Dear Friends,
When South Cardiff Ministry Area was created by the Diocese of Llandaff in January 2022, it was intended that it would be staffed by three full-time stipendiary priests.
With the new Diocesan calculation of the Parish Share, the Ministry Area Council decided that the churches could not afford to pay according to the new formula which requested £55,000 per cleric. So, the third post (with responsibility for Splott) was cut altogether which obviously reduced the staffing levels by a third. The extra responsibilities would be covered by the remaining clergy.
Fr Edward is now preparing to move onto a new stage of his ministry, and we wish him well as we assure him of our prayers and support, and thank him for his ministry among us. We will have an opportunity to do that on Sunday 11 August at St Paul’s from 12 noon.
It’s expected that, after the process of advertising, shortlisting and interviewing, anyone who is appointed to the position of Vicar in the Ministry Area is likely to begin in 2025. Therefore, over the next six months, we will be reduced to one stipendiary priest.
The timing of this, in the middle of the Summer holidays, has meant some challenge in finding clergy to provide cover. However, I have managed to cover every Sunday’s Sung Celebration in every church between Sunday 18 August and December 31, with one difficulty only. On Sunday 18 August, the 1030am Eucharist at St Paul’s will have to be a Said Eucharist (rather than Sung) so that I can dash from there to get to St Mary’s for the 11am celebration.
I am grateful to the retired clergy who have been able to make themselves available. Alongside their help, from Sunday to Sunday I will also personally cover a different combination of celebrations every Sunday between now and 2025.
The proposed change of times we’ve been exploring for the churches of Grangetown is intended to offer more flexibility for MA clergy to celebrate Mass in different combinations of churches (particularly when we are able welcome a new priest as Vicar across the MA). I am grateful to all who participated in this consultation. The new times will begin on 1st September with celebrations at 930am at Saints Dyfrig and Samson and 11am at St Paul’s.
Moving forward, each of us may have to make some sacrifice or cost. So, I want to be open and honest with you.
One of my personal costs will obviously be the increased workload and responsibilities not just on Sundays but throughout the week.
When I began at St Mary’s eight years ago, I had responsibility for one Sunday congregation in one church in one community. In recent times, this has been quadrupled. So, I ask for your patience and support as I attempt to juggle the increased responsibilities.
During this period, considering the difficulties outlined above (with the time of year and the speed of Fr Edward’s moving on) the Sunday 8am celebration at St Paul’s will have to be paused. This will allow us to look realistically at our capacity, and what we wish to achieve. I know this will be disappointing to those who attend that particular celebration but there remains a celebration of the Eucharist in St Paul’s Church every single Sunday, just as in each of the other churches.
To put this into context, it’s worth noting that, regarding the celebrations of the Eucharist from Monday to Saturday, St Mary’s Church will lose three out of six Masses, and St Saviour’s will also halve its number of Masses to one. Meanwhile, the number of weekday Masses at St Paul’s and Saints Dyfrig and Samson will remain the same.
We aim to be a creative and resourceful community. This means making the most of the little we have in order to achieve as much as possible. However, this ‘little’ is getting smaller, and so we need to be more realistic and practical, more creative and resourceful as we move forward.
It is certain that none of us created the situation in which we find ourselves. We didn’t create Ministry Areas. We didn’t create the increased financial cost of clergy. We didn’t determine the timing at which these most recent changes have come.
However, what is within our power is the ability to create a new situation and to respond to the changing landscape with faith, hope and love. Whilst not always being able to address individual preferences and needs, the whole community of faith spread across the whole of the Ministry Area can have a sense of unity and a vision for the future that builds our capacity so that we are “standing firm, united in spirit, and in mind, side by side in the struggle to advance the gospel faith” (Philippians 1:27)
Within the ongoing proposed pattern of worship in the Ministry Area, we remain blessed with four Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist in three different communities across four churches, and a celebration of Mass every single day throughout the week. This happens across just two square miles. In this we are blessed.
Meanwhile, growing from these celebrations is a rich and effective ministry exercised across our communities by clergy and laity.
So, thank you for your shared partnership in the gospel and for your willingness to adapt and make changes. Together, we can continue to make a difference in a world of difference. We can be a creative and resourceful community which is welcoming, faithful and just.
Fr Dean Atkins
10 August 2024
HEADLINES
- For the next six months (at least) we will have one stipendiary priest ministering across four former parishes (previously supported by three priests)
- Across the Ministry Area, the number of stipendiary priests has been cut from three to two so that we can save parishioners the cost of £55,000 a year.
- Each church in the MA will each continue to have a celebration of the Eucharist every single Sunday.
- Mass will be celebrated each day in one of the churches across the MA maintained by our stipendiary priest (and supported, when required, by our retired clergy).
- St Mary’s church will halve the number of weekday Masses from six to three.
- St Saviours will halve the number of their weekdays Masses from two to one.
- St Paul’s and Saints Dyfrig and Samson will maintain their usual number of Masses during the week.
- St Paul’s Church will halve its number of Sunday celebrations from two to one and, like every other church in the Ministry Area, enjoy one celebration of the Eucharist on a Sunday.
- From Sunday September 1, the times of Sunday Celebrations are as follows:
Grangetown
9.30am Ss Dyfrig and Samson
11am St Paul’s Church
Splott
9.30am St Saviour’s Church
Butetown
11am St Mary the Virgin
South Cardiff Ministry Area 