachel Mulholland’s account of a lovely celebration of the ministry of the Retireds in the Cathedral; for David Ward on the work of the Food Banks; Hugh Thomas followed on the 60th celebrations of Llangasty with the setting up of the Llangasty Trust; Bill Fillery continued from the last issue on the training for the Ordained Ministry. Anna Bessant’s fascinating artistic design of the Glass Quilt which will be on exhibition in the Cathedral from the 16th September, together with explanatory literature, it looks to be well worth a visit. Also in September Diana Jones’ television interview on BBC 2 focusing on her Victorian Welsh costume and Quilt. My thanks to all of them.

In the next issue we hope to have details on contemporary patterns of training for the Ordained Ministry and for lay ministry. Also a look at a young man from Kilvey in Swansea ordained in the Church of England who was appointed Assistant Chaplain General in WW1 and made a huge contribution to the work of the service Chaplains. Any other contributions or comments will be gladly received for the Christmas issue by December 1st. Ed.

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The Holywell Community, Abergavenny

The new Holywell Community will come in to being

in early September. Following 36 hour retreat led by

Bishop Dominic Walker OG, a member of the

Anglican Advisory Council on the Religious Life, the

Bishop of Monmouth will Licence  Fr Mark Soady as

Prior, and commission lay members of this new

monastic community at 6pm on September 2nd.

A Benedictine Priory was established on this site in

1087. Commenting on the new Community  Fr Mark 

said, " My predecessor, ever conscious of the

Benedictine roots of St Mary's, instituted monthly

Monastic Days. When people from the parish and

further afield could spend a day in the routine of a

Benedictine monk- praying the hours and doing

outreach work. When I arrived here two and a half

years ago I looked at ways that the Benedictine Rule

of Life could pervade the life of the parish on a day

to day basis. My then colleagues and I came up with

the idea of a new Monastic Community in the Spirit

of St Benedict". The Community members will live

together in a house on the Holywell estate, having

"everything in common".

Mid - Week Monastic Prayer times

08.15hrs Morning Prayer

08.30hrs Holy Eucharist ( 9.0a.m on Saturday)

12noon Midday Prayer

16.30hrs Evening Prayer

The above services are held in the Priory Church and open to the public. Compline is said by the Community privately.

Ed. I am grateful to Fr. Mark for sharing with us news of the Holywell Community which is launched in Abergavenny this month. We

commend the work of the community to your prayers and look forward to hearing of its progress.

 

Printed and published at Swansea and Brecon Diocesan Centre

Cathedral Close, Brecon Powys LD3 9DP (01874 623716)

Editor Chancellor Brian H. Jones125, Homegower House, St. Helen’s Road,Swansea SA1 4DWTel. 01792 923642E mail b.h.jones@outlook.comPlease send suggestions comments, corrections and anyitems of news about the Retired Clergy by December 1for the Christmas issue.

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