Wales has a long history of Christianity. The martyrdom of Sts Julius and Aaron probably took place in 257-9 in Caerleon. Christianity spread, but while eastern Britain eventually became England through the Anglo-Saxon invasion, Wales remained steadfastly Christian, producing many great Christian leaders, including Sts Illtyd, Dyfrig, David and Teilo, in the “age of the saints”.

The re-organisation of the Church by the Normans saw the confirmation of four Welsh dioceses: Llandaff, St. David’s, Bangor and St. Asaphs. Religious houses were founded by the Cistercians, Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans and others, but under Henry VIII, all these were suppressed. Except for a brief period under Mary, the Catholic Church in Wales and England entered a two hundred year period of deprivation and persecution. The “Old Faith” barely survived in many parts of Wales. Large numbers of the Catholic gentry faced penury and imprisonment. Missionary priests educated abroad were hunted down when they returned and ministered to pockets of Catholics in secret, facing the penalty of being hanged, drawn and quartered. Gradually the penal laws against Catholics were eased and in 1829 this culminated in Catholic Emancipation when many of the restrictions on Catholics were swept away.

From 1688 Rome had appointed Vicars Apostolic to areas of Britain. Wales and Herefordshire were part of the Western District, but in 1840 this was divided in two, and Wales plus Herefordshire became the Welsh District. The full restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in 1850 saw the foundation of the diocese of Newport and Menevia with Bishop Brown in charge, followed by Bishop Hedley. In 1895 the reduced diocese of Newport was redefined as the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouth and Hereford.

It was largely Bishop Hedley who planned the event we commemorate this year. In 1916 the Cardiff Province was established, comprising the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff and the diocese of Menevia. Belmont Abbey was our first cathedral. To commemorate this, there are two events on the weekend of 6-7 February. On Saturday 6th the monks of Belmont sing Solemn Vespers at St David’s Cathedral at 3pm. On the Sunday there is a Pontifical High Mass at Belmont itself, also at 3pm, for which tickets are needed. I have six available, so if you would like to be considered please let me know, preferably by email by this Wednesday.

Fr Matthew