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New Vicar General, New Dean

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Today, the First Sunday of Advent, sees a new year in the life of the Church, and in the life of our own local Church in Cardiff we see some significant new appointments. Our new Vicar General in the diocese is Fr Brian Gray, formerly Dean of Cardiff, who now replaces Mgr Can Joe Boardman of Penarth, while our new Dean is Canon John Griffiths. Fr Gray is parish priest of St Cadoc’s, St John Lloyd’s and Blessed Sacrament on the east side of the city, but parishioners of St Brigid’s and St Paul’s may remember him as assistant to Canon Dunne and acting parish priest for a few years up to 2004. Canon Griffiths is parish priest in our neighbouring parish of St Teilo’s with Our Lady of Lourdes.

Our diocese is divided into four deaneries, and each Dean has a coordinating role, among the clergy and parishes in his area, and between his area and the Archbishop. In each diocese the diocesan bishop must appoint a vicar general who is to assist the bishop or archbishop in the governance of the whole diocese. It is a personal appointment by the bishop. Church law states that he is “to be a priest not less than thirty years old, a doctor or licensed in canon law or theology or at least truly expert in these disciplines, and recommended by sound doctrine, integrity, prudence, and experience in handling matters.” A bishop can delegate a lot of actions to him, but communication between them is very important.

I remember being told in my church law studies back in the 80s in Canada that although the job of “V.G” might be seen as high profile, it is also potentially very difficult, because of one little phrase in the small section in the law devoted to the role. This states that a Vicar General is “never to act contrary to the intention and mind of the diocesan bishop. In other words, if he has his own ideas any different to those of the bishop, he is to be “of one mind”. Hmm, tough call, especially in the modern church where we are more encouraged to share our thoughts and opinions! Good luck lads!

Fr Matthew

Coming up… Advent

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Next weekend sees the start of the great season of Advent. First, we have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our joint Penitential Service at St Brigid’s on Saturday at 11.30am. The First Sunday is marked by a Family Mass at Christ the King church and a lovely talk about Our Lady, so central to Advent and Christmas, in the evening at Christ the King Parish Centre.

Here are the details about what’s happening in Advent 2023:

Saturday 2 December
11.30am Penitential Service at St Brigid’s

Sunday 3 December
9.30am Family Mass at Christ the King
7.15pm “Mary the Mother of Jesus” talk at Christ the King Parish Centre

Sunday 10 December
 7.30pm Advent and Christmas Concert by the Elizabeth Singers at St Brigid’s

Sunday 17 December
All Masses. ‘Bambinelli’ blessing

Tuesday 19 December
6.30pm Carol Service at St Brigid’s

Thursday 21 December
10.30am Advent and Christmas Mass at Christ the King School

Sunday 24 December Sunday Masses
9am St Paul’s
9.30am Christ the King
10.30am St Brigid’s

Sunday 24 December Christmas Vigil
6pm St Paul’s
6pm Christ the King
8pm St Brigid’s

Christmas Day Masses
9am St Paul’s
9.30am Christ the King
10.30am St Brigid’s

The Synod – End of Part One

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“A Synodal Church in Mission – Synthesis Report”

The Synod was meeting through most of October in Rome. Now the “Synthesis Report” of this First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is available!

This important document, which will be used to prepare for the Second Session in 2024, offers reflections and proposals on a wide range of topics, including the role of women and the laity, the ministry of bishops, priesthood, and the diaconate, the importance of the poor and migrants, digital mission, ecumenism, and abuse.

The Synthesis Report is structured in three parts:

1. The face of the synodal Church: presenting the practice and understanding of synodality and its theological underpinning.

2. All disciples, all missionaries: deals with all those involved in the life and mission of the Church and their relationships with one another.

3. Weaving bonds, building community: synodality is presented mainly as a set of processes and as a network of bodies enabling exchange between the Churches and dialogue with the world.


You can download the report here.

One of our local saints – Illtud

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The earliest mention of Illtud is in the Vita Sancti Sampsoni, written in Brittany, about 600 AD. According to this account, Illtud was the disciple of Bishop Germanus of Auxerre in north-central France.

It says he was the most accomplished of all the Britons, and was well versed in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as well as every type of philosophy, including geometry, rhetoric, grammar, and arithmetic. He was also “gifted with the power of foretelling future events”.

According to Life of St Illtud written circa 1140, Illtud was the son of a Breton prince and a cousin of King Arthur. Illtud’s parents intended him for service in the church, but he chose to pursue a military career, married and became a soldier, in service first to King Arthur.

He is sometimes called Illtud the Knight. Later it was the Abbot St Cadoc, based at nearby Llancarfan who told him to give up his selfish ways and go back to his religious upbringing. Inspired, Illtud gave up his wife, and became a hermit in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Illtud helped pioneer the monastic life of Wales by founding a monastery in what is now Llantwit Major. This became the first major Welsh monastic school, and was a hub of Celtic Christianity in post-Roman Britain.

Illtud’s own pupils are reckoned to have included sons of British princes, and scholars such as Saint Patrick, Paul Aurelian, Taliesin, Gildas and Samson of Dol. St David is also believed to have spent some time there. It is a must-visit for anyone interested in the Catholic past in our area.

Again according to legend, Illtud was maybe buried west of Brecon, in the church of Llanilltud, on a tract of moorland known as Mynydd Illtud. His feast day and commemoration is celebrated on 6 November.

There is no formal evidence for a devotion to Illtud surviving from before the 11 century. However, in Celtic countries it is the names of places that tell us most about the existence and veneration of the saints during the oldest times.

The town of Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major) where Illtud’s college is located is of course named for him, and was the chief centre of the cult of St Illtud.

Many other places and or churches in Glamorgan are dedicated to him, such as Llantrithyd, Llantwit Fardre, Newcastle in Bridgend, several in the Gower and near Neath. Llantrisant’s three saints were Illtud, Gwynno and Tyfodwg.

A 13 century church on Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, is dedicated to Illtud. In North Wales, there is a Llanelltyd near Dolgellau, and even in Brittany there are many places dedicated to him. And, of course, there is my old school – St Illtyd’s!

Fr Matthew from sources.

St Teresa’s Bookmark

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Some of my favourite saints have their feast in October. Among them is St Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582), the great Spanish Carmelite mystic, writer, founder, reformer and Doctor (i.e. teacher) of the Church.  

This famous prayer or thought was found after St. Teresa’s death on a prayer card in her breviary (prayer-book). As one commentator said, it is “perfect in times of distress or anxiety. It puts into perspective life’s meaning: that we are here for God, and that this life and its sufferings will pass.  St. Teresa’s message is clear: Do not distress. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. God is always with you, and He alone will satisfy you.”

Nada te turbe,  
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;  
Dios no se muda.
La paciencia
todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene,  
nada le falta;
Solo Dios basta.

rough modern translation:

Let nothing disturb you, nothing surprise you,
all things pass;  God does not change.
Patience wins everything;
whoever holds onto God  lacks nothing;
God alone is enough.

a more poetic & old-fashioned translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Let nothing disturb thee, Nothing affright thee;
All things are passing;  God never changeth;
Patient endurance   Attaineth to all things;
Who God possesseth  In nothing is wanting;
Alone God sufficeth.

The Synod in Rome

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Recently Cardinal Nichols wrote a letter about the Synod, from which these are extracts:

Pope Francis wants us to rediscover our life in the Church as a communion of life with God and with one another. He wants us to be a sacrament for the whole world, the outward sign that leads people to the inward grace of faith in Jesus Christ, known and lived within the communion of the Church. We must learn to listen more closely to one another, ready to work out, prayerfully, what we need to do to fulfil this mission – seek to enhance our service of others, acknowledging that every single person is endowed with gifts and abilities for this work.

Over the last two years, there have been various expressions of this Synodal journey, in our parishes, in the Diocese as a whole, and at the level of the Church in every continent. Now all this comes together this October, in a Synod of Bishops in Rome, to assess the journey thus far and to fashion clearly the next steps to be taken. These findings can then be reviewed by us all, before a further Synod of Bishops that takes place in October 2024.

The Pope has chosen a significant number of lay men and women, priests and religious, from each continent, to be members alongside those bishops chosen by Bishops’ Conferences around the world. Their method will be the one the Pope has put before us all: prayerful listening of the heart, careful discernment of all that is put before them, faithfulness to the teaching of the Church, explored and presented with great love, and shaped by praise of the Father, fidelity to the Son, seeking the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This Synod meeting is not an ecclesiastical UN Assembly, nor a Church parliament or convention, nor a referendum on the teaching of the Church. It is to be ‘a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Holy Spirit’, a setting out on a journey ‘with the Lord always coming to meet us’ (Pope Francis, 10 October 2021).

How can we become a listening Church, profoundly open to all, humble and seeking forgiveness.

Can we be a Church of encounter and dialogue which seeks to hold together, often in tension, fidelity to the truth expressed in her teaching and a compassionate love for every person?

How can we be a Church of deep respect for all that is truly human, seeking to bring the gifts and talents of every person into the mission given by Christ?

How can we be a Church which is constantly restless because we are incomplete, yet a sign and instrument of the union of all with God?

The Synod must consider what processes, initiatives, and structures can help us in becoming a truly missionary Church.

We can be part of this historic process in the thoughts and resolutions of our own hearts.

How can we be more attentive to each other, listen with our hearts to the distress and the joy of those around us, make our community more welcoming?

How can we find ways of enabling the talents and abilities of everyone to become part of our outreach, of that invitation to come to know the Lord?

Every moment and every place is, for us, a time and location for mission. May the coming month of October be a time of grace for our Church, both in the great gathering in Rome and in the circles of our lives here at home.