Featured

Connect (14 June 2024)

Connecting you with the churches of South Cardiff Ministry Area in Butetown, Grangetown and Splott. (If you’d like to receive posts in your inbox then add your email address at the bottom of the page!)

  1. Refugee Week 2024
  2. A word (or two) of welcome
  3. Faithful Butetown
  4. Walsingham Cell-ebrations
  5. General Election
  6. Let’s get together!
  7. A look back at 2023
  8. Common Fund
  9. Summer Praise & Strawberry Tea
  10. St Paul’s Coffee Morning
  11. Glastonbury Pilgrimage
  12. Worship for the Week Ahead
  13. United in Prayer
  14. Events and Celebrations
  15. Funerals
  16. Keep in touch
Refugee Week 2024

This coming week is packed with events and activities. Yes, as if you didn’t know, it’s Refugee Week, the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

This year’s theme is “Our Home” and we’ll begin our celebrations a day early on Sunday 16 June. You can find the full programme here:

Refugee Week 2024
A word (or two) of welcome

Our celebrations for Refugee Week begin this Sunday 16 June with Ice Cream Sunday! After Mass at St Mary’s we make our way into the gardens at 12 noon. During the Mass we’ll share the word ‘welcome’ in all the different languages associated with St Mary’s School community. If you have an associated language to add to the list then please write it down and give to Mrs Prichard who will be at the Mass.

Faithful Butetown

During Refugee Week, we’ll be working with and welcoming over 600 children from seven different schools. We’ll celebrating our Faithful Butetown Discovery Days with four performances of the play, “Betty Campbell, a journey through Butetown.” This is a project currently being developed and expanded and we hope to have some exciting news about it soon. Thanks to a grant of £2,000 from Cardiff Council we will be able to move on to the next stage of the the project. You can find out more about Faithful Butetown here:

Faithful Butetown
Walsingham Cell-ebrations

Last week, we gathered for our Walsingham Cell for Mass and Sprinkling with water from the holy well. Check out the highlights in our video.

General Election

Cardiff Citizens General Election Accountability Assembly will take place on 20th June 5pm-6:15pm at Church od Resurrection in Ely.

Food will be served for children and adults from 4:30pm. Transport costs from other parts of the city can be covered.

Please register yourself and invite others to join here

Accountability Assembly
Let’s get together!

We love being part of the ‘More in Common Network’, and the ‘The Great Get Together’ is firmly embedded in our diary. Our celebrations for the week are wonderfully wrapped up in our Mass for Sanctuary Sunday followed by a Barbecue at St Mary’s on Sunday 23 June at 12 noon. Invite your friends and families and neighbours! You can discover more about the More on Common Network on our website:

More in Common
A look back at 2023

Our Annual Vestry Meeting is scheduled for Monday June 24 at 7.30 pm at Ss Dyfrig and Samson. This is a time to accept the Annual Report and Financial Report, and to plan for the year ahead with the election of our Ministry Area Council and Churchwardens. Election forms are available in each of the churches from Sunday. You can read the report below. The Financial Accounts will be available soon.

Read more here
Annual Report 2023:Download
Common Fund

As part of the new process for what Ministry Areas pay to the Diocese, Cardiff Deanery Conference met on Thursday for each MA to make their pledge for 2025.

South Cardiff Ministry pledged 100% of its costs for Ministry which equates to £110,000 a year. This is 60% of our expenditure at the moment.

You can find out more about the Common Fund in this leaflet from the Diocese

Common Fund
Summer Praise & Strawberry Tea

Come and sing your favourite hymns (let us know before the day who you would like to sing!) and enjoy a Strawberry Tea afterwards on Sunday 11 July at 4pm at Ss Dyfrig and Samson. More details soon!

St Paul’s Coffee Morning

The next Charity Coffee morning will be on Saturday June 22 in aid of St Paul’s Church funds. Come along, enjoy the cake and company, and support a great cause!

Glastonbury Pilgrimage

The Glastonbury Pilgrimage is 100 years old! If you’d like a seat on the coach leaving from Cardiff then either add your name to the list in church or get in touch with us. A £10 payment is required. The bus leaves St Mary’s Church at 8.45am, and leaves Glastonbury approximately 4 pm. You can find out more about the pilgrimage here:

Glastonbury Pilgrimage
Worship for the Week Ahead

Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Heres our pattern of prayer for the week beginning Sunday 5 May

Sunday 16 June
8.00am:  Said Mass at St Paul's
9.15am:  Sung Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
9.30am:  Sung Mass at St Saviour’s
10.30am: Sung Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Solemn Mass at St Mary's

Monday 17 June
6.00pm   Mass at St Mary's
7.00pm:  Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson

Tuesday 18 June
10.00am: Mass at St Saviour's
7.00pm:  Mass at St Mary’s

Wednesday 19 June 
10.00am: Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Mass at St Mary's

Thursday 20 June
9.30am:  Mass at Ss Dyfrig & St Samson
1230pm:  Mass at St Mary’s
5.45pm:  Mass at St Saviour's

Friday 21 June
10.00am: Mass at St Mary's

Saturday 22 June
11.00am: Morning Prayer & Rosary at St Mary's
11.30am Mass at St Mary's

You can discover more about our regular pattern of worship through the week at

WORSHIP
United in Prayer

We pray for our Refugee Week, Windrush Day and the Great Get Together celebrations.

We pray for all involved in the General Election campaigns, and for Citizen Cymru’s Accountability Assembly.

We pray for all Refugees, for those far from home or seeking a place of sanctuary, for all who are homeless.

For more prayer resources, check out our ‘Day by Day’ pages which includes prayers for various times and occasions.

Day by Day
Events and Celebrations
Walsingham Pilgrimage:
22 – 25 July
Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage:
5- 9, August
Funerals

SS DYFRIG AND SAMSON

Friday 5 July at 12 noon (Jean Harding)

ST SAVIOUR’S

Friday 28th June 10.30 am (John Ryan) followed by Committal at Thornhill at 12.30pm. (John’s body will be received into Church on the Thursday 27th at 3.30pm)

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”

You can find out more about the funeral service on our ‘Funerals’ page which also includes prayers for the bereaved and the departed.

Funerals
Keep in touch

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Featured

Connect (3/5/24)

As we move towards the prayer-filled days between Ascension and Pentecost, we’re featuring some of the many different opportunities of prayer and worship in church, school and the wider community, and we also explore issues of homelessness and how we can welcome and support families in housing need.

  1. The Crowning of Mary
  2. The Ascension of the Lord
  3. Split beads
  4. It’s great to get together
  5. Making connections
  6. In praise of songs and smiles
  7. Welcome home
  8. Christian Aid Week
  9. Worship for the Week Ahead
  10. United in Prayer
  11. Events and Celebrations
  12. Funerals
  13. Keep in touch
The Crowning of Mary

Traditionally, May is Mary’s month and in many churches and homes throughout the world her image is crowned with a garland of flowers. We’ll be doing this in our churches this coming Sunday May 5th. Here, accompanied by images of Mary from our churches, we reflect on the part that Mary plays in the life of the Church.

The Iron Maiden
The Ascension of the Lord

We’re celebrating the Ascension of the Lord on Sunday May 12th with Mass at the usual times. You can read a reflection about the Feast from Fr Dean here:

Ascension
Split beads

Each Saturday before the morning Mass at St Mary’s, we pray the Rosary which provides a rich treasure trove of prayer drawing us deeper into Holy Scripture. But where did it come from, what is it and how do we use it to pray? Read on!

Rosary
It’s great to get together

The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites our communities, inspired by Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common than that which divides us. Why not get involved?!

The Great Get Together
Making connections

Wednesday mornings are a joyful time in the Ministry Area when we celebrate Mass with each of our church schools of St Paul’s Grangetown and St Mary’s Butetown but there are many other times of prayer and worship too. Fr Dean reflects on the prayer life of our schools and how we try to make connections.

Making connections
In praise of songs and smiles

The Church’s ministry is varied, and reaches out to all generations including those who are elderly.  Each month, we enjoy a visit to Bella Vista Nursing Home in Cardiff Bay for a short time of worship with some of the residents. You can read about this week’s celebration here:

In praise of songs and smiles
Welcome home

The housing crisis in Cardiff and across the UK means that many families are living in unsuitable accommodation. We’re giving a welcome gift to new families in housing need who will be living in our community when Cargo House is reopened. You can discover more about it here, and how you can be involved!

Welcome Home
Christian Aid Week

It’s Christian Aid Week from May 12 -18th. With your help, we can work towards a world where families can escape the trap of poverty and fulfil their ambitions. Seven days, so many ways to fund lasting change. There’ll be an opportunity to donate in each of our churches.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 2024
Worship for the Week Ahead

Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Heres our pattern of prayer for the week beginning Sunday 5 May

Sunday 5 May
8.00am:  Said Mass at St Paul's
9.15am:  Sung Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
9.30am:  Sung Mass at St Saviour’s
10.30am: Sung Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Solemn Mass at St Mary's

Monday 6 May
10.00am* Mass at St Mary's
(* NB change of time for the Bank Holiday, which also means there is no 7pm Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson)

Tuesday 7 May 
10.00am: Mass at St Saviour's
7.00pm:  Mass at St Mary’s

Wednesday 8 May
10.00am: Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Mass at St Mary's

Thursday 9 May
9.30am:  Mass at Ss Dyfrig & St Samson
10.00am: Mass at St Mary's today
NB This week there is no 5.45pm Mass at St Saviour's

Friday 10 May
10.00am: Mass at St Mary's

Saturday 11 May
11.00am: Morning Prayer & Rosary at St Mary's
11.30am: Mass at St Mary's

You can discover more about our regular pattern of worship through the week at

WORSHIP
United in Prayer

We pray for the nursing and residential homes of our communities, for all who work with those who are elderly, and for all older people that they will be treated with dignity.

We pray for families in housing need, and all who work to support them.

We pray for our church schools of St Paul’s and St Mary’s, and all who work to nurture the spiritual life of children and young people.

For more prayer resources, check out our ‘Day by Day’ pages which includes prayers for various times and occasions.

Day by Day
Events and Celebrations
Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday 12 May
Justice Cafe:
Wednesday May 15
OMG!
Sunday May 19
Pentecost Sunday, 19 May
Corpus Christi (Port Talbot)
2 June
Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham on 8 June
Walsingham Pilgrimage:
22 – 25 July
Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage:
5- 9, August
Glastonbury Pilgrimage:
13 July
Funerals

There are currently no funerals scheduled for the coming weeks. We continue to pray each day for those with anniversaries of death

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”

You can find out more about the funeral service on our ‘Funerals’ page which also includes prayers for the bereaved and the departed.

Funerals
Keep in touch

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Connect | 10 June 2026

Published every Wednesday

Connecting you to the churches of South Cardiff Ministry Area across Butetown, Grangetown and Splott.

Our vision is to be a creative and resourceful community which is welcoming, faithful and just!

This Week!

Refugee Week is on the horizon and there are plenty of activities and events taking place across our ministry area. We’re also celebrating the Great Get Together in memory of Jo Cox, and three of our schools are hosting Global Picnics.

There’s also advance notice of our ministry area annual vestry meeting which is taking place at the end of June, an important meeting in the life of our churches.

Refugee Week

This year’s theme is COURAGE!

Here is the full programme of what’s going on … everyone is welcome to everything!

Sunday 14 June – Ice Cream Sunday. All are welcome to join us after Mass for ice cream. Also today OMG! at St Saviour’s and Thrive at Five at St Paul’s (both at 5pm) will have a Refugee Week focus.

Monday 15 June – Film Festival, 7pm at Ss Dyfrig & Samson. Join us for snacks after the 6.30pm Mass while we watch a few short films (each a few minutes long) as part of the Refugee Week Film Festival.

Tuesday 16 June – Global Picnic 3.15pm, Moorland Primary School. We’ll be joining Moorland Primary School for their picnic at the end of the school day.

Tuesday 16 June – Requiem Mass, 6.30pm in St Mary’s. We will remember all those who have lost their lives seeking refuge.

Wednesday 17 June – School Mass, 10am in St Paul’s & 11am in St Mary’s. Our schools Masses this week will have a special Refugee Week theme.

Wednesday 17 June – Croeso Butetown, 6.30pm in St Mary’s. We’re inviting any stakeholders or interested parties to a conversation about releasing funds to support small projects that make a difference to the community – all welcome!

Thursday 18 June – Global Picnic as part of the Great Get Together hosted by St Paul’s School, 1.30pm in Grange Gardens. Another opportunity to come together to share food and fellowship.

Friday 19 June – Global Picnic at St Mary’s School, 3.15pm. Also part of the Great Get Together, do come and join us at St Mary’s School for what is always a lovely occasion.

Sunday 21 June – Great Get Together Barbecue, St Mary’s. To round off the week and to celebrate Sanctuary Sunday, there will be a barbecue at St Mary’s following the 11am Sung Mass. Vegetarian and Halal options will be available – all welcome.

Our normal rhythm of worship continues with Mass celebrated every day across the ministry area. During Refugee Week will be offering mass for the following intentions:

Monday 15 June, Ss Dyfrig & Samson at 6.30pm – Thanksgiving for the contribution made by refugees to our country, and all participating in Refugee Week.

Tuesday 16 June, St Mary’s at 6.00pm – For all refugees who have died seeking safety and sactuary.

Wednesday 17 June, St Paul’s at 10am and St Mary’s at 11am – That we may welcome all who seek safety and sanctuary in our community and country.

Thursday 18 June, Ss Dyfrig & Samson at 10am – For leaders, politicians and governments making decisions which effect the lives of refugees; for peace and stability thoughout the world.

Friday 19 June, St Saviour’s at 10am – For Oasis in Splott, and all other organisations in Cardiff that support refugees.

Saturday 20 June, St Mary’s at 11.30am – For all involved in the Great Get Together, and for community cohesion and unity.

As well as Refugee Week, we’re also celebrating the Great Get Together which this year is the tenth anniversary of Jo Cox’s Death, and so the Great Together will be particularly special.

the great get together
refugee week in south cardiff

Time for young people!

Thrive at Five

Yes, it’s that time again. Thrive at Five is St Paul’s event for young people and this month will help kickstart our Refugee Week celebrations!

OMG!

At St Saviour’s, we also have a Refugee Week event for young people at the same time! The food this month is delicious fruit kebabs (and maybe a few marshmallows!)

Cymun Diwedd y Dydd – Mass in Welsh

Our next celebration of Mass in Welsh is taking place on Wednesday 17 March at 6.30pm in Ss Dyfrig & Samson – all are welcome, from learners to fluent speakers.

Ministry Area Vestry Meeting

The Annual Vestry Meeting is the AGM of our ministry area. At this meeting, the annual accounts are presented, a report is given of the past year, and officers and ministry area council members are elected for the coming year.

This year’s meeting is taking place in St Mary’s Church on Tuesday 30 June, following the 6.30pm Mass. All parishioners of our ministry area are welcome to attend.

Alpha comes to Grangetown

A course for anyone interested in the big questions in life! Join us every Wednesday at Ss Dyfrig and Samson, every week from 7.30pm – 9pm

St Saviour’s Community Consultation

A few weeks ago, we announced some exciting news for St Saviours and Splott, as we work together with Splott Community Volunteers.

We are now beginning our community consultation. This will take many forms but there will be one such session where you can meet with our architects and share some of your hopes, dreams and ambitions for St Saviours and what is needed in our community.

There will be more news soon but, in the meantime, put the date in your diary for a drop in session at St Saviours on Wednesday June 24th between 4 and 6pmI

If you missed the announcement, you can find it here

St Saviour’s
African Celebration

Put the date in your diary! An African celebration at St Saviour’s Church on July 5th, organised by our wonderful Nigerian families!

Grangetown Consultation

St Paul’s and St Dyfrig & St Samson’s churches in Grangetown are working together to understand what really matters to our community.

A short survey (about 5 minutes) is available and will help us learn how we can serve and support our neighbourhood better.

You can fill in the survey anonymously or leave your details so we can contact you to follow up on your ideas. Your data will not be shared with anyone else and will be deleted after 12 months.

If you prefer you can fill in the survey online at bit.ly/grangetownsurvey

Thank you for your generosity!

The incredible range of activities that you read about in this bulletin, together with our regular round of services and ministry, is only possible thanks to the generosity of those who give financially to our churches.

We are grateful for all your support. If you don’t yet give, then we invite you to consider signing up to the Gift Direct scheme. This acts like a direct debit from your bank account every month, so that you can decided a regular sum to give. To start giving this way, click the link below. On the Gift Direct webpage, on the Beneficiary drop down menu, search for South Cardiff Ministry Area, then select the church you would like to support. Fill out your details on the online form, and the rest will be taken care of for you!

We also invite those who give regularly to review your level of giving. We are conscious that the cost of living is increasing, but this means that our costs are rising too! Once again, we are grateful for everyone’s generosity.

Dates for your diary

Here is a new-look South Cardiff Calendar, with details of lots of upcoming events and activities across our Ministry Area. Make sure you put everything down in your diary so that you don’t miss anything!

There will be more details about these events in future editions of Connect.

This is also available on our website here.

Walsingham 2026

Bookings are now open for the Walsingham Pilgrimage 2026 which takes place from July 20- 23 2026.

You can either book directly online or give your £50 deposit and details to Georgina Partidge, Liz Norman or the clergy.

WALSINGHAM PILGRIMAGE 2026
Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage

Young people aged 11-18 are invited to join us for the Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage from 3-7 August.

Around 500 young people from all over the UK camp in a field just outside the village of Walsingham. Worship takes place in a large marquee led by the excellent worship band CJM. There are also lots of different activities for young people to take part in during the week.

As part of the Welsh camp, all tents are provided and you will be fully catered for. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag, air bed, clothes and toiletries. For more information, please contact Fr Richard and also take a look at the link below to find out more.

WALSINGHAM YOUTH PILGRIMAGE
Worship for the Week Ahead

Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Here’s our pattern of prayer for the week ahead. 

Thursday 11 June| St Barnabas, Apostle (Feast)
10.00am:  Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson

Friday 12 June | The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity)
10.00am: Mass at St Saviour’s

Saturday 13 June | St Anthony of Padua, Doctor
10.50am: Morning Prayer at St Mary's followed by
11.00am: Rosary with prayer for the Ministry Area
11.30am: Mass
12 noon: Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

Sunday 14 June | 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9.30am:  Sung Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
9.30am:  Sung Mass at St Saviour’s
11.00am: Sung Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Solemn Mass at St Mary's

Monday 15 June | of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
6.30pm:   Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson

Tuesday 16 June | of the 11th week of Ordinary Time
6.30pm:  Mass at St Mary’s

Wednesday 17 June | of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
10.00am: Mass at St Paul's with St Paul's School
11.00am: Mass at St Mary's with St Mary's School
6.30pm:  Mass in Welsh at Ss Dyfrig & Samson

You can discover more about our regular pattern of worship through the week at

WORSHIP

For more prayer resources, check out our ‘Day by Day’ pages which includes prayers for various times and occasions.

Day by Day
Clergy contacts

Ministry Area Leader and Priest for St Mary’s and St Saviour’s: Fr Dean Atkins

07368 176300 | deanjatkins@outlook.com

Ministry Area Vicar and Priest for St Paul’s and Ss Dyfrig & Samson: Fr Richard Green

0333 301 1850 | RichardGreen@cinw.org.uk

Keep in touch

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Light up!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness.” Fr Dean reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Tuesday of the 10th week of ordinary time can be found here.

Martin Luther King famously said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” The symbolism of light is well used in all areas of life. Plato said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” It is, of course, an image which Jesus used often himself, when he referred to himself as The Light of the World, and the prologue to John’s gospel is washed in light.

In the gospel reading today, Jesus turns the image on us, his followers. “You are the light of the world,” he says. His teaching urges us not to cover up or conceal the light which we can give when we do good works. All that we do, however, small, can bring light to a dark situation.  We can bring hope where there is hopelessness, bring love where there is hate. As another old saying goes, “It’s better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.”

At times, we may underestimate the good that we are able to achieve. We may even, at times, doubt or own sense of worth and value. Some people have the rather negative quality of being able to gaslight others. They undermine them, control them, make them doubt their own worth. Jesus does no such thing. Jesus does no such thing. He encourages us to shine as beacons in the world. To use the words of another bright beacon of the church, St Francis, we pray:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Mass today is in St Mary’s at 630pm

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our Day By Day pages.

Small actions, big difference

Sometimes we might think that the small acts of kindness or goodness we do don’t make much difference. Yet if borne of love they can be truly transformative. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Saturday of the 9th week of ordinary time can be found here.

The American poet, writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was eight years old when she was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. The man was later killed by Angelou’s uncles. The trauma of her assault and feelings of responsibility for her attacker’s death caused Angelou to stop speaking for five years. She credited a teacher and family friend, Bertha Flowers, with helping her to speak again by telling her “you do not love poetry until you speak it”. For Flowers those words may not have seemed much, but said with love and care they transformed Angelou’s life and enabled her to become one of the most celebrated writers and speakers of the 20th century. 

Sometimes an act which seems insignificant to us can have an amazing impact. So it was with the offering of the widow described in today’s Gospel. The penny she puts in the offering box is equivalent to 1/64th of a denarius, and a denarius was the average daily wage. Compared to the large sums donated by the rich folk it is miniscule. It is hardly noticed, and will not make much difference to the Temple coffers. Yet it involves a huge sacrifice for the widow – it is all she has – and is noticed by God himself, who sees that the value of this small act is far greater than the monetary value of the gift. He knows the true cost involved, and that it was a gift given of love. Perhaps Paul wondered at times whether all of the rejections, the beatings and imprisonments were worth it. In Philippians he describes all his achievements as rubbish compared with knowing Jesus. Yet as we read today, he trusted that despite everything his ministry was worthwhile, and now he has finished the race.

May we never underestimate the value of seemingly small acts of devotion, encouragement or kindness. Give at a cost, and borne of love, they have infinite value in God’s sight. Every such act is like another building block of his kingdom. Let us continue to lay those blocks bit by bit, sure in the knowledge that when we too have finished the race, that kingdom will be just a little bit closer.

Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am (preceded by morning prayer at 10.50 and Rosary at 11).

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our Day By Day pages.

God of surprises

Life as a Christian can often confound our expectations. Things do not always turn out the way we might hope or think. Yet through it all, God remains faithful. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Friday of the 9th week of ordinary time (memorial of St Boniface) can be found here.

Anyone who has ever organised a church event knows the feeling. You spend weeks planning, you publicise it until you’re blue in the face, you have high hopes it will be a success … and three people turn up. Alternatively, you arrange something you think will be low-key and suddenly the place is packed out. You’re left scratching your head trying to make sense of it all. Life, as we all know, has a habit of confounding our expectations.

Many people in the time of Jesus thought they knew what sort of figure the Messiah would be. The Messiah was often referred to as “the son of David”, and the expectation was that he would be a leader like King David, a warrior-type king who would bring freedom to Israel by driving out the Romans. That, of course, was very far from the kind of Messiah Jesus turned out to be. And so, in today’s Gospel, he challenges peoples’ ideas. He quotes Psalm 110 to show that the Messiah is in fact David’s Lord, not his son, and so will be greater in every way than David, rather than a carbon copy of him. From that point on, people had to rethink their ideas of who the Messiah would be and what he would do. Paul reminds Timothy that things do not always work out the way you might expect. Those who do good end up being persecuted, as Paul himself was, while evil people seem to go along quite unhindered. Yet Paul encourages his friend to remain steadfast  in all the twists and turns of life, for Jesus will remain faithful to him.

Sometimes we might expect events to unfold in a certain way. We might think we know which events or initiatives will succeed or fail. We might expect life to proceed down a certain path, and then something happens which throws all our plans into disarray. The Christian life is not about everything unfolding according to a well ordered plan, nice as that might be sometimes! It’s often messy, unpredictable, and haphazard. Yet through all of that, we can trust that God’s purposes can be fulfilled even in chaos, for whatever else happens, he is always with us, and is always ready to surprise us.

Mass today is in St Saviour’s at 10am.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, then check out our Day By Day pages.

Refugee Week 2026

We’re looking forward to celebrating Refugee Week and the Great Get Together again this year. Our celebrations begin on Sunday 14 June, and this years theme is courage!

The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.”

Inspired by the lives and experiences of people seeking sanctuary, Refugee Week 2026 invites us to explore the theme of Courage.

For refugees around the world, courage is often a daily necessity. It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.

At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week 2026 calls us to come together and share the courage to welcome, to stand for what we believe in, and to celebrate culture and community – to be joyful, imagine new possibilities, dream, heal, and connect.

The Great Get Together

The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that connects  our communities, inspired by Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common than that which divides us.

This year’s Great Get Together will take place on 19-21 June 2026 and will mark 10 years since Jo was killed.

Many of us remember how, in the days that followed Jo’s murder, people responded not with fear, but with something Jo believed in deeply: connection. Neighbours came together. Differences were set aside. Communities chose unity over division.

This anniversary is not just about remembrance. It is a moment of choice.

Refugee Week in South Cardiff Ministry Area

Here’s our full timetable for the whole week, which begins on Sunday 14 June but make sure to check back for updates and further details!

Sunday 14 June

Ice Cream Sunday!

As we kick start our week of welcome and celebrations, join us for Ice Cream Sunday after each of our Sunday Masses

Everyone is welcome!

5pm: ‘OMG!’ at St Saviour’s

In the evening, OMG! at St Saviour’s will have a Refugee Week theme, and we’ll be enjoying fruit kebabs!

5pm: ‘Thrive at Five’ at St Paul’s

Meanwhile, at St Paul’s Thrive at Five, our monthly event for young people will also have a Refugee Week theme, accompanied by pizza!

Monday 15 June

630pm: Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson

Intention: we offer this Mass in Thanksgiving for the contribution made by refugees to our country, and for all participating in Refugee Week.

7pm: ‘Film Festival’ at Ss Dyfrig and Samson

As Part of Refugee Week’s Global Film Festival, we’ll be sharing snacks and drinks and checking out a few short films!

Here’s a little taster of some of the films available.

MIGRANTS: Two polar bears are driven into exile due to global warming. They will encounter brown bears along their journey, with whom they will try to cohabitate. (Certificate: U)

HAYAT: Rahma, an Eritrean migrant living in Australia, faces isolation and daily struggles as she works to keep her four young children connected to their cultural roots while building a new life far from home. (Cert: parental guidance)

Tuesday 16 June

St Mary’s Gardening: pupils from St Mary’s School will be gardening at church today! One of the many SIMPLE ACTS for Refugee Week!

3.15pm: Global Picnic at Moorland School

Food is an amazing means of bringing people together, so come along and experience some delicious tastes and community life!

630pm: Mass at St Mary’s

Intention: we offer this Mass for all refugees who have died whilst making the difficult journey in search of safety and sanctuary.

Wednesday 17 June

10am School Mass at St Paul’s
11am School Mass at St Mary’s

Intention: That we may welcome all who seek safety and sanctuary in our community and country

6pm: ‘Croeso Butetown’ at St Mary’s

Join us for a bite to eat and great conversation!

We’re excited to be working with Tabernacl Chapel in the Hayes to support refugee groups through micro grants.

We currently have a dedicated amount of funding that we would like to release for exciting projects which support refugees. However, first, we need to discover what that could mean for you! So, if you represent an organisation which either supports refugees or would like to, then please do come along, and help shape our plans!

We’ll provide the food! All you need to do is bring your ideas!

Thursday 18 June

10am: Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson

Intention: we pray for leaders, politicians and governments making decisions which affect the lives of refugees, and for stability and peace throughout the world.

Faithful Butetown

Today, we’ll be journeying through Butetown discovering and celebrating our multicultural past and present beginning at The Betty Campbell Statue and finishing with the Rugby Codebreakers in the Bay!

130pm: St Paul’s School Great Get Together picnic

Outdoor fun with food beneath the sun (We hope!) at Grange Gardens.

Friday 19 June

10am Mass at St Saviour’s

Intention: we pray for ‘Oasis’ in Splott, and all other organisations in our city which support Refugees.

Gardening in Splott

Moorland School will be planting at St Saviour’s this morning, one of the many SIMPLE ACTS of Refugee Week!

315 pm: Global Picnic at St Mary’s School

This is always an amazing occasion. Join us for a global picnic at St Mary’s School, part of the Great Get Together!

Saturday 20 June

1130am: Mass at St Mary’s

Intention: we offer this Mass for all involved in the Great Get Together, and for community cohesion and unity.

Sunday 21 June: Sanctuary Sunday

Sanctuary Sunday Masses

Masses are at the usual Sunday times across the churches of our Ministry Area, as we celebrate Sanctuary Sunday!

930am at St Saviours, and Ss Dyfrig and Samson

11am at St Paul’s, and St Mary’s

12 noon: Great Get Together Barbecue

Rounding off the week’s celebration on Sanctuary Sunday is the Great Get Together Barbecue at St Mary’s Church. (Vegetarian and Halal options are available.)

Through the Week

As well as various events and celebrations, there will be many other activities throughout the week.

From gardening to the distribution of packets of seeds, as well as reflection spaces for schools (and others!) at St Mary’s Church. There is also our comfortable Refugee Children’s book corner loved by all ages!

Poster Celebration

There will also be a children’s poster competition. So get creative and help spread the message of COURAGE!

Find out More

Check out the websites of Refugee Week and the Great Get Together to find out more or watch these short videos

Refugee Week
The Great Get Together
Refugee Week
The Great Get Together

Learning the language of God’s love

Growing as a Christian is a bit like learning a language. Books and theory will get us so far, but to become fluent we need to live it out and use it. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Thursday of the 9th week of ordinary time can be found here.

Suppose that you have decided to learn another language. French or Italian, perhaps, ready for your summer holiday, or maybe our own native language of Welsh. What would be the best way of trying to become fluent? You could buy a grammar book, work your way through all the exercises, and learn lists of words. Or you could find a conversation class, go along, and just start using the language with other speakers. Which method would work best? Well, there’s room for both. You need a certain amount of background knowledge. But the textbook can take you only so far. To become truly fluent, you need to start living the language day by day.

In today’s Gospel, a scribe has mastered what you might call the grammar of religion. He knows the commandments and the laws. He has read all the texts and knows the vocabulary of faith. Yet Jesus points him beyond all of this to something much deeper and more profound. The greatest commandment is not something to be analysed, but to be lived out each and every day: “love the Lord your God … love your neighbour as yourself.” Just as with learning a language, in the life of faith, studying texts and doctrines is important. It is the basis, the groundwork, the bedrock. But then we have to start living out the language of love. We have to stop merely talking about loving God and neighbour and instead practise it in the ordinary conversations, encounters and decisions of daily life. As with learning a language, this isn’t easy. We will make mistakes. But we have others around to help, just as we can offer help ourselves.

In our first reading, Paul tells Timothy to remind his people “not to quarrel about words, which does no good”. Instead, they are to “remember Jesus Christ” and be faithful to him. The purpose of all our learning is not simply to know more about God, but to become people who speak the language of God’s love fluently. Then, as Jesus says to the scribe, we will not be far from the kingdom of God.

Mass today is in St Dyfrig and St Samson at 10am.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.

Connect | 3 June 2026

Published every Wednesday

Connecting you to the churches of South Cardiff Ministry Area across Butetown, Grangetown and Splott.

Our vision is to be a creative and resourceful community which is welcoming, faithful and just!

This Week!

On Sunday we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, as we give thanks for the gift of the Eucharist!

Summer is always a busy time and we have some amazing events and opportunities coming our way!

Refugee Week

This year’s theme is COURAGE! We’ve already shared some dates for the diary but on Thursday, we’ll be launching our full programme here and on our social media platforms.

As well as Refugee Week, we’re also celebrating the Great Get Together which this year is the tenth anniversary of Jo Cox’s Death, and so the Great Together will be particularly special.

Christian Aid Week

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Christian Aid Week last month. Some of the totals announced so far:

St Saviour’s raised £220 from their Coffee Morning

St Mary’s raised £349.16. (£310.00 was gift aided which means an extra £87 can be claimed by Christian Aid)

Thank you for your generosity!

Race Night at St Paul’s

Our next social and fundraising event in St Paul’s is a Race Night!

We’ll watch recorded horse races, and you can be a horse (or jockey!) in each race. If your horse wins, then you win! It’s £5 to sponsor a horse, payable in advance. You can also place £1 bets on the night.

Saddle up, we hope to see you there!

Strawberry Tea

Join us on Sunday June 7 for our Strawberry Tea at St Saviour’s. Get your tickets now – £5 for Adults; £2.50 for children or just turn up on the day!

Eucharistic Devotions

Our monthly devotions at St Dyfrig and Samson takes place on Monday 8 June. Join us from 5.45pm for some silence and stillness

Time for young people!

Thrive at Five

Yes, it’s that time again. Thrive at Five is St Paul’s event for young people and this month will help kickstart our Refugee Week celebrations!

OMG!

At St Saviour’s, we also have a Refugee Week event for young people at the same time! The food this month is delicious fruit kebabs (and maybe a few marshmallows!)

Alpha comes to Grangetown

A course for anyone interested in the big questions in life! Join us every Wednesday at Ss Dyfrig and Samson, every week from 7.30pm – 9pm

St Saviour’s Community Consultation

A few weeks ago, we announced some exciting news for St Saviours and Splott, as we work together with Splott Community Volunteers.

We are now beginning our community consultation. This will take many forms but there will be one such session where you can meet with our architects and share some of your hopes, dreams and ambitions for St Saviours and what is needed in our community.

There will be more news soon but, in the meantime, put the date in your diary for a drop in session at St Saviours on Wednesday June 24th between 4 and 6pmI

If you missed the announcement, you can find it here

St Saviour’s
Corpus Christi Celebrations in Port Talbot

The great feast of Corpus Christi is on Sunday 7th June. This is the day when we give thanks to God for the gift of the Eucharist.

Everyone is invited to a celebration of Vespers, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction taking place in St Theodore’s, Port Talbot, that evening at 6pm. See the poster for details.

African Celebration

Put the date in your diary! An African celebration at St Saviour’s Church on July 5th, organised by our wonderful Nigerian families!

Grangetown Consultation

St Paul’s and St Dyfrig & St Samson’s churches in Grangetown are working together to understand what really matters to our community.

A short survey (about 5 minutes) is available and will help us learn how we can serve and support our neighbourhood better.

You can fill in the survey anonymously or leave your details so we can contact you to follow up on your ideas. Your data will not be shared with anyone else and will be deleted after 12 months.

If you prefer you can fill in the survey online at bit.ly/grangetownsurvey

Thank you for your generosity!

The incredible range of activities that you read about in this bulletin, together with our regular round of services and ministry, is only possible thanks to the generosity of those who give financially to our churches.

We are grateful for all your support. If you don’t yet give, then we invite you to consider signing up to the Gift Direct scheme. This acts like a direct debit from your bank account every month, so that you can decided a regular sum to give. To start giving this way, click the link below. On the Gift Direct webpage, on the Beneficiary drop down menu, search for South Cardiff Ministry Area, then select the church you would like to support. Fill out your details on the online form, and the rest will be taken care of for you!

We also invite those who give regularly to review your level of giving. We are conscious that the cost of living is increasing, but this means that our costs are rising too! Once again, we are grateful for everyone’s generosity.

Dates for your diary

Here is a new-look South Cardiff Calendar, with details of lots of upcoming events and activities across our Ministry Area. Make sure you put everything down in your diary so that you don’t miss anything!

There will be more details about these events in future editions of Connect.

This is also available on our website here.

Walsingham 2026

Bookings are now open for the Walsingham Pilgrimage 2026 which takes place from July 20- 23 2026.

You can either book directly online or give your £50 deposit and details to Georgina Partidge, Liz Norman or the clergy.

WALSINGHAM PILGRIMAGE 2026
Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage

Young people aged 11-18 are invited to join us for the Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage from 3-7 August.

Around 500 young people from all over the UK camp in a field just outside the village of Walsingham. Worship takes place in a large marquee led by the excellent worship band CJM. There are also lots of different activities for young people to take part in during the week.

As part of the Welsh camp, all tents are provided and you will be fully catered for. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag, air bed, clothes and toiletries. For more information, please contact Fr Richard and also take a look at the link below to find out more.

WALSINGHAM YOUTH PILGRIMAGE
Worship for the Week Ahead

Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Here’s our pattern of prayer for the week ahead. 

Thursday 4 June| of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
10.00am:  Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson

Friday 5 June | St Boniface, Bishop and Martyr Time
10.00am: Mass at St Saviour’s

Saturday 6 June | Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
10.50am: Morning Prayer at St Mary's followed by
11.00am: Rosary with prayer for the Ministry Area
11.30am: Mass
12 noon: Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

Sunday 7 June | Corpus Christi 
9.30am:  Sung Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
9.30am:  Sung Mass at St Saviour’s
11.00am: Sung Mass at St Paul's
11.00am: Solemn Mass at St Mary's

Monday 1 June | of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
5.45pm;  Eucharistic Devotions followed by
6.30pm:   Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson

Tuesday 2 June | of the 10th week of Ordinary Time
6.30pm:  Mass at St Mary’s

Wednesday 3 June | of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
10.00am: Mass at St Paul's with St Paul's School
11.00am: Mass at St Mary's with St Mary's School

You can discover more about our regular pattern of worship through the week at

WORSHIP

For more prayer resources, check out our ‘Day by Day’ pages which includes prayers for various times and occasions.

Day by Day
Clergy contacts

Ministry Area Leader and Priest for St Mary’s and St Saviour’s: Fr Dean Atkins

07368 176300 | deanjatkins@outlook.com

Ministry Area Vicar and Priest for St Paul’s and Ss Dyfrig & Samson: Fr Richard Green

0333 301 1850 | RichardGreen@cinw.org.uk

Keep in touch

To receive news and updates in your inbox, sign up here:

City of God

Christians live in two realms at the same time – the earthly city and God’s city. How do we navigate these overlapping spaces? Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Tuesday of the 9th week of ordinary time can be found here.

Imagine living in a town where walking across the road means entering a different country. Your neighbour’s house is governed by different laws. The shop on one side of the street pays taxes to one government, while the shop on the opposite side pays them to another. There is actually such a place. The twin towns of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau on the Belgian-Dutch border are so intertwined that the national boundary runs through streets, shops and even houses. You might drink your morning coffee in one country, then cross the shop and into another country to pay for it!

St Augustine of Hippo said that Christians are in a similar situation. We inhabit two cities at once. There is the earthly city, where we are involved in society, obey the laws and pay taxes. But we’re also citizens of the City of God, which has different rules, different values, and a different destination. This is the point Jesus is making in today’s Gospel as he cleverly avoids the trick question from the Pharisees and Herodians about whether people should pay taxes to Caesar. If he answered ‘yes’ he would be portrayed as a collaborator; say ‘no’ and he could be reported as a revolutionary. Jesus notes that the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image – so no harm in letting him have it back. What, though, bears the image of God and therefore belongs to him? Well, everything in all creation, including you and me. God’s realm, his city, which we Christians are part of, is therefore vastly superior to that of Caesar or any earthly ruler.

What does it mean to live as people who bear God’s image and are citizens of his city? Our reading from 2 Peter says that “we are waiting for and hastening the coming day of God” and urges us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” By all means let us render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. But let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the heavenly kingdom, live out its values day by day, and so hasten its final coming.

Mass today is in St Mary’s at 6.30pm.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, then check out our Day By Day pages.

The greatest gifts

Humans are often yearning for the latest gadget or item, but God has already given us so many wonderful gifts. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.

Readings for Monday of the 9th week of ordinary time (memorial of St Justin, Martyr) can be found here.

A ubiquitous and seemingly essential gadget of modern times is the smartphone. Now so much more than just a phone, it allows us to check the news, scroll social media, take photos and videos, track how many steps we’re walking, watch movies, and so much more. The very first iPhone appeared in 2007, nearly 20 years ago, and was simply called “the iPhone”. Today we’re on the iPhone 17, or the seventeenth version, and the Apple company is forever planning the next upgrade. Many consumers feel the pressure to keep up. The current phone works perfectly well, but people are always eager to get the latest version.

We might think that the desire to have ever more stuff is a modern phenomenon, but we also see it in the parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel reading today.  The tenants already have a wonderful vineyard in which to grow their produce. The owner has given them everything they might need  – a fence around it, a pit for the winepress and a tower. And yet they want more. They want to keep all of the fruit themselves, refusing to acknowledge the authority of the vineyard owner. Finally they want control of the vineyard itself, killing the owner’s son. Of course the parable is about the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day, but the point is the same. The leaders want total control of the vineyard (representing Israel), and will not accept the greatest gift God wants to give, his only Son. 

In our first reading, Peter reminds his readers that God “has given us all the things we need for life and for true devotion.” Often we humans can yearn for more when we already have so much. In this Eucharist we receive the most precious gift of all, the gift that the owner of the vineyard sought to give the tenants, God’s own Son. Let us take that word – Eucharist, thanksgiving – to heart as we acknowledge that here we receive, completely free, the most wonderful riches we could ever wish for.

Mass today is in St Dyfrig & St Samson at 6.30pm.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.

Doubt and Faith

The opposite of faith is doubt, not certainty. Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.

Readings for Saturday of Week 8 in Ordinary Time be found here

As we began to emerge from the Covid lockdown, sporting events were allowed under strict conditions.  One such rule was that no fans were allowed in the stadium which much have made for a strange experience for the players—although watching at home, we had the clever addition of canned cheers. In the world of football, fans are often described as the 12th player, as they urge their side along. We all need encouragement, and the positive presence of others around us can make all the difference.

In his letter of encouragement which we heard earlier, Jude urges believers to defend the faith against false teachers. He also urges us to encourage one another, in particular, to “have mercy on those who doubt.”  We often think of doubt as being the opposite of faith but Paul Tillich, the Lutheran theologian, in his book Dynamic of Faith wrote, “doubt is not the the opposite of faith. It is one element of faith.” Because requires risk, the true opposite of faith is certainty—the illusion that we can completely control or fully possess the ultimate truth. From this, Anne Lamott, a Christian writer, coined the phrase, “The opposite of faith is certainty.” In the gospel reading, those who question Jesus are looking for certain and definite answers from him, but he refuses to be trapped by their words. In a subtle way, he draws out their own sense of uncertainty.

As we live out our Christian faith, we should not be too worried when doubts come our way. It’s all part of being human, and growing in faith, grappling with the situations of our life, and with the reality of God, just like Jacob wrestled with the angel in the book of Genesis. We can be a source of encouragement for others, as others can be for us.

 

Mass today is in S Paul’s at 10am and St Mary’s at 1130am

If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.