with the parishes and Ministry Areas in which they will serve. The Diocese of Swansea and Brecon

The Newsletter for Retired Clergy and their Families

No. 70 Summer 2015

From the Editor: Chancellor Brian H. Jones

Dear Friends,

Petertide has for some years been the time for ordinations and for many of us it is a time for remembering with gratitude our own ordinations, Continuing the theme of ministry we look at two and the opportunities for ministry new publications Towards a that have been afforded to us over New Day by Fr. Ralph the years. Martin S.S.M who writes on The theme of this issue of The the new ministry tried after Newsletter is ordination and the closure of the Sacred Mission at Kelham, his new particularly the Ordination in ministry in Africa and Brecon Cathedral on June 27th. elsewhere, and the new The priests to be ordained will be community formed by the stipendiary, having passed brothers in Milton Keynes. through the process of selection Shellshocked Prophets by and training that until now has Linda Parker is a book that been the benchmark of the Sacred looks at the ministry of

Ministry. Those to be ordained Chaplains in the trenches of the Deacon will be part of a new First World War, and who then, pattern of ministry Non-Stipendiary and Local because of their wartime N.S.M.(L). They will be part of the Ministry experience, fought for social change in peace time. Team in the Ministry Areas across the Diocese These two publications together with Peter Phillips’ which are in the process of coming into being. piece on The Prison Choir concentrates the mind on This is a new and exciting development and I am the Sacred Ministry, its relevance to every age and grateful to Canon Ian Davies, the Diocesan situation and the continuity associated with it over the Director Ministry, for his detailed outline of this centuries. As we look forward to the Ordination in the particular ministry elsewhere in this issue of The diocese, those to be ordained will identify historically with a new pattern of ministry from its beginning. We Newsletter. We also include the names of the include them in our prayers as they approach the priests and the deacons to be ordained, together launch of their ministry. With prayers and best wishes.

1 Brian. good sense of humour he was a much-loved pastor of the flock, dedicated to keeping Gospel values at the heart of the church’s life.’ FAMILY NEWS In Memoriam Beryl Harris We send our congratulations and best wishes to: Andrew and Gill Knight on their retirement and wish them well in their new home.

Our best wishes and prayers to Margaret Howells after major surgery and Hugh Jones who has not been too well recently.

Our condolences and prayers to Magdalene Vaughan on the death of her daughter Fern and to Eleanor Lewis on the death of her mother Menna. And to the family of Sylvia Lewis who died John Rogers writes: recently. We commend the departed to the care Beryl Harris was born and lived in Barry and worked and mercy of God. in the Gas Board there. Her family had a strong church background, her brother Lyn being organist at In Memoriam Bishop Dewi St. Paul’s Church, Merthyr Dyfan. John and Beryl were married there in 1956, at the time John was a student in Salisbury Theological College. He was ordained the following year and they made their home in the parish of Pontnewynydd. Beryl had now given up her work to devote her whole time to her husband, their home and in due course their family. It was there that Kate was born. From Pontnewynydd they moved to Bassaleg in 1960 and in 1963 John had his first living in Oakdale, and moved to St. Paul’s Newport in1969. . After St. Paul’s Originally from Beaufort, in Blaenau Gwent, Bishop there was St. John’s Maindee in 1984 and finally Dewi graduated from both the University of Wales, Brecon Cathedral in 1998. All different and all with Lampeter, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He their own demands. trained for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge, and was ordained as a priest in 1958. He served Beryl was an excellent cook but as her illness became curacies at Rhymney and Chepstow before being more invasive she had to give it up, but she taught her appointed Vicar of St James, Tredegar in 1963. Two grandchildren to cook. Similarly with her music, an years later he crossed the border to take up a post as accomplished organist and also enjoyed singing and lecturer at Summerfield College of Education, in during her illness she recalled the music in Caephilly Kidderminster and then Vicar of Kempsey. In 1980 he where her uncle had been the organist. The loss of her moved back to Wales and served in the Diocese of St needlework was also a sad loss. She was a great knitter Davids as Rural Dean of Narberth, Rector of Tenby and even spun her own wool, and added to her skills and, from 1982, as Archdeacon of St Davids until his by following a course on upholstery, appointment as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 1988. Her funeral is took place in Risca because she loved this church. It was here that John grew up and she was Bishop John writes: ‘Bishop Dewi is fondly a frequent visitor to John’s mother. These are some remembered in the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon as memories of Beryl - her loving care for her family – one who shouldered the sometimes heavy burden of the support she gave to John in his priestly ministry office with kindness, gentleness and care for clergy and above all her deep Christian faith. In their and laity alike. He was conscientious to a fault and bereavement the whole family will be supported by his dedication to the task of leadership was very many happy memories and the assurance of all recognised and appreciated by all who worked with our prayers as we commend Beryl to God’s sure him. This would sometimes take its toll on him keeping. May she rest in peace, and rise in glory. personally, but he remained self-effacing and with a

2 ( I am so grateful to John Rogers, sometime Dean of and the Parochial Church Council. The document then Llandaff, for allowing me to precis his address at Beryl’s goes on to outline the process of discernment. Leading funeral. –Ed.) to ordination Priests Adrian Morgan, Parish of Gorseinon, Julie + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Wagstaff, Parish of Waunarlwydd. ON YOUR ORDINATION Deacons – Non-Stipendiary Local Ministers an N.S.M(L)) and the Ministry Areas in which they will serve. John Anthony – Swansea, Elizabeth Bramley – Talybont, Judith Day – Brecon, Lloyd Evans – Talgarth, Dorothy Lewis – Cwmtawe 2, Linda Watson – Knighton/New Radnor.

Ian Davies

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An ordination party in Lesotho Introduction to N.S.M.(L) The document enabling ordained ministry to emerge from within the local Christian community.

A local church or group of churches may sense a call to ordained ministry in one or more of those who are already part of local church life to exercise ordained ministry there. Any one for whom this might be the case will already be embedded in congregational and community life. They are committed Christians and are regarded as people who pray and read their Bible every day. They are people who want to learn and are teachable. They may or may not lead worship or study and prayer groups. Those who are Readers already preach. They are respected both in the church and in the community. They will be people who would regard themselves as servants of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ. They will be instinctive team players. They will be people Today we all went down to Tanki's* old home, a who need to hear the call to be ordained for themselves collection of stone-built straw thatched rondavals once the idea has been raised with them. They will where the extended family live. All around you could recognise that their ministry will be exercised within see in the distance the rolling hills of the Lesotho their local community. low1ands which stood out so clearly on this bright and cloudless day. When we arrived we found about 500 Such a ministry should be seen by the church as part of people gathered, in fact the whole neighbourhood for the development of discipleship and ministry in their miles around, all those who knew Tanki or any of the area and the movement towards the establishment of members of his family. Tanki introduced me to his old Ministry Areas. The patter of life in a Ministry Area is teacher in primary school, a tall, traditionally built based on the principles derived from Romans and 1 woman looking splendid and impressive in her Corinthians. Mothers' Union uniform. She has taught and is still How to enable such a ministry. Non-Stipendiary teaching at the same school where Tanki met her as a Ordained Local Ministry depends upon whole hearted boy. She has been teaching in that village school since local endorsement, and the support of the Incumbent 1957 and has had seven children of her own in the Intervals. Meeting her, I could not help but feel that

3 there would be no discipline problems in any of her including Lesotho where he lived in the priory at classes. Maseru from 1997 to 2003.) We started off with the Eucharist in front of the main Paul Reynolds house and as soon as we started there rode up about fifteen men on horseback who formed themselves into + + + + + + + + + + + + a semi-circle at the back of the congregation. The Basotho are great horsemen and great lovers of horses; The prison Choir prepares for they often treat their horses like we would treat the family dog. All these men were Tanki's the Governor’s Annual Carol contemporaries. After the service there followed about twenty-five speeches led by a fiery harangue from service. Tanki himself dressed in a traditional blanket and fur There were two days before the great and the good hat. I gather he was denouncing the crowd for their were welcomed to the prison, to sing carols and eat lukewarm attendance at church, but they all took it in mince pies. At the centre of it all, a huge Christmas good part. It was what they expected him to say and tree, the height of two landings and decorated from top what they felt he should say on such an occasion. to bottom. From the centre of the prison each wing Speeches were followed by an enormous meal, beef stretched away into a distance of wire, bars and gates, stew, every kind of chicken, every kind of vegetable, not decorated. This was to be the Governors do, the all cooked in big iron pots over a wood fire. This was visitors in the seats and the prisoners standing at the followed by trifles and jellies. After we had eaten our fill, the entertainment came on. First the women did landing rails looking down. traditional women's dancing. This seemed a bit strange at first as they were all sitting/kneeling firmly fixed on the ground moving only their upper bodies and arms to the rhythm as they sang traditional songs. I have heard, though only partly believe it, that this style of dancing was a result of a compromise worked out with the first missionaries who found the former women's Still the prison choir, twelve men, tenor 1, tenor 2 and dances were too provocative and suggestive for any basses, had not practised their pieces out on the open Christian assembly. Then the young men did their landings where they would be singing. We’d worked traditional dances (on their feet!) and then the for weeks on Taverner’s The Lamb and Silent Night, horsemen displayed the tricks their horses could do. we even had a mandolin player to strum introductions. The most popular number was a young man who Prisons are always noisy places, night and day. The explained that his horse was very tired after a hard quietest times are during lockdowns or when the staff day's trekking and needed to sleep. So he turned and go off to eat. I had managed to persuade the orderly whispered in its ear and the horse lay down flat on the officer that, contrary to every national prison rule, I ground, legs stretched out. Then his master threw a could bring the choir out during patrol state to get used blanket over him, and then curled up himself with his to the vast acoustic. His threats as to what would back to the horse's back under the same blanket. They happen if anything went wrong were crude and seemed to sound asleep and even snoring noises came graphic. We had thirty minutes, he said, in which I from the man (not, I think, the horse!). could unlock the men, practice the pieces and lock the men away before the staff returned from their tea. What a memorable day it was borne along as we were on waves of affection, pleasure and pride. So we assembled, just us, the only visible human

beings at this cavernous Victorian monument. The other three hundred men, however, could not be * [Tanki is Fr Tanki Mofama who had been ordained ignored: from behind their doors came the noise of to the priesthood a few weeks earlier at Easter 2000.] televisions, radios, favourite CD, the conversation and (From a newly published book by Fr Ralph Martin even the occasional laugh. So we set out to practice SSM, Towards a New Day (Darton, Longman & against this patina of music and talk, this background Todd, 2015). Fr Ralph was professed as a member buzz. We began with what we knew best, Silent Night of the Society of the Sacred Mission, the order that – Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. Yes, we even sang one was formerly based at Kelham in Nottinghamshire. verse in German. The sound of Gary’s mandolin His book is part-memoir, part-journal and describes seemed to travel out of sight and out of hearing down his work for SSM in different parts of the world, the wings. We started to sing ‘All is calm, all is bright’ word which you think could not be more out of

4 place in a prison. Few prisoners sleep in heavenly foundation stone was laid by the then vicar of peace. So we reached the last line ‘Schlaff in Swansea, Revd Edward Barnard Squire, on 13 May himlischer ruh.’ 1847 and the school opened 26 August 1848; to be known as the National Higher Grade. It was altered in At first we did not notice it; we’d been absorbed in 1909 and then following the ‘Concordat’ between our own singing, listening to each other and listening church and education authority in 1932 it became ‘a to the echoes of our own voices. Something had Senior School with Religious Instruction in the care of changed though; something was different. the Parish Church’. Following ‘enemy action’ the It took a moment or two to realise that the whole school was dispersed on 12 July 1940 and was restored prison had fallen silent. For some seconds there was in April 1947 as Swansea’s first Secondary Modern not a sound from the three hundred invisible souls School. behind their doors. The whole prison was held indeed in silence as if still listening, listening intently.

And we, we whispered and tiptoed as I took the men back to their cells, relocking the heavy metal gates as noiselessly as I could. The buzz of background noise resumed, and the singers were prisoners once more. A suspicious but reluctantly impressed orderly officer quizzed me and seemed disappointed that nothing had gone wrong, that everything was just as it had been. Everything seemed the same normal service had been resumed. Had it? A voluntary subscription raised £2,118 and Well no, perhaps not quite normal. The following day commanded an appropriate grant from ‘My Lords in a number of men came to me quietly and told me that Whitehall’ and the school was founded. Together with our music had seemed to them ethereal, as if from the other two church schools in the parish (the another place and another time. ‘It reminded me’ said Parochial and Christ Church) by 1904 61,987 children one, ‘ of Christmases in happier times before it all had passed through the school doors. One of Oxford went wrong.’ He had, he told me, wept in his cell for Street’s pupil teachers J W H Atkins topped the list of the loss and waste of it all. ‘but,’ he said ‘last night pupil teachers in the Queen’s Scholarship for 1892 hearing that music, I began to feel that there might be which was a prelude to the Chair of English at hope for us after all.’ Aberystwyth. Some pupils went on to serve the And he had put into words what I had suspected but church – Canon W Cole was the son of the first head, could not, until then quite express; that, for a few others were Canon H L Davies of Liverpool, and moments, precious beyond valuing the silence that is Canon A Thomas of Newcastle, while Revd P Sandy at the heart of God settled at the heart of an obscure worked as a missionary in Africa and also in Africa W prison and drew to itself the wicked, the reviled, the A Sandy attained leadership in the South African abusers and the abused. As the child born in that first trades unions. silent night had done. That child who eventually Following the Great War the first public duty of an became a prisoner. For those moments our music had incoming mayor was to preside at the School given birth to the silence in which the very Godhead Armistice Service. The school had produced five descends to all humanity. mayors: Councillor H Watkins J P in 1896, Alderman Peter Phillips. T Merrells JP in 1914, Councillor T W Howells in 1927, Alderman J B Owen in 1931 and Councillor A R + + + + + + + + + + + + + Ball JP in 1935. Other old boys in the secular field included E Copus HMI and R Gordon, Librarian in Sheffield. Perhaps less publicly appreciated were CHURCH SPONSORED those who qualified through the annual examination in Navigation for apprenticeship in ‘Swansea’s Cape EDUCATION Horners – carriers for the Copper Metropolis.’ In the archive of papers kept by the Diocesan Office is a splendid publication ‘The National Schools in Perhaps the most illustrious of the former pupils was Oxford Street in the Parish of Swansea St Mary 1848 Sir Daniel Morris, sometime Head of Kew Gardens to 1948’. It is both an historic record and a celebration who was knighted for his investigations into the of the work of the school in its variety of forms. The condition of coffee plants in the West Indies.The

5 history within the booklet recalls the Pupil Teacher Paul Baker system where in the Head is the Teacher’s Teacher and six adults look after six hundred boys. The Log book + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + recalled examinations and payment by results. In the economic backwash of the Crimean War education was reduced to a cash-formula: 2/8d per 200 THE GLASS QUILT. attendances per test in the three R’s. Small fees are also paid by pupils but as attendance was almost everything ‘A visit by Barnum and Bailey to Victoria The Glass Quilt completed its year - long pilgrimage Park almost spelled catastrophe.’ There was a call for around the Welsh Cathedrals, in Llandaff on May such events to be declared ‘an honest holiday and keep 30th. Now appropriately, but totally unexpectedly, it the average up.’ has been invited to spend its final week in Wales at the Senedd, - The Welsh Assembly. On Saturday July One section of the piece is an appreciation by 4th. at 2pm. a Service of Thanksgiving is planned, to Swansea’s Director of Education T J Rees CBE JP. In which all are welcome. it he recalled that until the Balfour Education Act of 1902 teachers in the Oxford Street School were paid Because our Cathedrals are mostly intimate in scale, it less than their counterparts in the Council Schools. proved difficult for the Deans to always find a suitable Even after the passing of the act they could not apply space for the Glass Quilt. In Monmouth it proved for promotion into the Council schools. The quite impossible, so there it was transferred from St. Concordat, mentioned above, was an arrangement Woolos to St. Mary's Abergavenny. This was a happy between the Church and Swansea Council bringing choice, for, as elsewhere, it was incorporated into the equality to the profession and introducing in to both daily Services and became a firm favourite with the Council and Church Schools a system of religious members of the Sunday School. It was also much used education ‘which would have met the dearest wish of by parties of children, organized by the local Schools. the founders of the National Schools. Mr Rees had There were those who came knowingly to enjoy what negotiated this Concordat with Canon Wilson, vicar of it offered, and those visitors who found it an St Mary’s, and Mr Rees was proud of it. It had been unexpected pleasure. quoted in ‘the House of Commons, in Conferences of Education Committees and in the Educational press as It was always hoped that the enclosed space around the a model of give-and-take which might have solved the Glass Quilt, would become a place for prayer, a quiet dual (church and local authorities) system in a manner place for reflection; but also a place for discussion, for satisfactory to all.’ singing and for storytelling. A place where anyone and The social conditions of the pupils is mentioned, in everyone could feel valued and at home. And this 1851 some 31,461 people lived mostly six to two actually happened. rooms. Of the 3369 houses, 470 had tap water; others bought their water from carriers collected from a ditch which ran through the privies of Mount Pleasant. Five miles of streets were to be kept clean by eight men and four carts, their gloom illuminated by 183 lamps. In those days the parish of Swansea St Mary ran from Glanmôr to Port Tennant, the sea to Waunwen. Canon Allan Smith collected £50,000 and replaces the unwieldy parish with four daughter churches – St Gabriel, St Mark, St Matthew and St Thomas

Without the encouragement and support of the Deans, and the Cathedral Clergy, the Glass Quilt could not have fulfilled any of its Christian purposes. Yet remarkably the Glass Quilt did not come about through any Clergy initiative. It was conceived, created and directed at every stage of its hesitant journey, by one

6 Stained Glass Artist; supported by dozens of other Laypeople, all unpaid, all totally voluntary, having been grasped by something of the developing vision.

The captions were taken inside and outside the Glass Quilt in St. Mary’s Abergavenny.

Brian Bessant. NATIONAL TRUST

NEPTUNE COASTAL CAMPAIGN As a result of the information gathered by the Neptune On Tuesday 31st. March I was most fortunate to be Campaign and the conclusions reached by 1965, it present at Whiteford Burrows, on the north-western tip was recognised that there was a twofold need: of the Gower Peninsular, as one of the representatives of the local National Trust Abertawe Centre. This 1. 1 to protect the coastal environment and its celebration marked the 50th anniversary of the wildlife. National Trust coastal project called the “Neptune 2. To provide reasonable access to all parts of the Coastal Campaign” which began at Whiteford coastline for the general public Burrows in 1965. This project in turn was born out of As a direct result in 1965 Whiteford Burrows became the Enterprise Neptune campaign prior to 1965. It also the first place in Britain to be protected under this began a series of celebrations, including beach picnics, project. This one mile of coastline on the Gower has hidden history days and walks, being held throughout become, over the past fifty years, 157 miles around the year to mark the success of the campaign over the Wales and 775 miles around the U.K. as a whole. past fifty years. During this time the National Trust has raised over £65 million. The money is used to protect the coastline in its care as well as providing good, safe access for the general public (together with suitable, safe parking areas). It also tries to protect the wild life living in the seas around our coast as well as on the shore. Much of the work is carried out by volunteers during their holidays under the supervision of the local National Trust Ranger and other full-time employees. The artist Marc Treanor was commissioned by the National Trust to create a giant sand sculpture of the UK coast. Along with a team of local volunteers, this sculpture was created on the sands at Whiteford Burrows as you can see from the accompanying photo. Unfortunately, at the next high tide it was washed

away but this picture is evidence for its all too brief . existence. The day was introduced by Mr. Justin Albert, Director for National Trust Wales, who outlined the activities of the day before introducing the guest speaker, Mr. Iolo Williams of BBC “Springwatch” fame. Iolo spoke of his intense interest in wildlife from a young age, as well outlining the large variety of birds and other wildlife to be discovered in the immediate vicinity As a result of the of our coastline. information gathered by the Neptune Campaign and the conclusions reached, by 1965 it was recognised that there 7 was a two fold need. 1; to protect the There were a number of events throughout the day, Robert Keable serving in France in 1917 had written including short talks, videos and a walk around the ‘we have long since scrapped the Prayer Book and a area to visit various sites of interest including the Bird- great deal of traditional ritual in France.’ Proactive in hides and the sea wall which has been recently and this movement was Eric Milner-White D.S.O, in his deliberately breached to allow the sea to flood the area book The Church in the Furnace. Ultimately the behind it in an attempt to return the area to its original growing need for reform led to the publication of the state. Local supporters were very interested to see the 1928 Prayer Book after much struggling both in plaques in the Bird Hide (some 17 in total each with a Parliament and in the councils of the Church of brief bi-lingual text explaining the illustrated bird’s England. characteristics) that had been funded by the National The third positive change which emerged from the Trust Abertawe Centre. returning chaplains was the move towards unity. Peter Jackson Chaplains in France of varying denominations had worked together in the trenches and now needed to do + + + + + + + + + + + + so at home, and to think more deeply on the things that separated the denominations. William Wand later Shellshocked Prophets - Bishop of London who had served in the Gallipoli Campaign wrote ‘this shared experience had a Linda Parker salutary effect on the lowering of barriers which was to become the most obvious element in the ecclesiastical history of the twentieth century.’ Of the returning chaplains it is safe to say ‘many were prophets in that they returned with a determination to revitalise the Church , renew its mission, and establish its place more firmly in society.’ These Anglican clergy who won 250 Military Crosses and 176 who

gave their lives became the inspiration for change in the last century some of which still prevails in the church of today.

Brian Jones

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ‘A new book which tells the story of the ministers to The Retireds’ Group. dying men in no man’s land who fought for social change in peacetime’ –Sue Corbett’s review of the The Group which meets on the second Tuesday of book in The Times. The returning chaplains in the every month in the Eastmoor Resource Centre in post-war period changed the attitude of the Church of Swansea will begin its new session on Tuesday th England to its ministry and towards those to whom it September 8 at 10.30a.m. We look forward to ministered in three very distinct areas. the new session and a welcome the newly retired. Studdert Kennedy M.C. worked for social change + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + through the Industrial Christian Fellowship which he founded. The aim of the Fellowship was to encourage Our contributors workers to relate their faith to their working lives. Another former chaplain Christopher Chavasse M.C. I am grateful to all who have made a written later Bishop of Rochester became vicar of Barrow in contribution to this issue of The Newsletter and to Furness after the war at a time of great unemployment. those who update me with items of news. I am His Labour Day Service in May 1921 in a packed always grateful for new contributions particularly church led to the Barrow Crusade against those which are concerned with particular unemployment. interests that people have in retirement. Ed. The reform of the liturgy became an ever increasing need in the church of the twenties. The Book of Common Prayer services ‘were too complicated and archaic for congregations at home and the front.’

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Printed and published at Swansea and Brecon Diocesan The Retireds’ Newsletter Centre Cathedral Close, Brecon Powys LD3 9DP Editor Chancellor Brian H. Jones (01874 623716) 125, Homegower House, St. Helen’s Road,

Swansea SA1 4DW tel. 01792 923642

E mail [email protected]

Please send suggestions comments, corrections and any items of news about the Retired Clergy by st SEPTEMBER 1 for the Autumn issue.

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