Bishop Mary is delighted to announce that the Rev’d Edward Owen and the Rev’d Mary Evans have been appointed as Vicars in the Garth Ministry Area. 

Edward is well known to the Diocese of Llandaff, having served in different posts right across the diocese. He is currently Vicar in the South Cardiff Ministry Area, overseeing St Dyfrig & St Samson’s and St Paul’s Grangetown and will be joining the Garth Ministry Area as Vicar for New Worshipping Communities.

Mary, who was ordained in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, and served in the Diocese of St Asaph, joins the Diocese of Llandaff for the first time as Vicar for Spirituality and Invitation for the Garth Ministry Area.

Bishop Mary says: “I am delighted that Edward and Mary are joining the Garth Ministry Area. Their appointment completes the clergy team and, I am confident that their pastoral wisdom, spiritual energy and their experience will set the foundation for the next stage in the life of the Garth Ministry Area as they seek to reach into the new communities in the ministry area and deepen the spirituality of those in their congregations.”

Both Edward Owen and Mary Evans will start in early Autumn. Edward will have pastoral oversight of the communities of Pentyrch, Capel Llanilltern and Groesfaen and Mary will have pastoral oversight of the communities of Radyr and Danescourt.

The churches of South Cardiff Ministry Area give thanks to God for Fr Edward’s ministry amongst us and we assure him and his wife Philippa of our prayers and support as he prepares for this next exciting stage in his ministry.

Fr Dean said, “Fr Edward has been part of the formation of the Ministry Area since its beginnings in 2022 and also in the months beforehand. I thank him for the shared ministry we have experienced and for all that has been achieved. We assure him and Phillipa of our prayers as they prepare to move on.”

At the opening rounds of a meeting today, each one of us is asked what our energy levels are. It’s Friday at 4pm. It’s a good question.

Some are tired. Others exhausted. Some are “still standing.” Faisal, in typical form, says he is wonderfully “Hunky Dory.” Waz, in his cheeky, upward way of thinking, says “Every day’s a gift.” I follow him. Can’t match his optimism. I’d probably have fallen asleep in the armchair by now. But suddenly I’m energised by those I share the table with.

It’s a meeting of the core team responsible for the investment of the Youth Endowment Fund in Butetown and Grangetown. We’re there, with our feet under the table, alongside Tiger Bay Football Club, Foundation for Sport, Tiger Bay Football Club, Hayaat Women’s Trust, St Mary’s School, Ffair Jobs Cymru, Tiger Bay Security, and ourselves, all part of Citizens Cymru.

We catch up on the diversionary activities which try to guide young people away from harm and crime, activities to help them flourish.

The guys from the sporting associations are humble about the impact they’re having. But it’s significant. They deserve our praise and admiration, unsung heroes in the midst of so many challenges. They don’t seem to waver. There is real concern for those with whom they work.

Carina from Citizens UK spells it out. “You’re working with 599 young people,” she says. She is joining us online, and has obviously done her work on the figures.

The lads from Tiger Bay Security update us on a recent contract with the BBC, over twenty local young people employed. And Faisal shares the plans for a Mental Health Navigator. We talk too about Employment opportunities for young people, and literacy and additional learning needs, an employed Champion hopefully on their way soon.

There are plans for the Summer too. They’re all coordinating themselves, planning daily activities for young people, working together to offer a programme to make a difference, as everyone shares what’s happening across July and August. Ali notes them down.

As I walk home, alongside Nicki, the headteacher of St Mary’s School, and Fr Edward, a deal is done in plain sight on the street. Four people who present as homeless, hand over money and receive drugs. They don’t try to hide it. There is no need. This is normal now.

The dealer rides off on his bike.

He is no more than 18 or 19 yrs old.

He does not look at us.

It’s like we’re not there.

I wonder what his story is. Who he is. Why and how he’s been drawn into the drugs trade.

The buyers walk slowly behind us, their story equally hidden from us.

When I get home, I could still fall asleep on the sofa although I’m more energised now, will stay awake until proper bedtime calls.

Instead, I water the plants outside the church and wander onto Bute Street. Three Buddhist monks are taking photographs of one another at the large crucifix facing out onto Bute Street. The brightness of their orange robes reflect their smiles.

I say hello, shake hands, welcome them, ask them where they’re from. Thailand, they say. They’re staying here, just for one night. I leave them to their snaps. Wish them well.

Earlier today, at St Saviour’s, we celebrated the funeral of an old faithful, 97 year old John Ryan, a great storyteller who often regaled us with tales from his long life.

He’d joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 15yrs old in the midst of the Second Word War and, at one point, had gone missing for six months when his ship had been torpedoed.

As life slowed down for him, he’d retained a cheerfulness and hopefulness. Whilst physically challenged, his energy levels for life remained. He pushed himself as far as he could go. And he always made us laugh with his tales.

Today has been a day of being inspired by young and old alike, finding energy from somewhere and from someone. And, yes, Waz was right. Every day’s a gift.

We walked and talked, we played and planted, sowed seeds and took chances. We feasted, shared tables, drank coffee, were entertained and went on an adventure. Refugee Week was a vibrant week full of colour!

We’re gathering together some of our output during Refugee Week, including articles, daily reflections, videos, pictures…and a few favourite social media posts. This is a dynamic page which will receive more additions over the next few days – so be sure to come back!

Menu

1. Blogs
   1. Tuesday
   2. Thursday
   3. Friday
2. Daily Reflection and Prayer
   1. Monday
   2. Tuesday
   3. Wednesday
   4. Thursday
   5. Friday
   6. Saturday
3. Videos
   1. Highlights from the week
   2. Welsh Refugee Council Celebrations
4. Posts
5. Gallery

Blogs

During the week, Fr Dean was blogging with reflections on the events of the week.

Tuesday

Thursday

Friday

Daily Reflection and Prayer

Each day, we celebrated Mass with a reflection of some aspect of the week based on the Bible readings of the day

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Videos

Refugee Week Promo

A video from Refugee Week which we shared at Mass on the first Sunday

Highlights from the week

Sit back and enjoy some highlights of the week from Sunday 16th to Sunday 23rd June

Welsh Refugee Council Celebrations

The Welsh Refugee Council’s celebration at Cardiff Central Library on Saturday 23 June was full of colour and music

The Great Get Together Barbecue

After our Sanctuary Sunday Mass we gathered with others for the Great Get Together Barbecue

St Mary’s School

A lovely video from St Mary’s school with highlights of a week…and a bit!

Sanctuary Alphabet

We played this wonderful film from St Mary’s School at the Sunday Mass on 16th June. It was premiered at last year’s Refugee Week celebrations.

Posts

Moorland Primary School in Splott made good use of our wildflower seeds.

This week, we also celebrated Windrush Day, and St Paul’s Primary School did what they do so well!

St Mary’s School have partnered with Blaenavon Heritage School during Refugee Week and this was the first time the pupils met with one another.

There was a wonderful celebration on Saturday with St Mary’s, St Paul’s and Tredegarville Primary Schools at the Wales Millennium Centre

Gallery

We snapped away so much during the week. Here are just some of the pics!

Make sure you return soon! We’ve still got a few more things to share over the next few days!

Funding

As part of our developing Faithful Butetown project we received a small grant from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund awarded by Cardiff Council’s Community Cohesion Team.

This meant that we could offer four free performances of the Betty Campbell play to 6 schools during Refugee Week. The rest of the grant will be used to further develop Faithful Butetown. More details about this exciting project coming soon!

He runs across the field to the bin, with a cupcake wrapper in his hand. He looks back across the field. “Look at all this trash,” he exclaims.

Minutes later, he’s running around collecting litter like it’s a game, filling the large black bag I carry. We are two litter collectors surrounded by fun and feasting. Soon we are three and then four. We’re later joined by a fifth. They are a few five year olds who take delight in collecting litter.

And then, in a lull from the litter collecting, he approaches me again, looks up from his less than four foot height.

“Fr Dean, am I Christian?”

“Yes, you are,” I say, smiling. He seems happy with that, and then darts off to deliver another scrap of paper to the refuse bag.

We’re at the Global Picnic at St Mary’s Primary School. Earlier in the afternoon, I gathered with hundreds of others in Grange Gardens for the Great Get Together Picnic with St Paul’s Primary School. Altogether, three Primary Schools fill the space. This is a well organised chaos of colour as members of staff keep an eager eye on all that is happening. Families have gathered too, their picnic blankets displaying a banquet of global flavours.

“You made it,” says one little lad. At St Paul’s School Mass earlier in the week, I’d said that I would do my best to get there, had hoped I would. During the Mass, we had taken a Refugee Week theme, and distributed packets of wildflower seeds to care for our home which is the world, and to scatter and spread a welcome for all who seek safety and sanctuary.

This week, they’ve supported Oasis in Splott through sponsored walks, “walking a mile in their shoes” to raise awareness and funds for the work Oasis does. Last night, a few of us gathered there for their Cultural Cabaret, heard the sounds of Iran and Morocco, and the stories of those who had journeyed far.

“Am I Christian?”

The little lad who asks this question is from a lovely Nigerian, Christian family, and it’s been a joy to accompany them on their journey of faith as he and his siblings receive communion each Sunday and during the School Mass at St Mary’s. For him and his younger brother, I break off a small piece of the host, place it into their hands.

He’s found himself in Cardiff for a little while, and landed in a multicultural community and school where there’s a number of different religions living and learning alongside one another. Faith is a common currency here. It’s easy to talk about as each of us tries to find our way in the world.

At the beginning of the week, our Justice Cafe met to welcome Jim Stewart from Open Doors. He shared the ‘Watch List’ of countries where Christians are most persecuted. More than 365 million Christians worldwide face persecution and discrimination for their faith – that’s one in seven believers. Many become refugees.

But refugees are formed by so many forces whether political or religious, or forced from their homes by environmental disasters or climate change.

Each day during Refugee Week, we have offered Mass, set all our activities in prayer. Monday’s Mass was offered for persecuted Christians. Yesterday’s Mass was for good relationships between people of different faiths. And today, we prayed for all who arrive in our communities seeking safety.

The Betty Campbell play for schools was performed to over 200 children, telling the story of Cardiff and Wales through the lens of her life, tackling issues such as racism and poverty, discrimination and immigration, economics and personal struggles. Sounds like General Election campaign except it was a bit more fun.

Back at home, I look out through my kitchen window, see the birds swooping down to pick up the pieces of the picnic left at St Mary’s School. The rest of the litter has been cleared by five year olds.

Some former pupils of the School have also called in today. They feel at home here, reconnect with their teachers as I realise afresh what effect teachers really have, and how much concern they have for those in their care. I am in awe of them.

“Am I Christian?”

How do we define ourselves? And when does this journey begin? This week has seen many journeys. We’ve walked through Butetown. We’ve welcomed children from other communities and schools. And we have imagined the journey of those who have travelled an ever greater distance, dangerous and sometimes deadly, trafficked and taken for granted, often for a fee.

Tonight, I think about my own five year old memories, and I can’t pin any down to any precise moment in time. I imagine that I never asked the question of anyone, “Am I Christian?”

But here, it is a safe place to ask that question. It’s a place where we can create space to explore.

Our landscape is so often littered with many distractions and so much rubbish. In between, perhaps we can pause, ask the questions that really matter. Learn from one another. And begin to discover who we really are.