News of an exciting opportunity for our church and community.
We’ve been talking to Splott Community Volunteers about how we can work together to open the church to the community and make improvements to the building.
This is an exciting project which will explore the possibilities that this building brings for the community, whilst keeping the existing church services.
We will not be losing any of our activities, but will be gaining a community partner that will run the building and open our doors to the wider community for a range of activities.
We have had funding from the Architectural Heritage Foundation and will be working with an architectural firm to ask what you would like to see happen in this building, and you will be invited to share your thoughts and ideas in the next few weeks.
Nothing is set in stone – this is the start of a search for ideas and we want you to be involved at every step.
We are excited about this project and look forward to introducing you to the architectural team in the next few weeks. They are also excited to meet you and not only listen to you but really understand your connection to the church and the things that are most important to you.
If, at the end of this initial stage, we feel like joining together is a good idea and we want to explore further, we will ensure that you are part of the bigger project from start to finish.
If you have any questions, please speak to Fr Dean or Glyn Perryman
How can we connect with those who identify as Christian? How can we further share the gospel and the truth of Jesus with them?Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.
Readings for Saturday in the Sixth Week of Easter can be found here
In the last UK census, the percentage of the population who identified as being Christian in England and Wales was 46.2%. Obviously, this doesn’t equate to the number of people who attend church regularly or at all, but the fact remains that beyond the boundaries of the various churches is a large number of people who, in some way, consider themselves to be Christian, whatever that may mean.
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Apollos entered the stage. He is a Jew from Alexandria and we discover him in Ephesus preaching about Jesus. Heard by Aquila and Priscilla, they recognise his faith but also that he doesn’t know the whole gospel. It shows how the news of Jesus was reaching far and wide by word of mouth, and perhaps some things got lost along the way. Apollos was a believer, but he seems to have lived outside of the life of the church. With the encouragement of Aquila and Priscilla he is welcomed into the fold and becomes a great player in the spread of the gospel.
To use some imagery from Jesus, the vineyard is fruitful, with so many people who, whilst their faith may not have brought them to the life of the church, have some common ground. How can we connect with those who identify as Christian? How can we further share the gospel and the truth of Jesus with them? Of course, we already do this in so many different ways but perhaps there are other ways in which we can experience that common ground and become a church with no boundaries, a church with no walls.
Mass today is in S Mary’s at 1130am
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
Jesus is not shy about talking about the sorrow of life but he also promised joy, a joy that will not be taken away. Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.
Readings for Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter can be found here
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions,” wrote Shakespeare in his play, Hamlet. The words are spoken by King Claudius as he responds to a series of crises. Polonius, his court councillor is dead, leaving behind his children, Ophelia, who has gone mad, and Laertes, who has returned to threaten Claudius’s rule. Sorrow upon sorrow is stacking up. It never rains but it pours.
In the gospel reading, Jesus is not shy about talking about the sorrows his disciples will experience. It is as inevitable as the pain of childbirth. But something new is happening and soon sorrow will turn to joy, just as a mother’s pain is assuaged by their new born baby. Likewise, the threats that St Paul experiences on his missionary journeys is evident, and in other passages from Acts we find him in prison, flogged and shipwrecked. He also speaks of having a thorn in the flesh which he carried with him throughout his life. But still he continues, moving onwards to proclaim the good news of Jesus.
Throughout our lives, all of us will experience varying degrees of sorrow. From simple disappointments to deep grief, from aches and pains to something more serious. Our life with Christ does not promise us a pain free experience of the world, and some of the sacrifices we are called to make for Christ may indeed cost us dearly. However, what he does promise us is that joy will come, a joy that no one or nothing can take from us. As we present our needs and concerns to God in prayer each day, in that day, says Jesus, when we experience the joy he promises, we will ask nothing of him. The battalion of sorrows will be behind us.
Mass today is in S Saviour’s Church at 10am
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
As he ascends to the heavenly heights, Jesus gives the great commission: go out to the whole world. Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.
Readings for the Ascension of the Lord can be found here
Marshal McLuhan was a visionary Canadian philosopher and a foundational figure incommunicationstudies. Often called the “father of media studies,” he coined the term “global village” to describe how electronic media enables human interaction on a global scale.
Today, as we celebration the Ascension of the Lord, our eyes may indeed be on heaven where Christ has gone before us as he returns to the Father. And yet, the angels ask them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven?” The words of Jesus turns his disciples’ sights outwards to the world, the global village. The Acts of the Apostles has Jesus telling his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” and Matthew’s account has him saying “Go, and make disciples of all nations.”
From the earliest days, the commission given to the disciples was global, charging them to set their sights on the global village beyond the confines of Jerusalem. The good news of Jesus is for the whole world. In the years to come, the apostles will leave the familiarity of their home to travel far and wide to proclaim the risen Lord throughout the world. However, before they can do that, they are told to “stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Promise of the Father” by which he means the Holy Spirit. We may be eager and restless to move on, to think that we can and should do more, thinking that being busy and active is the be all and end all. However, before we do that, we also need to spend time in stillness, waiting for God’s Spirit to guide us and strengthen us. That’s the promise of today’s celebration. The promise of the Father, the gift of the Spirit who raises our hearts to heaven and strengthens us to serve him in the world.
Mass today is in Ss Dyfrig and Samson at 10am and S Mary’s at 7pm
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
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!
We are continuing our celebration of the Easter season, which lasts for 50 days until the great feast of Pentecost.
We have a busy week ahead with the celebration of Ascension Day, the continuation of Christian Aid Week, coffee mornings at St Paul’s and St Saviour’s, and a Doctor Who-themed church service. We also look ahead to our Alpha Course at D & S, Refugee Week, Corpus Christi Vespers in Port Talbot, a strawberry tea in St Saviour’s and more besides!
Christian Aid Week
May means Christian Aid Week which began on Sunday May 10th, and continues until Saturday May 16th. There are envelopes and collection tins in all of our churches to enable you to donate.
Christian Aid Week is a powerful expression of what can happen when compassion leads to action.
It’s our shared moment to come together – across churches, communities and households – to stand alongside people living in poverty around the world.
For one week each year, thousands of people across Britain and Ireland give, fundraise, pray and act together. Together, those actions make change possible.
A weekend of coffee mornings!
If coffee mornings are your things, then you’re in a for a treat this weekend, as we have not one but two! On Saturday 16 May St Paul’s are holding one to raise money for the redevelopment of the old church building, while on Sunday 17 May there’s one in St Saviour’s to support Christian Aid Week. Come along and enjoy!
Refugee Week – Coming Soon!
We’re looking forward to sharing news of our Refugee Week and Great Together events. Put the dates in your diary for a week of wonderful celebrations.
You can find more about them in these short videos. This year is the tenth anniversary of Jo Cox’s Death, and so the Great Together will be particularly special.
Ascension of the Lord
Celebrate the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday 14 May. It’s one of the great and most important feasts of the church, and there are two Masses celebrated in the Ministry Area.
Special services this week
This week sees two of our monthly acts of worship taking place … Eucharistic Adoration before our Monday evening Mass, and our Mass in Welsh on Wednesday, both in St Dyfrig & St Samson. All are welcome.
Strawberry Tea
Join us on Sunday June 15 for our Strawberry Tea at St Saviour’s. Get your tickets now – £5 for Adults; £2.50 for children.
St Paul hosts Doctor Who Themed Service
St Paul’s will hold a special service this Sunday to mark the anniversary of a Doctor Who episode filmed in the area. It will host the event at 11:00 on 17 May, marking the broadcast of Father’s Day, first shown on Doctor Who on 14 May 2005.
A course for anyone interested in the big questions in life! Join us on Wednesday 20 May at Ss Dyfrig and Samson, every week from 730pm – 9pm
OMG! It’s time for young people!
Check out the latest OMG! event at St Saviour’s! We’ve changed the date of the next event so that it can form part of our Refugee Week celebrations on June 14th at 5pm. We had some amazing titles and book covers for our life stories!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Here’s our pattern of prayer for the week ahead.
Thursday 14 May| Ascension of the Lord 10.00am: Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson 7.00pm: Mass at St Mary's
Friday 15 May | of the 6th Week of Easter 10.00am: Mass at St Saviour’s
Saturday 16 May | of the 6th Week of Easter 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 17 May | Seventh Sunday of Easter 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 18 May | of the 7th week of Easter 5.45pm: Eucharistic Adoration at Ss Dyfrig & Samson 6.30pm: Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
Tuesday 19 May | of the 7th week of Easter 6.30pm: Mass at St Mary’s
Wednesday 20 May | of the 7th week of Easter 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
In today’s reading, a jail break puts the prison officer in danger. “How can I be saved?” he asks. Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.
Readings for Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter can be found here
Nelson Mandela once said that “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
In the reading from Acts, Paul and Silas are freed from their physical chains by an act of God. This in turn plunges the prison guard into a terrible dilemma. For the prison guard to want to kill himself, suggests that the punishment he would have received because there has been a jail break under his watch would be far more severe. We can only imagine and shudder at the thought. The guard seeks Paul’s advice. “What must I do to be saved?” What kind of question is this? Saved from what? Saved from punishment, torture and death? Whatever he meant by the question, Paul is quick with an answer. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
For Paul, salvation is not about survival or getting away with something, or coming up with a plan to slip the grip of authority in a harsh and violent world. Salvation is what Christ has won for us on the cross, a life with God for ever, knowing, loving and serving him. Freedom in Christ is not about doing what we want or being able to live with no boundaries. That would be anarchy. No, freedom means being liberated from the power of sin, and enjoying the life that Christ want to give us, life in all its fullness.
Mass today is in S Mary’s at 6.30pm
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
How can we approach one another with open hearts and create dialogue that is gentle and fruitful? Here’s today’s reflection from the daily Mass.
Readings for Monday of the 6th week of Easter can be found here
Dialogue between people of different beliefs and ideologies can so often be confrontational rather than engaging. This is particularly true of political debate, but even truer of many of the conversations and debates which happen on social media—which very often begins in an angry way and so can only escalate further.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we meet Lydia, who is colourfully portrayed as a dealer in purple goods, probably selling expensive purple garments to the elite. She was, then, a wealthy businesswoman. Thyatira, the city in Asia Minor from where she came, was famous for its purple dye trade. However, we find her in Philippi in Greece and so she had travelled some way. As she listens to Paul preaching at the riverside, her heart is opened to his words and she becomes the first convert to Christianity on the continent of Europe as Paul and others travel far and wide on their missionary journeys.
We know that Lydia already believed in God but she was willing to listen to what Paul had to say. Her heart was opened. One of the best pieces of advice is often not to talk about politics and religion because it so often leads to arguments. But this doesn’t need to be the case. The problem is not the topic in question but our own disposition. How open are we to listening to one another? How gentle can we be with one another’s beliefs and ideologies? How can we, as Christians, help to create a culture that is less divisive and more engaging?
Mass today is in Ss Dyfrig and Samson at 6.30pm
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
Sometimes we are inclined to go full steam ahead with our own ideas and plans. Often God has something different in store, and so we need to listen to him. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Saturday of the 5th week of Easter can be found here.
A teacher hands out an examination paper to a classroom full of students. At the top of the front page are the instructions, written clearly in bold: “Read all the questions carefully before beginning.” But, of course, hardly anyone does. The moment the papers land on the desks, the students start writing furiously. Only when they reach the very last question do they discover the instruction: “Do not answer any of the questions in this exam paper.” All that frantic activity, and all for nothing because nobody paused long enough to listen first. We can all be a bit like that, both in our own lives and as the Church. We think that we know best, what we should be doing and where we should be going. But often God has different ideas!
We see this happening in our first reading, as Paul continues with his second great missionary journey and gains a companion, Timothy. Twice they attempted to go to a certain area: firstly Asia, and then Bithynia, both in the far west of modern-day Turkey. Paul and Timothy thought that these were the places they needed to go. This was their plan, their agenda. But we are told that in both cases, the Holy Spirit prevented them. We are not told exactly how, but in some way or another their plans were frustrated. This leads them to Troas where God finally makes clear his plan for Paul and Timothy. Paul has his famous vision of the man from Macedonia urging them to come over, and so the Gospel is taken for the first time onto the continent of Europe.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus talks about the importance of following the divine will rather than the human: “…you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world”. All of us need to remember this. We need to put aside our own well- laid plans, and spend serious time in prayer, in worship and in studying the Scriptures, so that God may have the space to make his will known to us. If we do that, then who knows – as with Paul and Timothy, he may lead us to do extraordinary things.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am (preceded by the Rosary at 11am)
If you would like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
Disagreements in society and in the life of the Church are inevitable. The early Church shows us a way to deal with these so that everyone is respected and Christian love can be maintained. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Thursday of the 5th week of Easter can be found here.
The former US President Bill Clinton once said that “politics is the art of compromise”. What he meant was that no matter how firmly held your principles, you’re unlikely to get everything you want. Sometimes, you have to let the other side get a bit of what they want as well. The art comes in knowing how much to compromise and when. Clinton tried to pioneer a so-called “Third Way” in American politics, bringing together left and right. That seems a world away from today’s divisive political world. It will be interesting to see if the art of compromise comes to Cardiff Bay after today’s election if, as expected, no single party has a majority.
The art of compromise is evident in today’s reading from Acts, which records the first big disagreement and the first big decision-making event of the early Church. The issue was whether Gentile converts to Christianity had to become Jews and adopt all 613 commands of the Torah, including circumcision for males. As we heard in yesterday’s reading, some Jewish Christians argued vehemently that they should, while Paul and Barnabas were on the other side. Today we learn that Peter agreed with his fellow apostles. James, Jesus’ brother, decides the matter with a compromise: the Gentiles will not have to adopt the whole of the Jewish law, but will be asked to abstain from certain foods and from sexual immorality, out of respect for their Jewish brothers and sisters.
This isn’t a political deal of the Clinton type, however. It is a decision guided by what God had been doing through the Holy Spirit in bringing the Gentiles to faith in Jesus. It is also rooted in the essence of what Jesus says in today’s Gospel when he says to the disciples “abide in my love”. Christian communities will not always agree. But the solution is not about one side winning and the other side losing. Rather, it is about working out, with God’s guidance, how we can best live together in love. Let us hope that that attitude will also be present in Cardiff Bay in the coming days and weeks!
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.
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!
We are continuing our celebration of the Easter season, which lasts for 50 days until the great feast of Pentecost.
Christian Aid Week begins this Sunday, and we also have a number of other things to look forward to from Thrive at Five at St Paul’s, the Alpha course at D and S, and Strawberry Tea at St Saviour’s to name just a few!
Christian Aid Week
May means Christian Aid Week which begins this Sunday May 10th, and there will be an opportunity to donate across the Ministry Area.
Christian Aid Week is a powerful expression of what can happen when compassion leads to action.
It’s our shared moment to come together – across churches, communities and households – to stand alongside people living in poverty around the world.
For one week each year, thousands of people across Britain and Ireland give, fundraise, pray and act together. Together, those actions make change possible.
Refugee Week – Coming Soon!
We’re looking forward to sharing news of our Refugee Week and Great Together events. Put the dates in your diary for a week of wonderful celebrations.
You can find more about them in these short videos. This year is the tenth anniversary of Jo Cox’s Death, and so the Great Together will be particularly special.
Thrive at Five
The next Thrive at Five for young people is on Sunday 10th May 5-6:30pm in St Paul’s. It’s a time of encouragement, teaching, prayer and food!
Ascension of the Lord
Celebrate the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday 14 May. It’s one of the great and most important feasts of the church, and there are two Masses celebrated in the Ministry Area.
Strawberry Tea
Join us on Sunday June 15 for our Strawberry Tea at St Saviour’s. Get your tickets now – £5 for Adults; £2.50 for children.
St Paul hosts Doctor Who Themed Service
St Paul’s will hold a special service next month to mark the anniversary of a Doctor Who episode filmed in the area. It will host the event at 11:00 on 17 May, marking the broadcast of Father’s Day, first shown on Doctor Who on 14 May 2005.
A course for anyone interested in the big questions in life! Join us on Wednesday 20 May at Ss Dyfrig and Samson, every week from 730pm – 9pm
OMG! It’s time for young people!
Check out the latest OMG! event at St Saviour’s! We’ve changed the date of the next event so that it can form part of our Refugee Week celebrations on June 14th at 5pm. We had some amazing titles and book covers for our life stories!
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.
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.
PLEASE NOTE: The next OMG! event has been moved to 14 June
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.
Mass is celebrated each day across our churches. Here’s our pattern of prayer for the week ahead.
Thursday 7 May| of the 5th week of Easter 10.00am: Mass at Ss Dyfrig and Samson
Friday 8 May | of the 5th Week of Easter 10.00am: Mass at St Saviour’s
Saturday 9May | of the 5th Week of Easter 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 10 May | Sixth Sunday of Easter 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 11 May | of the 6th week of Easter 6.30pm: Mass at Ss Dyfrig & Samson
Tuesday 12 May | of the 6th week of Easter 6.30pm: Mass at St Mary’s
Wednesday 13 May | of the 6th week of Easter 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
South Cardiff Ministry Area 