The Shrine of Our Lady of Penrhys has stood here since Medieval times, on land farmed by the monks of Llantarnam Abbey. Tradition tells us that an image of our Lady and Child was found grafted in the branches of an oak tree. It could not be removed until a place was built to enshrine it.
The Shrine was toppled during the sixteenth century Reformation and the image taken under cover of darkness, and burned in the same fire as Our Lady of Walsingham.
Despite those days, pilgrimage still continues. The present statue was placed here by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff in 1953. There is a holy well associated with the shrine which you’ll find a few hundred yards away on the mountainside.
Hwyl
We stand on hallowed ground
with Mary’s form
played out in Pennant stone.
She holds the child
whose birth brings life to all.
Crowned by the wind
behind the bus stop,
here she seems to stand
with a sense of irony,
questions us
about what we mean by sacred.
Unkempt grass and, downhill,
a well that does not flow,
almost overgrown,
slowly being lost
to the brambles and the buddleia.
Stone replaces wood upon the mountain.
The oakened image of the past
was burned to cinders,
five centuries ago
but a memory still lingers.
We, as pilgrims still,
still pass this way,
and pause awhile
to hear that hilltop song of Mary’s heart,
‘My soul proclaims the Lord my God,’
as we try to make sense of the sacred.
Bible Reading
From Luke 1:39-56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth... And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.'
Prayer
Lord God,
I stand upon the ground
marked out by Mary.
On this mountain,
the faithful pilgrims of the past
knelt in prayer to you,
their tapers lit the night.
The oakened forests have long gone,
but what remains
is a silent, subtle image of your love
played out in Mary’s life.
Here, on the mountaintop of Penrhys
with a view of the valley,
we raise our hearts to you
with all pilgrims
who have soaked this land in prayer,
and proclaimed your greatness,
displayed in the lives of those
who are holy and humble.
May we always rejoice
in your goodness,
O Lord,
and constantly sing your praise.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Stay Awhile
Stay awhile, be still, and be at peace.
Here, at times,
the wind can be harsh,
and the mist can enfold us.
On a clear day,
the sun can warm our heads,
and give a bright vision
of the valley below.
Sense the sounds of nature,
the birds and the breath of the wind.
Feel the sun’s warmth,
or the sounds and smells
of the season which has
seasoned your visit.
Perhaps you can hear
the sound of others,
the cars and the buses
which stop nearby,
think of the journeys
they make or have made.
Explore the mountain top,
gaze at Mary’s image
nursing Jesus for a kiss,
feel the foundations
of the former church
beneath the grass.
Look upon the houses of Penrhys
and consider the lives
that are lived there.
Let this be a moment for you,
captured on this mountain
to know God’s love in Christ.
Pray for
Pray for the people of Penrhys,
for Llanfair Church,
and all who make pilgrimage to this place.
Pray for all those who live
in these valleys
for the communities,
and all who work for them
and with them.
Hwyl Fawr
May God brighten the path before us, and give us the peace of his presence at home and when far away. Amen. Our Lady of Penrhys, pray for us. All the Saints of God, pray for us.
LINKS & INFO
The site of the image of Our Lady of Penrhys is in the ownership of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff: www.rcadc.org
The Holy Well is in the ownership of Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Authority: www.rctcbc.gov.uk
Llanfair Church in Penrhys is an ecumenical project supported by eight different Church traditions in Wales: www.llanfair.org.uk
Where next?
Plan your journey to the next part of the Llanscape of Wales using our Google Maps Trail:
South Cardiff Ministry Area 