Holy week and Easter 2025

Easter, Holy Week,

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

Confirmation 2025

Confirmation,

His Grace, Archbishop Mark, will visit us on Saturday 24 May 2025  to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on our young people.

Anyone year 8 and above who would like to join the programme is asked to complete the form either by downloading the Word version or PDF version with their details.

Meetings will be held on a Monday evening at St Brigid’s Hall from 6pm until 7.15pm. The first of these meetings will be 31 March 2025.

For further information contact Canon Matthew or Anastasia Corellis.

Lent 2025

lent,

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

newsletter,

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.

 

Welcome Mass at Christ the King Primary School

Christ the King, ,

On 8th October Archbishop Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, visited Christ the King Primary School to celebrate the annual Welcome Mass for the start of the school year.  The headteacher, Mrs Susan Miles writes:

This was a fantastic occasion for the school community.  The Archbishop was assisted by the parish clergy, Canon Matthew Jones and Father Andy Bord. The singing and reading led by the Year 6 pupils was excellent and two pupils served at the altar, assisted by a former pupil who returned from Corpus Christi High School to help. At the end of the Mass the reception class children, supported by their buddies in Year 6, joined the gathering to complete the circle of friendship.

The Welcome Mass is always a wonderful opportunity to welcome new pupils, new staff and new parents and help them to feel part of a nurturing, inclusive community that displays God’s love . This had even more significance this year as the school has been awarded “School of Sanctuary” status, one of some 600 schools across the UK to date. The school is now recognised as part of a network which welcomes and stands in solidarity with children and young people seeking safety in the UK.  We want to be a full part of that;  a school where people seeking sanctuary feel safe and have a sense of belonging; where they are able to thrive and have their voices heard. This is in alignment with Catholic Social Teaching and its principles of dignity for all and working together for the common good.

Following the Mass, Archbishop Mark toured the school and spoke to our young learners about his vocation and his role as Archbishop. The children asked some very thoughtful questions and listened intently to the answers. Archbishop Mark also joined  members of the  teaching staff , governors and parents for refreshments afterwards

Altogether It was a very special occasion that our staff and  learners will remember for a very long time. 

Archbishop Mark O'Toole (Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia) vist to Christ the King School to celebrate annual welcome mass for start of school year October 8th 2024 - image credit Studio 87 (www.studio87@btinternet.com)
Archbishop Mark O’Toole (Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia) visit to Christ the King School to celebrate annual welcome mass for start of school year October 8th 2024 – image credit Studio 87 (www.studio87@btinternet.com)

 

Archbishop Mark O'Toole (Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia) vist to Christ the King School to celebrate annual welcome mass for start of school year October 8th 2024 - image credit Studio 87 (www.studio87@btinternet.com)
Archbishop Mark O’Toole (Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia) visit to Christ the King School to celebrate annual welcome mass for start of school year October 8th 2024 – image credit Studio 87 (www.studio87@btinternet.com)

 

Cruse Bereavement Remembrance Concert

Christ the King

Friday 13 December 2024, 6.30pm to 8pm.

Christ the King Church, Newborough Avenue, Llanishen, CF14 5DB.

Free entry.

Join us at the first annual Cruse Remembrance Concert for anyone who wants to remember someone they have lost.

Performance by the Corpus Christie Harmonics Choir.

Light a candle in their memory.

Refreshments included. Children welcome.

Cruse Bereavement Remembrance Concert, Friday 13 December 2024. 6.30pm to 8pm. Christ the King Church.