Welcome to the website of the Shrine Church of Saint Melangell. Here you will find information about our services, events and facilities. Please use the menus at the top and bottom of the page to navigate to the page you need, or click the news links for up to date information.
Mae ein gwefan Gymraeg i’w gweld yma
Services for February at the Shrine Church of St Melangell
Perhaps you have long since taken down your Christmas decorations but, in the Middle Ages, they would be kept up until Candlemas on February 2nd, which marks the official end of Christmas for the church. Many people take decorations down by Twelfth Night but the reason for keeping them up longer was because Mary and Joseph later went to the Temple in keeping with the rituals of Judaism and, while they were there, Jesus was recognised as the Light of the World. So, candles were blessed at Candlemas and the decorations kept up in honour of what became a great feast day when processions were often held by candlelight. Nature’s candles, the snowdrops, were also sometimes taken into homes in recognition of the returning light as the days lengthened with February being a time of transition between winter and spring.
The start of Lent also occurs this month on Ash Wednesday, 17th February. This varies each year as Easter is a moveable feast, celebrated in most traditions on the Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox on March 21st. Lent’s been called the Advent of Easter, although it lasts for 40 days rather than the 4 Sundays of Advent itself, and is a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness resisting the various temptations he faced. That’s a symbolic number in the Old Testament, linked with times of testing or preparation such as the Flood which came after 40 days and nights of rain and lasted as long, Moses spending 40 days on Mount Sinai and 40 years with the Israelites in the desert or Elijah’s journey taking him 40 days. The number has significance but the word Lent itself is not actually found in the Bible, developing as it does in English from the Anglo-Saxon lencten, the origin of lengthen, as the amount of daylight grows each day. In other languages, the word Lent derives from the Latin Quadragesima, meaning 40, and this includes the Welsh Y Grawys.
With fasting or using daily reminders of what Jesus faced in the desert, Lent became a time of abstinence and prayer but, nowadays, many folk choose to take on an extra challenge each day rather than give things up. As the number 40 is still associated with this time – Lent doesn’t include Sundays, the day of resurrection and celebration – undertaking a daily act of kindness or support for others during each of the 40 days has become popular. Many calendars, courses and daily suggestions can be found online and, at St Melangell’s, we’ll be following the Church in Wales Lent course From Pancakes to Palm Crosses. This is a provincial course that will follow a pilgrimage across Wales, visiting each of the six Cathedrals during the weeks of Lent and using videos, study material and discussion of the topics reflected below. Details about this and the Diocesan Lent prayer for daily use will be on our website and Face Book nearer the time – please contact admin@stmelangell.org or ring 01691 860408 to know more.
The following services will be held in the church or, if it’s cold, at the centre,:
Observance of Candlemas, 1st February, 3pm: Service of Reflection.
Thursday 5th February, Noon: Holy Eucharist and Healing Service.
Second Sunday before Lent, 8th, 3pm: Service of Reflection – Creation Sunday.
Thursday 12th February, Noon: Holy Eucharist.
Sunday before Lent, 15th, 3pm: Service of Reflection – Transfiguration Sunday
Monday 16th, 10.30am in the Centre: Julian Group.
Ash Wednesday, 17th, 10am: Holy Eucharist and Ashing.
Please note that, due to the above, there will be no service on Thursday 18th.
First Sunday of Lent, 22nd, 3pm: From Pancakes to Palm Crosses Bangor Cathedral – Preparation. Other sessions are St. David’s – Persistence; Brecon – Penitence;
Llandaff – Praise; Newport – Passion; St Asaph – Palm Sunday and a final reflection for Easter Day.
Thursday 26th, noon: Service of the Word, due to the Clergy Synod.
Why not make Lent more than a battle with chocolate this year?!
With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.
If you need any help or support you can contact us here.