Here at St Catwg’s Church in Gelligaer is a reputed birth place of St Cadoc around the year 497. His mother, St Gwladys, was counted among the many children of King Brychan alongside the likes of Non (mother of St David), Tydfil of Merthyr fame and Dwynwen.
Gwladys and her husband, Gwynllyw (Woolos) appear to have had a somewhat strained relationship. She was described as ‘elegant’ and ‘beautiful’ with a ‘high reputation’, whilst he was reputedly corrupted by crime. However, she managed to convince him that Cadoc should be educated by St Tathan.
Years later, when Cadoc was an adult, his parents appeared to be living apart in quiet and prayerful seclusion, their differences ironed out, each united in their own service of God. The repentant and transformed Gwynllyw settled at Stowe Hill in Newport, where the Cathedral carrying his patronage stands. There is some disagreement concerning Gwladys’ place of death. Some some say it was at Pencarn where she established her hermitage, whilst others opt for Gelligaer, with its stone Roman fort (‘Gaer’ means ‘fort’).
Just two miles away from St Cattwg’s Church are the remains of Capel Gwladys. It’s where St Cadoc resided for a little while in 530 AD. The cross which stands there today is a modern replica, whilst the remains of the original 8th/9th century cross can be found in St Catwg’s Church of Gelligaer
Feast Days: St Cadoc: September 21 or January 24; St Gwynllw (St Woolos) and St Gwladys: 29 March
Hwyl
They say that
each night
during her pregnancy,
heavenly light shone
in the corners
of the room in which
Gwaldys slept.
The light shone
until the day that
Cadoc was born,
breathed his first breath.
A fanciful fable of faith,
perhaps, which tries to tell
the significance of the saint.
And yet his signifcance lies
not in luminous feats,
but in his commitment to Christ
as he created community,
sidled up to God's creation
in a loving embrace,
discovered miracles
in the intimacy that comes from
loving all that God has made.
Bible Reading
From Mark 10: 28-30 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’
Prayer
Lord God,
here, where Cadoc was born,
I pray for all parents,
and those with the care of children,
or parents who struggle
with disagreement and difference.
May we always know your care in our lives.
As we look to Heaven
for the light of your love,
and when we sense only darkness,
let your light shine within us,
comfort and console us,
and bring us home rejoicing.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Stay Awhile
Stay awhile, be still, and be at peace.
Listen to the rhythm of nature,
and the human sounds.
Experience the changing light,
the shadows and the shades.
Enjoy the stillness of the church,
wander through the graveyard,
consider the fragility of life,
and the joy of life,
and the newness of life
in God’s presence.
Pray for
Pray for the people who live here,
and for all who minister in this place,
for the church communities,
and their clergy.
Pray for all parents,
for married couples,
for those who long to be parents.
Hwyl Fawr
May the the light of God's love, brighten the path before us. May the fire of God's love burn brightly within us. May we move humbly and gently, trusting in God who gives life. Amen. St Gwladys, pray for us. St Woolos, pray or us. St Cadoc, pray or us. All the Saints of God, pray for us.
LINKS & INFO
Website: Parish of Gelligaer
Where next?
Plan your journey to the next part of the Llanscape of Wales using our Google Maps Trail:
South Cardiff Ministry Area 