Author: stmelangell_l5nfea

CORONAVIRUS – COVID19
FURTHER PASTORAL GUIDANCE
FROM THE BENCH OF BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH IN WALES
EFFECTIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Updated guidance
Since our pastoral guidance dated 24 March was distributed, the Government’s guidance on social distancing
and staying at home has been codified into law. The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales)
Regulations 2020 contain many wide-ranging provisions, including legal confirmation that our places of
worship must remain closed to the public. In light of the Welsh Government Regulations, we have made
some minor amendments to our pastoral guidance, and this document contains the up-to-date version.
Church buildings
All church buildings remain closed until further notice. This means churches must not be open for public
worship or solitary prayer.
Worship has been recorded and broadcast both commendably and effectively from parsonages over recent
days. Whilst the Welsh Government Regulations now permit a cleric to record or broadcast a service
(without a congregation) from church buildings, the desirability and advisability of doing so will vary between
different contexts. Individual Bishops will advise further on this matter within their respective dioceses and
any such events should be held only in strict accordance with those diocesan guidelines, or with the explicit
permission of the diocesan Bishop.
The Welsh Government Regulations also permit clergy to visit their churches, and for other church officers
and volunteers to visit churches only to undertake a voluntary or charitable duty, where it is not reasonably
practicable to undertake that duty from home. It is therefore possible for essential and urgent site
inspections to be undertaken by clerics, or by another person nominated by the Incumbent, Ministry/Mission
Area Leader, Area Dean or Archdeacon. We ask that such visits are kept to an absolute minimum.
The use of church buildings for essential voluntary services (such as existing foodbanks, soup kitchens and
homeless shelters) is permitted by the Welsh Government Regulations. Church buildings may also, upon the
request of the Welsh Ministers or a local authority, be used to provide urgent public services. All reasonable
measures should be taken to ensure that social distancing practices and other hygiene precautions are
followed while those services are provided. Any new use of a church building for essential voluntary / public
services should be expressly supported by the incumbent or Area Dean and the diocesan bishop.
Further guidance on the care and use of church buildings is being issued by the officers of the Representative
Body.
Pastoral visiting
Clergy and others duly licensed or commissioned should exercise their ordinary pastoral ministry from a
distance, by phone and online. Pastoral visits should only be undertaken where essential; such visits should
generally be to the doorstep and social distancing measures must be scrupulously observed. Individual
Bishops may issue more detailed advice to their clergy on what they consider to be ‘essential’ visits and may
be consulted by clergy in any cases of doubt.
Funerals
Funeral services should not take place in churches at the current time. In this case, we are going a step
further than legally required, but we believe that the wellbeing of mourners, ministers and other church
officers are best served by this additional precaution. Graveside funerals may continue but should now be
understood to be private funerals with no more than ten immediate family and friends in attendance, and
with social distancing practised among mourners not of the same household. Clergy and others duly licensed
may preside at funerals in crematoria, at which we expect numbers to be strictly limited by the crematoria
authorities, with hygiene precautions specified by the authorities, and with social distancing practised among
mourners.
Marriage
Marriages and marriage blessings can no longer take place in churches. If a couple wish to marry because of
an extreme pastoral emergency, it may be possible to obtain an Archbishop of Canterbury’s Special Licence
for a wedding outside of a church, and clergy should discuss the matter with their diocesan bishop before
then contacting the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Faculty Office at faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com.
Baptism
Baptisms can no longer take place in churches, and should only take place at home, hospital, hospice or other
location in case of an extreme pastoral emergency, where baptism may be administered by a lay person. The
order for emergency baptism is appended below.
Prayer and witness
The duty of the people of God to witness to Christ is not diminished at this time; neither is our obligation
to pray without ceasing for our communities and all in need. We commend all that is being done in God’s
service to care pastorally for our communities, and to enable worship, prayer and devotion to continue at
home.
We continue to hold all who are anxious, all who are unwell, and all who are grieving in our prayers, asking
that the presence of the risen Christ may be near to us all and give us assurance, peace and strength at this
painful and anxious time.
AN ORDER FOR EMERGENCY BAPTISM
In an emergency, if no ordained minister is available, a lay person may be the minister of baptism. Before baptizing,
the minister should ask the name of the infant / person to be baptized. If, for any reason, there is uncertainty as to
the infant / person’s name, the baptism can be properly administered without a name (so long as the identity of the
person baptized can be duly recorded).
The following form is sufficient:
The minister pours water on the person to be baptized, saying
I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Then all may say the Lord’s Prayer and the Grace.
Any person who has administered baptism privately in an emergency should make a careful record of the date and
place of baptism and of the identity of the person baptised. He / she should forward details to the parish priest as
soon as possible and without delay.
The parish priest should ensure that the customary record is entered in the baptismal register.
The Bench of Bishops
31 March 2020
CORONAFIRWS – COVID19
CANLLAWIAU BUGEILIOL PELLACH
ODDI WRTH FAINC ESGOBION YR EGLWYS YNG NGHYMRU
MEWN GRYM NES CLYWIR YN WAHANOL
Canllawiau wedi’u diweddaru
Ers dosbarthu’n canllawiau bugeiliol sy’n ddyddiedig 24 Mawrth, mae canllawiau’r Llywodraeth ar bellhau
cymdeithasol ac aros gartref wedi eu mynegi’n gyfreithiol. Mae Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau
Coronafirws) (Cymru) 2020 yn cynnwys nifer o ddarpariaethau eang, gan gynnwys cadarnhad cyfreithiol bod
yn rhaid i’n haddoldai aros ar gau i’r cyhoedd. Yng ngoleuni Rheoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru, rydym wedi
gwneud rhai mân newidiadau i’n canllawiau bugeiliol, a’r ddogfen hon yw’r fersiwn gyfredol.
Adeiladau eglwysig
Mae pob adeilad eglwysig yn parhau i fod ar gau nes bydd rhybudd pellach. Mae hyn yn golygu na ddylai
eglwysi fod yn agored ar gyfer addoliad cyhoeddus nac ar gyfer gweddi bersonol.
Bu i addoliad clodwiw ac effeithiol gael ei recordio a’i ddarlledu o bersondai dros y dyddiau diwethaf. Tra bo
Rheoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru yn awr yn caniatáu i glerig recordio neu ddarlledu gwasanaeth (heb
gynulleidfa) o adeiladau eglwysig, bydd dymunoldeb a doethineb gwneud hynny yn amrywio rhwng gwahanol
gyd-destunau. Bydd Esgobion unigol yn cynghori ymhellach ar y mater hwn yn eu priod esgobaethau a dylid
cynnal unrhyw ddigwyddiadau o’r fath yn unol yn llwyr â’r canllawiau esgobaethol hynny, neu gyda chaniatâd
penodol yr Esgob cadeiriol.
Mae Rheoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn caniatáu i glerigion ymweld â’u heglwysi, ac i swyddogion a
gwirfoddolwyr eglwysig eraill ymweld ag eglwysi i gyflawni dyletswydd wirfoddol neu elusennol yn unig, lle
nad yw’n rhesymol ymarferol cyflawni’r ddyletswydd honno gartref. Felly mae’n bosibl i glerigion, neu berson
arall a enwebwyd gan y Periglor, Arweinydd yr Ardal Weinidogaeth/Genhadaeth, Deon Bro neu
Archddiacon, gynnal archwiliadau safle hanfodol a phan fo’u dwys angen. Gofynnwn i ymweliadau o’r fath
ddigwydd mor anaml ag a ellir.
Mae Rheoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru yn caniatáu defnyddio adeiladau eglwysig ar gyfer gwasanaethau
gwirfoddol hanfodol (megis y banciau bwyd, ceginau cawl a llochesi i’r digartref sydd eisioes yn cael eu cynnal).
Gellir hefyd defnyddio adeiladau eglwysig, ar gais Gweinidogion Cymru neu awdurdod lleol, i ddarparu
gwasanaethau cyhoeddus brys. Dylid cymryd pob mesur rhesymol i sicrhau bod arferion pellhau cymdeithasol
a rhagofalon hylendid eraill yn cael eu dilyn wrth i’r gwasanaethau hynny gael eu darparu. Dylai unrhyw
ddefnydd newydd o adeilad eglwysig ar gyfer gwasanaethau gwirfoddol / cyhoeddus hanfodol gael ei gefnogi’n
benodol gan y periglor neu’r Deon Bro a’r esgob cadeiriol.
Mae swyddogion Corff y Cynrychiolwyr yn cyhoeddi arweiniad pellach ar ofal a’r defnydd o adeiladau
eglwysig.
Ymweld bugeiliol
Dylai clerigion ac eraill sydd wedi’u trwyddedu neu eu comisiynu’n briodol arfer eu gweinidogaeth fugeiliol
arferol o bell, dros y ffôn ac ar-lein. Dim ond pan fo’n hanfodol y dylid cynnal ymweliadau bugeiliol; yn
gyffredinol dylai ymweliadau o’r fath fod at stepen y drws a rhaid cadw’n llym at fesurau pellhau cymdeithasol.
Gall Esgobion unigol gyhoeddi cyngor manylach i’w clerigion ar yr hyn y maent yn ei ystyried yn ymweliadau
‘hanfodol’ a gall clerigion ymgynghori â hwy pan fo amheuaeth.
Angladdau
Ni all gwasanaethau angladd gymryd lle mewn eglwysi ar hyn o bryd. Yn yr achos hwn, rydym yn mynd gam
ymhellach na’r hyn sy’n ofynnol yn gyfreithiol, ond credwn dyma’r rhagofal ychwanegol hwn yw’r ffordd orau
o amddiffyn lles galarwyr, gweinidogion a swyddogion eglwysig. Erbyn hyn dylai angladdau wrth lan y bedd
fod yn angladdau sydd fwy neu lai yn breifat gyda dim mwy na deg aelod o’r teulu agos neu ffrindiau yn
bresennol, a gyda phellter cymdeithasol yn cael ei arfer ymhlith galarwyr nad ydynt o’r un aelwyd. Gall
clerigion ac eraill sydd â thrwydded briodol lywyddu mewn angladdau mewn amlosgfeydd, lle rydym yn
disgwyl y bydd niferoedd yn cael eu cyfyngu’n llym gan awdurdodau’r amlosgfeydd, gyda rhagofalon hylendid
wedi’u nodi gan yr awdurdodau, a gyda phellter cymdeithasol yn cael ei arfer ymhlith galarwyr.
Priodas
Ni all priodasau na bendithio priodsas ddigwydd mewn eglwysi mwyach. Os yw cwpl yn dymuno priodi
oherwydd argyfwng bugeiliol eithafol, efallai y bydd yn bosibl cael Trwydded Arbennig Archesgob Caergaint
ar gyfer priodas y tu hwnt i’r eglwys, a dylai clerigion drafod y mater gyda’u hesgob cadeiriol cyn cysylltu â
Swyddfa Hawleb Archesgob Caergaint ar faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com.
Bedydd
Ni all bedyddiadau ddigwydd mwyach mewn eglwysi, a dim ond gartref a mewn ysbyty, hosbis neu leoliad
arall y dylid eu cynnal mewn argyfwng bugeiliol eithafol, lle gall bedydd gael ei weinyddu gan berson lleyg.
Mae’r drefn ar gyfer bedydd mewn argyfwng wedi’i atodi isod.
Gweddïo a thystiolaethu
Nid yw dyletswydd pobl Dduw i dystiolaethu i Grist wedi ei leihau un dim, na’r alwad ddwyfol i weddïo’n
ddi-baid dros ein cymunedau a phawb mewn angen. Rydym yn cymeradwyo popeth sy’n cael ei wneud yng
ngwasanaeth Duw i ofalu’n fugeiliol dros ein cymunedau, ac i alluogi addoliad, gweddi a defosiwn i barhau ar
yr aelwyd.
Rydym yn parhau i gynnal yn ein gweddïau bawb sy’n bryderus, pawb sy’n sâl, a phawb sy’n galaru, gan erfyn
ar i bresenoldeb y Crist atgyfodedig fod wastad gerllaw, yn rhoi inni fendithion sicrwydd, tangnefedd a nerth
yn y dyddiau poenus a phryderus hyn.
BEDYDDIO MEWN ARGYFWNG
Mewn argyfwng, onid oes gweinidog ordeiniedig ar gael, gall person lleyg weinyddu bedydd. Cyn bedyddio, dylai’r
gweinidog ofyn am enw’r plentyn / person sydd i’w fedyddio. Os oes amheuaeth, am ba reswm bynnag, ynglŷn â’r
enw, gellir gweinyddu’r bedydd heb enw (ar yr amod y gellir cofnodi’n gywir pwy yn union a fedyddiwyd).
Y mae’r ffurf a ganlyn yn ddigonol:
Y mae’r gweinidog yn tywallt dŵr ar y sawl sydd i’w fedyddio, gan ddweud
Yr wyf yn dy fedyddio di yn Enw’r Tad a’r Mab a’r Ysbryd Glân.
Amen.
Yna gall pawb ddweud Gweddi’r Arglwydd a’r Gras.
Rhaid i bwy bynnag a weinyddodd fedydd preifat mewn argyfwng wneud cofnod gofalus o ddyddiad a lleoliad y bedydd
ac o’r y person a fedyddiwyd. Dylid anfon y manylion at offeiriad y plwyf yn ddi-oed.
Cofnodir y bedydd yng nghofrestr y bedyddiadau yn y modd arferol.
Mainc yr Esgobion
31 Mawrth 2020

CORONAVIRUS – COVID19
FURTHER PASTORAL GUIDANCE
FROM THE BENCH OF BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH IN WALES
EFFECTIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
The background
The Prime Minister has told us all that, in order to slow the spread of coronavirus at this critical time, we
must stay at home other than for very limited purposes about which helpful guidance has been given.
We may go outside:
• To shop for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, but should do so as infrequently as
possible.
• For health reasons, medical need, or to provide care or help for a vulnerable person.
• For one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle, alone or with members of our
household.
• For travel to and from essential work, as defined by the government, and only where this work
cannot be done from home.
If leaving home:
• We must stay 2 metres – about 6 feet – away from other people.
• We should wash our hands on returning home.
Church buildings
We know that our churches have always been places of sanctuary, peace and wellbeing. However, it is now
clear that health and healing are best served by church buildings being closed. All church buildings should
therefore be closed until further notice. This means churches should not be open for solitary prayer. Any
exception from this action (other than as noted below) should only take place with the diocesan bishop’s
express permission.
Where worship is to be broadcast or recorded, it is preferable to do so from home. Clergy who live
immediately adjacent to churches may do so from the church, but the doors should be locked and others
should not be invited to be present.
An exception may be made, if necessary, to open church buildings to host existing foodbanks, soup kitchens
and homeless shelters. However, these church buildings should be open for this purpose alone, and all
appropriate hygiene precautions should be taken.
Pastoral visiting
Clergy and others duly licensed or commissioned should exercise their pastoral ministry from a distance, by
phone and online. Pastoral visits should only be undertaken because of an extreme pastoral emergency when
the presence of a priest or deacon is exceptionally required. Bishops are able to give advice on what might
constitute an extreme pastoral emergency
Funerals
No funeral services can take place in church. Graveside funerals should now be understood to be private
funerals with no more than ten immediate family and friends in attendance, and with social distancing
practised among mourners not of the same household. Clergy and others duly licensed may preside at
funerals in crematoria, at which we expect numbers to be strictly limited by the crematoria authorities, with
hygiene precautions specified by the authorities, and with social distancing practised among mourners.
Marriage
Marriages or marriage blessings can no longer take place in churches. If a couple wish to marry because of
an extreme pastoral emergency, it may be possible to obtain an Archbishop of Canterbury’s Special Licence,
and clergy should discuss the matter with their diocesan bishop before then contacting the Archbishop of
Canterbury’s Faculty Office at faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com.
Baptism
Baptisms can no longer take place in churches, and should only take place at home, hospital, hospice or other
location in case of an extreme pastoral emergency, where baptism may be administered by a lay person. The
order for emergency baptism is appended below.
Prayer and witness
The duty of the people of God to witness to Christ is not diminished at this time; neither is our obligation
to pray without ceasing for our communities and all in need. We commend all that is being done in God’s
service to care pastorally for our communities, and to enable worship, prayer and devotion to continue at
home.
We continue to hold all who are anxious, all who are unwell, and all who are grieving in our prayers, asking
that the presence of the risen Christ may be near to us all and give us assurance, peace and strength at this
painful and anxious time.
AN ORDER FOR EMERGENCY BAPTISM
In an emergency, if no ordained minister is available, a lay person may be the minister of baptism. Before baptizing,
the minister should ask the name of the infant / person to be baptized. If, for any reason, there is uncertainty as to
the infant / person’s name, the baptism can be properly administered without a name (so long as the identity of the
person baptized can be duly recorded).
The following form is sufficient:
The minister pours water on the person to be baptized, saying
I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Then all may say the Lord’s Prayer and the Grace.
Any person who has administered baptism privately in an emergency should make a careful record of the date and
place of baptism and of the identity of the person baptised. He / she should forward details to the parish priest as
soon as possible and without delay.
The parish priest should ensure that the customary record is entered in the baptismal register.
The Bench of Bishops
24 March 2020

A Pastoral Letter to the faithful of the Diocese of St Asaph

We live in unprecedented times for most of us. Maybe some will
remember the Second World War, and the demands made of society
then, although none now will remember the outbreak of “Spanish
Flu” which came a hundred years ago in the wake of the end of the
First World War, and which is the nearest historical parallel. Our
governments and the Church have had to make difficult decisions in
the light of the crisis that we all face in society. The virus is no respecter of age,
faith, gender or background, and, unless we take government guidelines
extremely seriously, we are all at risk.
At times like this, what should be our response? The verse that I am drawn to is
in 1Peter 5.7:
Cast all your anxieties upon him, for he cares for you.
God does not offer us any special favours or exemption clauses as Christians, but
he does make several promises. As Christians we believe that Christ shares in our
every pain, sorrow and failing. “We do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet
without sin” wrote the apostle in the Letter to the Hebrews (4.15), and Jesus’ life
among us is God’s sign and proof that he is committed to this world, and willing
to take on his shoulders all the grief and pain that we might have to face.
There is a strange story in the Old Testament, where the Israelites are afflicted
by a plague. Moses is told by God to build a bronze statue of a serpent on a cross.
Those afflicted who look at this statue are promised healing. I don’t entirely
understand what was going on here, but Jesus said something very interesting.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up.” (John 3.14) In other words, Jesus is saying that his being lifted up on
the cross makes him a sign of healing, just like the bronze serpent of Moses.
What is the healing we might expect from Him? I read a very special piece about
prayer the other day. It went something like this: In my life I have prayed for
many things, and God has given some, and not others; but I thank God, not only
for what he has given, but for what he has taken away: guilt and sin, fear, anxiety,
worry.” Scripture says: “You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
upon you.” (Isaiah 26.3)
Be assured today of God’s love for you. There may be bad news, and worse to
follow, but I believe that God can be a source of strength, hope and resilience. I
believe that we can bring our worries before God, and share them passionately
and openly, and that he looks, not for polite behaviour, but for an open heart, on
which he can work the miracle of his blessing.
“Come unto me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
says the Lord. (Matthew 11.28)
By now, you’ll have realised that I’m all over the place with my Scriptures: Peter,
Hebrews, John, Isaiah, and Matthew. I don’t apologise for this, because wherever
I look in the Scriptures, there is one consistent message. Like the prodigal son,
we are called to return to our father, and throw ourselves into his care. Now
that’s the Gospel according to St Luke (Chapter 15).
We may have had to pause public worship. We may have had to put strict
parameters around our pastoral offices like baptisms, marriages and funerals.
The vicar might not be able to call personally. However, while the Church tries
to do its best, God is the still point that cannot be touched by this crisis, and he
makes himself available to you, to me, to us all.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We’re back now to the
Letter to the Hebrews. (Hebrews 4.16)
Do visit our diocesan website with its dedicated information and resources at
www.dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus or contact any of the clergy by
telephone. There are many resources made available that we can use to help us
pray and approach God. And try to be generous, stockpiling not the toilet roll
treasures of this world, but the treasure in heaven which is active love, “where
neither moth or rust destroy, nor thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6.20), and
one might add “and where the power of the coronavirus does not run.”
Peace be with you.
+Gregory Llanelwy

This year at Saint Melangell’s, a candle was alight on the altar all day  as we were unable to provide our usual Mothering Sunday service.  An image of the candle and a Mother’s Day message was also placed on ourFacebook page, (please click on the link above and remember to like our page if you would like to receive updates on social media).

Bishop Gregory of St Asaph has shared a message and prayers. We hope you find them helpful. Further information is available here.

Important Update

You may already have heard that, along with the Church of England, services, public gatherings and study groups in the Church in Wales are also ceasing for the present. That means that, as well as the planned services for this month and April, the Julian groups and Lent groups must also stop immediately. Further details, including how this also affects baptisms, weddings and funerals, are on dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/coronavirus
Churches Together in England is calling for a day of prayer on Sunday and asking people to light a candle in their window as a witness and a sign of hope – a practice worth considering here too? Further details from www.cte.org.uk
I hope this helps as the situation changes so rapidly – please use the CiW website for up to the minute information.