Our new Pastoral Council members

We want to thank all those who were nominated recently to join our new 3 Churches Pastoral Advisory Council, and of course, their nominators.  After a little wondering how many we would receive, the Lord was very kind and gave us just about the required number. Therefore we do not need to have actual elections, although to have had one or more would have perhaps deepened a sense of involvement for us all.

So we now have our twelve members, four from each church.  This number, a bit larger than some had expected, is to cover apologies for absence that always occur when meetings are being planned. 

I am particularly pleased to see the breadth in the new members – of age and background, and of experience, both in the life of the church and in their family and working life. Some are well-known, some perhaps less so. Some regularly attend just one of our churches, others are based in one church but also move around for various reasons in line with their commitments. It seems to me that all will bring gifts to this new initiative as we move forward together. The practicalities of starting up, that is meeting dates and so on, will be publicised as soon as possible. Perhaps we will be able share something about each of them too…   So here are the members: 

Hadar Abdulahad  St Brigid’s
Luigi D’Ambrosio Christ the King
Ceri Facey-Davies St Brigid’s
Pedro Mariblanca St Paul’s
Ryan McLister           St Paul’s
Kieran O’Brien St Brigid’s
Carmel O’Grady Christ the King
Cath Power St Paul’s
Sheila Roberts          Christ the King
Ray Sherry                St Brigid’s
Elizabeth Taylor        Christ the King
Russell Wigley          St Paul’s

In addition, Karen Sylvester, current chair of St Paul’s/St Brigid’s PAC will assist for the moment.  Thanks to Elizabeth Taylor for helping with the admin of the process up to this point – and again many thanks to all our new members and nominators, and I look forward to the journey!  

Fr Matthew

Holy week and Easter 2025

Palm Sunday, 13 April 2025 is the beginning of Holy Week. This is the central focus of the Church’s liturgical year. In particular we celebrate the Sacred Triduum (= three days), marked by the three liturgies in bold italics below. Thursday evening, Friday afternoon and Saturday evening bring us from the Upper Room through the journey to Calvary and on to the empty Tomb.  We hope that these will be a priority for all of us in the 3 Churches community, and look forward to seeing you.

Palm Sunday 13 April –  all weekend masses at the usual times in our 3 Churches with the blessing of Palms and a procession at the start.

For 9.30am Mass at Christ the King and 10.30am Mass at St Brigid’s please gather in the hall for the blessing and procession.  

Stations of the Cross 3.30pm at Christ the King.

 

Monday 14 April, Tuesday 15 April, Wednesday 16 April –  Parish masses at the usual times. 

Chrism Mass  This year takes place at 11.30am on Tuesday 15 April at St Joseph’s Co-Cathedral in Swansea. Address:  Convent Street SA1 2BX. There will be a livestream via www.meneviacathedral.org

 

Maundy Thursday 17 April 

8 pm – 3 Churches Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St Brigid’s followed by watching in the church until 10.30 pm

 

Good Friday  18 April 

10am – Office of Readings and Morning Prayer at Christ the King

3pm – The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord at St Paul’s and at Christ the King (with children’s liturgy at Christ the King)

 

Holy Saturday  19 April

10am – Office of Readings and Morning Prayer at Christ the King

8.30pm –  3 Churches Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter at Christ the King when we will welcome Will Williams in baptism and receive into the church Dafydd Davies, Tom Hobbs and Melody Emmerson.  Please remember them in your prayers as they prepare to begin their lives as Catholic Christians.  Refreshments in the Parish Centre after the Vigil to welcome the new members of our community. 

 

Easter Sunday    20 April

Masses in all 3 churches at the usual times.  

9.30am mass at Christ the King will be a Family Mass

 

Fr Matthew

Lent 2025

The season of Lent has begun, and many received the ashes on Wednesday to mark this important stage in the Church’s year. It is a season of renewal and repentance leading up to our commemoration and celebration of the great events of Holy Week and Easter.  In addition to our own personal practices for this important season, here are some of the ways we are observing Lent in our 3 Churches this year.

CAFOD Family Fast Day this Friday 14 March. Fasting and giving charitably are two of the three central observances of Lent, the other being prayer. Please give generously for our brothers and sisters who have so much less than we do.

Penitential Service – Saturday 22 March 11am at Christ the King. An opportunity to celebrate Reconciliation in a community setting. To undertake a change of heart takes us to the centre of Lent.

Passion Play – Friday 4 April 7pm at St Brigid’s Church   Special for this year is a performance of the highly regarded Clydach Passion Play, performed by people from the Swansea area. Tickets will be £5.

Stations of the Cross – Thursdays 10am (after Mass) at Christ the King, Fridays 9am (before Mass) at St Paul’s, Saturday 9am (before Mass) at St Brigid’s. Also, at Christ the King at 3.30pm on the Sundays of 6 April and 13 April. Come and follow Christ in his last journey to Calvary, in this moving traditional devotion.

Confessions  – Friday St Paul’s 10am  Saturday St Brigid’s 10am Christ the King Saturday 5.40pm. In addition to our Lenten Penitential Service we have assigned our usual times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as well as by appointment.  Don’t pass this opportunity by in this season.

Pastoral letter on Assisted Suicide Bill

Pastoral letter on Assisted Suicide Bill

Please find a copy of Archbishop Mark’s Pastoral Letter on the upcoming Assisted Suicide Bill below. This will also be read out at our masses.  

Archbishop Mark Pastoral Letter (pdf)

Oppose assisted suicide - unite in prayer and compassionate action to oppose assisted suicide. 
Attempts are being made in parliament to legalise assisted suicide - so-called assisted dying. This would undermine the sanctity and dignity of human life.

A video and audio version are also available below (a transcript is available on the Archdiocese website).

Video version of the letter

Audio version of the letter (download via WeTransfer)

More resources on the Bill are available on the Bishops’ Conference website.

A similar motion has also been put forward to be debated in the Senedd on Wednesday next week.  Further details can be found on the Senedd website.