Newyddiadur Swyddogol Esgobaeth Caerdydd Issue 275 November 2019 Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cardiff Pick up your FREE Catholic People copy today Our new saint is Vespers for the canonised by Feast of St Thomas Pope Francis Cantilupe Pages 4/5 Page 7 Archbishop rededicates Abercynon miracle shrine Article and photographs by Dr James Campbell your forebears? It is a place of survived the fast flowing slurry nature, a place of beauty, a place coal dust polluted rivers with the Archbishop George, Father John of running waters. It was place of help of a miracle! and parishioners at the shrine of danger where two fast flowing Thoughts went back to the the Abercynon miracle rivers come together. It is a place shrine created by immigrant of faith also. But faith has to be Catholic miners as the kept alive. Human memory is a international Catholic magazine fickle thing – as we know all too The Tablet revealed in an article of well." 12 August 2006, written by Below the shrine the rivers Taff correspondent Richard Abbott. and Cynon raged with the great Richard revealed the sorry state rainfall that had occurred over the of the Shrine and hoped it would weekend. But at least the rivers be restored. were clear since the coal mining His hopes were fulfilled on in the valley had long since gone. October 20, 2019! Yet thoughts went back to how that three-year-old boy had More on page 2 On Sunday (October 20) a shrine marking The area leading to the shrine was an the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary impenetrable mass of brambles, overgrown performed a miracle was rededicated by vegetation and Japanese knotweed. Father George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff. John’s vision was that the land could be In 1926, in this mining village a three-year- transformed into a place of beauty, an old boy Gerald O’Shea fell into the coal- impossible dream! blackened raging confluence of the Rivers Taff But with the help of a band of dedicated and Cynon. When he returned home he said parishioners who tirelessly worked to clear the he had been plucked out of the water by a steps to the shrine tp remove the accumulated Lady in Blue – the lady on his religious debris and silt built up over many years the medallion. shrine slowly came into view. To mark the miracle a shrine dedicated to The team worked on restoring the badly Our Lady of Lourdes was set up with striking damaged and crumbling Stations of the Cross miners cutting into the steep rocky cliff to set it that line the path leading down to the river and up. It became a place of pilgrimage that drew removing the overgrown Japanese knotweed. 10,000 pilgrims a year. Landscaping work revealed the true glory of the Shrine and transformed what was a Forgotten shrine derelict overgrown wilderness into an attractive peaceful place where people could But over time it became overgrown and the sit and pray in tranquil surroundings. path to the shrine crumbled and became Parishioners flocked to the site when unsafe. Archbishop George dedicated it and blessed It had been forgotten for decades but when the shrine. the Rev. John Phillips took over the church of St Thomas, above the shrine ,10 years ago he A place of faith investigated and a plan was developed to bring it back to its full religious glory and years He reflected: “Need I say more about the of work by volunteers set about the task. beautiful shrine which was created here by 2 CATHOLIC PEOPLE ARCHBISHOP Miracle shrine rededicated GEORGE’S As a memory of what Abercynon was at the mines in the valleys. Now, the image of Our ENGAGEMENTS time of the 1926 miracle, Archbishop Lady of Lourdes (below) looks serenely over George presented Father John with a crystal clear waters. NOVEMBER 2019 picture of the Abercynon Colliery (below). The restored shrine, the work of parishioners The the young boy fell into the conflux of the over the years, is a fitting memory of the Rivers Taff and Cynon the water would have Abercynon miracle. 1 All Saints Day Mass, St. David’s Cathedral Cardiff. 12.30 been filthy and black with the waste from the 2 All Souls Day Mass, St. David’s Cathedral Cardiff. 10am 12.00 6 KSG Mass, St. David’s Cathedral Cardiff. 6.30 7 “Memorial Tree” Event for St. David’s Hospice. 6.00 8 Centenary Dinner, Newport Catenians. 8.00 10 Mass for Remembrance Sunday, St. David’s Cathedral 11.00 12 Meeting with Menevia Clergy,Swansea. 4.00 13 Meeting with Menevia Clergy continued. 17 Mass and Blessing of St. David Lewis Shrine, Usk. 9.00 18 “The God Who Speaks” Conference,Cornerstone. 7.00 19 Council of Priests “The God Who Speaks” 10.30 20 175 Anniversary HMPPS Usk 2.00 23 Preaches at Holy Trinity Church, Brook Green. 5.30 24 Bishops Conference Autumn Meeting, Leeds. 7.00 28 Bishops Conference Meeting concludes Your Catholic People… Editorial Dr James Campbell-Editor. Archbishop’s House, 43 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HD Tel: (029) 2022 0411 Fax: (029) 2037 9036 Email: [email protected] and Articles to be received by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month Advertising Tel: 0151 709 7567 Designed & Produced Mersey Mirror, Suite 4, Pacific Chambers, 11-13 Victoria Street, Liverpool L2 5QQ. Tel: 0151 709 7567 Fax: 0151 707 1678 Email: [email protected] Submission of photographs Please note photographs submitted for publication must be in jpeg or pdf format. 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Until we are able to build the faith among the All are welcome to the first of our new school children and get them into Sunday series Masses, to be a practising Catholic, I believe of free talks by one of our most popular our Catholic education is a total failure. May speakers God give all our Catholic School Management the wisdom to work together to pass on the Sunday November 10th 2019 at 2.45pm faith and build the Church, which should be Medieval Welsh Tombstones the priority of the Catholic education Dear Prof. Madeleine Gray Editor, please don’t take it personal. But it is an Professor Emerita of Ecclesiastical expression that we failed to take to the History concerned authorities University of South Wales As we celebrate Year of the Word, how Please note we have a new venue wonderful it will be, if the all the school Beaconsfield House The Cardiff University Catholic Chaplaincy children have an opportunity to read the whole 155a Commercial Street At the rear of Nazareth House, coming from Bible or even the New Testament during this Newport Road the City year... I wish and pray that all those children enter by the very last gate way in Colum Rd studying in the Catholic schools may deep Risca rooted their faith in Jesus and the Church. Gwent NP11 6EY for further information please contact: Tricia Coulthard: 02920 595 899 Thus the dying Church may flourish back. 01633 615005 [email protected] www.pts-funerals.co.uk In prayer J Mathew CATHOLIC PEOPLE 3 Lottery funds essential repairs to two of our churches Editorial Parishioners of Merthyr Tydfil say a big thank you to CADW and all The project will be achieved with support lottery players for their contribution of £75,000 towards the from the History Department at USW and Miracle shrine emergency high-level roof repairs. This is the second phase of the Pontypridd Museum. Volunteers from across extensive repairs to St. Mary’s, Merthyr Tydfil. This magnificent the local community will help to deliver the We urge all Catholics in the Archdiocese church, overlooking the town of Merthyr, is known as the project. They will receive training for all these of Cardiff to visit the rededicated shrine Cathedral of the Valleys due to its design and beauty. activities enabling them to widen their As part of the restoration work an expert in historic buildings, Nigel knowledge of local history, develop new skills at Abercynon. Copsey, visited St Mary’s to demonstrate best practices using lime and enhance self-esteem. Visits to the church mortar on listed buildings. A number of local architects including, Chris by local schools and community groups will be The story is on page one and much credit Jones RIBA – Property Manager and Architect for the Archdiocese, encouraged through CADW Open Door events. goes to Father John Phillips who, when he attended. The Parish has received funding from CADW to the value of Father Allan, parish priest said:I am delighted took over St Thomas's, the church above £66,000.