Saint Peter's Church, Llanwenarth Citra

Saint Peter's Church, Llanwenarth Citra On the edge of the Brecon Beacons just outside Abergavenny, St Peter's Church is thought to date back to the 13th century.

Set in it's own church yard a perfect place for peaceful contemplation and a beautiful venue for small weddings.

03/01/2021

August 2022
St Peter's Is open for services every Sunday at 10.00 am. Everyone is welcome. The church is also open during the day from 10.00 to about 4.30 if you would like to look around. Do please sign the visitor's book as it is helpful to know how many people visit.

16/08/2020

Feast of the Assumption, 16th August 2020

Dear Friends,

This Sunday would normally have been the Patronal Festival at St Mary’s and the beginning of the new Holywell year which we would normally have marked with some kind of celebration. However, sadly it becomes yet another occasion to add to the casualties of 2020. I cannot believe how this year has passed by and already it is time for me to say my ‘farewells’ to you.

Today the Church remembers and celebrates the completion of the earthly career of the Blessed Virgin Mary, how when that journey on earth was ended a new beginning opened up for her in heaven. Not content to ‘hang up her hat’ we are assured by the presence of a Mother who witnessed the fullness of Christ’s incarnation, and who ever lives to bring people to her Son.
As the hymn puts it:

‘To our needy world of today,
Love and beauty you portray,
Showing the path to Christ we must trace.
Mary, our mother, hail, full of grace.’

Christ calls us all to model that same love and beauty in our lives so that we too can guide others to Jesus by the witness of our own lives. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the privilege of serving in this parish as a priest and for the way in which you have shared with me the love and beauty of your own journeys. You may not necessarily feel that when you went through that bereavement, or illness, or even simply turned up and took part that you modelled that love and beauty in your own life, but I can assure you that you did and that as a priest it was a blessing to me and to our community. That is part of the challenge, to constantly be on the lookout for that love and beauty which God intends and to see life transformed, even when we do not feel, or life does not seem, especially lovely or beautiful. This year has been difficult, and we’re not through the woods yet, but even in the midst of what we are going through the voice of the Church will never be irrelevant if we can reflect back to God the love and beauty of what it means to be created in his image in the breadth of human experience. If the Gospel tells us anything it is that God loves our human mess, from the messy stable to the messy cross, and that he came into it so that we can recognise that love, beauty, dignity and worth ourselves and so that when we are confronted with the mess of life we can see beyond it to new life and a future with Him. 2020 has brought with it a great deal of mess and if I can leave you with that message then it is to recognise that even though we may be a little way from being able to be Church as we were back in January, whatever we can do still has worth if we can help people to see the love and beauty which points to Jesus through the mess.

It seems hard to believe that it was seventeen years ago that I came to South Wales to do my undergraduate degree, intending to be here for three years. I have now been here for nearly half my life so far with the attendant changes, chances, and friends which will mean it will always have a special place in my heart. Whilst Paul and I are going to pastures new we will always look forward to hearing your news, remembering you in our prayers and hoping to catch up when we come to visit my parents in Hereford. I’m sorry that due to the current situation I’m unable to invite you to join us for my licensing on 3rd September. I will endeavour to send photos for the parish magazine.

Should you ever find yourself in South Yorkshire please do call for a ‘brew’!

With my thanks and prayers,

Fr Tom

16/08/2020

Join us at 10.30am for Fr Tom's final live-stream as we celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady.

12/08/2020

Do join us for midweek mass live-streamed here at 5pm.

09/08/2020

Join us for our Parish Eucharist live-stream at 10.30am

09/08/2020

Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 9th August 2020

Dear Friends,

I’m sure that you were all as shocked as I was by the terrifying images of the explosion in Beirut this week. It is one of those frightening occasions when the prospects of a country already struggling and under strain from the pressures of the international pandemic take a sudden plunge. Lebanese hospitals, already overwhelmed and undersupplied are now swamped with more cases than they can cope with. Besides those killed and the 4000 injured, hundreds of people were made homeless in the blink of an eye, and 85% of the country’s grain supply was destroyed. There are 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are as yet unrecognized by the Lebanese government, escalating the likelihood of a humanitarian crisis in an already unstable political and economic climate. Christian Aid encourages us to pray with them for Lebanon, a country where they have worked for more than 30 years.

‘God, our refuge in times of trouble
We pray for our brothers and sisters in Beirut.
Lord, be with the emergency services as they battle to help the thousands injured.
Lord, hold those who have lost loved ones in the palm of your hand.
Lord, we pray your provision for poor and marginalised communities who face an even more uncertain future.
Lord, we pray for wisdom for leaders as they make difficult decisions.
Lord, open our hearts - may they be full of compassion for the suffering we see.
Stir us to action.
In the tragedy of loss,
We pray your comfort.
In the chaos and injury,
We pray your calm and divine healing.
In the devastation and the heartbreak,
We pray your peace.
We pray that in the despair that lies amid the rubble of the explosion
There will be glimmers of hope and life.
We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen’

I’m writing this letter on Thursday and today is the 75th Anniversary of the devastating explosion that killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima. Having seen the size of the massive explosion in Beirut on the news earlier this week I cannot begin to conceive the violence of an even larger explosion that could kill so many people. In this horrible year of virus lockdown, illness, bereavement and disaster we can reflect on this week’s gospel reading and think that we understand the vulnerability and fear which the disciples experience. It’s easy also to think that we need to be saved and protected from the disasters in the world (and those of our own making) by people who we deem to be cleverer than us; the officials, or professionals. Never forget Jesus chose as his first disciples’ people who were fishermen. They weren’t academically gifted and sometimes they embarrass themselves with mistakes as we all do. Yet Jesus chose them for their qualities:
Fishermen must be patient in their work. They did hard physical work in dangerous places. They must have hope that day after day their work will pay off, and they must have trust for those they work with.
We too are called as Jesus’ followers to work hard for peace and justice in society and to cast our nets out again and again in hope. To love and care for one another, being patient and resilient in the midst of the storm.

Even when we feel frightened by all that is happening around us, and when we feel at the mercy of the storm we must remember that Jesus comes to his followers in the midst of what they are going through, and says to them ‘Take courage…do not be afraid.’ Peter starts towards Jesus across the stormy sea, but instead of focusing on Jesus calling him he is overwhelmed by the hurley burley around him. No matter what we experience of the storm that can seem to rage around us at the moment let us never forget to keep our eyes on Jesus, to hear his words of encouragement and to fulfil his calling in our lives.
With my prayers,

Fr Tom

05/08/2020

We are heartbroken to hear news from Beirut and stand with our friends in Lebanon, where we have been working for more than 30 years.

We pray for comfort for families who have lost loved ones.

We pray those missing will be found.

We pray wisdom for medical staff.

05/08/2020

A prayer for the people of Lebanon.

Address

Llanwenarth Citra
Abergavenny
NP77EP

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441873853168

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Saint Peter's Church, Llanwenarth Citra posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category