A life in the day of St Woolos Cathedral
St Woolos is both a parish church and the mother church of the diocese. It has a ministry to ordinary parishioners, to city dignitaries, and to visitors who call in. The weekday at St Woolos Cathedral starts with morning prayer or Eucharist. But, after that, anything could be happening, from a parish meeting to a major civic service. The Autumn programme gives a flavour of this variety:
In October, sixthformers gathered to put their searching questions about life to a panel chaired by Roy Jenkins of BBC Radio Wales.
In November, there was a service for those who wished to commit to God's love and care someone who had died in a road traffic accident. After the service, refreshments were served so that there was a chance for people to talk to others who shared their experience of tragedy.
Two Evensongs were sung by the choirs of local church schools, Magor VA School and St Mellons VC School. This was a pilot scheme which is expected to increase to include other schools in the near future.
Laura Welsh from Magor School writes:
It was a tremendous privilege to be invited by the Deacon to be the first Church in Wales Primary School to sing Evesong. The children rose to the challenge and learned several new pieces. They chanted psalms and intoned the Lord’s Prayer. The congregation consisted of parents, past parents and parishioners of the Benefice of Magor as well as the Cathedral worshippers. It was a moving and spiritual experience which extended the school’s musical repertoire. The children all said that they enjoyed the experience of worshipping in the cathedral.
Schoolchildren from across the City will again be welcomed to the Cathedral when they take part in this year's Holocaust Memorial Day Service. Pupils from St Woolos School will sing, while others will perform, dance and read. Schools have been preparing for the day by spending time reflecting on the meaning of Holocaust and putting these thoughts in to poems and painting. These paintings will form the background for the memorial at the Cathedral.
Newport City is linked with Kutaisi in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. During an Evensong in December, Derek Butler (husband of Rosemary Butler AM, the founder of the link) presented the cathedral with the gift from the Twinning Association of a new Icon of the St Luke the Evangelist. The Dean blessed the Icon with Chrism Oil, Holy Water and Incense, before the clergy present kissed it - a traditional form of veneration. The Icon hangs in St Luke’s chapel as a constant reminder of the link between Christian peoples East and West.
Shortly before Christmas there was a service to mark the 300th anniversary of Charles Wesley and, at a special Carol Service, the service men and women who would be spending Christmas in Iraq and Afghanistan were remembered.
As well as special services, the Cathedral held its usual series of Advent talks after evensong on Wednesdays and, behind the scenes, the daily business of running the cathedral went on based in the Cathedral Administrator’s office in the tower. A team of volunteers takes it in turns to be on hand to welcome visitors (if you would like to join them, contact Fr Geoffrey Howells on 01633 264805) and the Cathedral shop is open from 2 - 4pm in the week.
But the cathedral, which stands on the site of St Gwynllwy’s original cell, is in need of major repair if it is to carry on serving the community in the 21st century.
Eighteen months after the appeal fund was launched, the total has topped £340,000 - half way to reaching the money needed to match-fund HLF grants for the key Phase 2 and 3 which include replacing the Cathedral's medieval roof.
A gala night at the cathedral at the end of November raised nearly £9,000. The music was provided by the Cathedral Choir and Rougmont School Choir. Seasonal readings were read by familiar voices and faces from radio and TV. The evening ended with a champagne reception sponsored by Glamorgan County Cricket Club.
One of the highlights of the 2008 fundraising programme is an evening with Lord and Lady Archer at Lords Cricket Ground. A Festival of Flowers with a Christmas theme will be held from November 27th - 30th 2008 and is expected to attract up to 5,000 visitors a day.
To find out more about the appeal, call Catherine Hayman, Appeal Administrator, on 01633 212077