The Bishop's Lent Appeal

This year, the Lent Appeal money will be given to support projects in the diocese and in the Diocese of the Highveld.

The home projects are to support two Contact Centres in the diocese where children from broken homes can meet their parents – members of the Mothers’ Union volunteer to staff these centres.

In the Highveld, Bishop David has asked that the money be used to boost their feeding programme for children, to support the Care for the Carers project and three parish projects in places of great poverty.

YES goes on tour in Lent

The Youth Eucharist Service (YES) held in Blackwood in March 2010 had a profound effect on many people - both young and not-so-young. We are offering the same YES to the diocese, to be held in three different venues this Lent, so that more people can experience this moving liturgy.

Similar to the Oberammergau Passion Play, this YES will begin with the lively excitement and expectation of Palm Sunday, then it follows the events of Holy Week expressed in song, prayer, readings and mime. We all join together in the Eucharist of the Last Supper and the service ends, powerfully, with the crucifixion.

The Bishop will preside at all three Eucharists.

Sunday February 26th at 6pm in St John’s Maindee, Newport:

Sunday March 11th at 6pm in St Mary’s, Chepstow

Sunday March 25th at 6pm in St Cadoc’s, Pontypool

On Sunday evenings in Lent the preachers at the 6pm service at St Mary's Priory, Abergavenny, will be or have been in chaplaincy roles. These sermons will unpack the role of sector chaplaincy and its value to the Church and the institutions in which they are based.

• February 26: An overview from the Vicar
• March 4 : Military Chaplaincy, the Deputy Assistant Chaplain General (Wales)
• March 11: Prison Chaplaincy, Fr Raymond Haytor, Minor Canon and former Prison Chaplain
• March 18 University Chaplaincy, Fr William Ritchie, Newport's University
• March 25 Hospital Chaplaincy, Fr Michael Marsden from Nevill Hall Hospital