Ministry Area of West Cardiff

05/09/2026

TINTERN SUNG VESPERS

At Tintern Abbey
On Sunday 13th September 2026 at 3:00pm

Song returns to Tintern Abbey

Imagine hearing the sound of monks singing again beside the soaring arches of Tintern Abbey. For over 400 years, the Cistercian monks who lived there gathered every day to sing Vespers, following the rule of Saint Benedict. On Sunday, the 13th of September 2026 at 3pm, that ancient tradition will come alive once more.

The Friends of Our Lady of Tintern, whose Chair is the Right Reverend Dominic Walker OSB, warmly invite everyone to this ecumenical celebration of Sung Vespers. After last year‘s service had to be cancelled because of severe storms, we are especially looking forward to gathering again.

Because restoration work is currently taking place within the Abbey, the service will be held immediately beside the Abbey on the Riverside. Thanks to the generous support of CADW, we will be able to worship as close to the Abbey Church as possible while the conservation work continues.

We are delighted that the Most Reverend Cherry Vann Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth, will be with us, and that the sermon will be preached by The Right Reverend Brendan Thomas OSB. We are also thrilled to welcome the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey, together with the Newport Cathedral choir, whose music will help re-create something of the beauty and spirituality that once filled the Abbey each day.

The Friends of Our Lady believe that Tintern Abbey is far more than a spectacular historic monument. It is sacred ground, a centre of pilgrimage, where generations of Christians sought God in prayer and where worship still has its rightful place. The statue of Our Lady of Tintern is a reminder of the Abbey‘s rich Christian heritage and of the faith that has shaped this valley through the centuries.

Whether you come for the music, the history, the beauty of the Abbey or simply for a moment of peace and reflection, you will receive a warm welcome. Everyone is invited and there is no charge to attend or to park. Please bring a picnic chair or rug.

Before and after the service, visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase the Friends limited edition 2027 calendar, which regularly sells out, together with a selection of beautiful greeting cards featuring artwork by talented local artists. Every purchase helps support the friends in preserving Tintern Abbey as a living place of worship and pilgrimage.

We hope many people from Tintern and beyond will join us. For one afternoon, the ancient song of Vespers will once again echo through the Abbey, reminding us that while Tintern Abbey is one of the world‘s great historic monuments, it is also, and above all, a place where the worship of God continues.

I'm planning to go and can offer a lift to anyone wishing to come with me.
Canon Andrew

05/09/2026

⛪ Tintern Sung Vespers ⛪

Here's a date to add to your diary. Friends of Our Lady of Tintern are organising an Ecumenical Service on the Feast of the Holy Cross, taking place at 3.00pm on Sunday 13th September at Tintern Abbey.

🎙️ Speaker: The Rt Revd Brendan Thomas OSB, Abbot of Belmont
🎶 Singers: The Monks of Belmont Abbey and Newport Cathedral Choir

A beautiful setting for an afternoon of prayer and song, with kind permission of CADW.

📌 A few things to know:

🔵 Please bring a folding chair and umbrella
🔵 Entry to the Abbey is free for those attending the service
🔵 Lunches and teas available in the village
🔵 Free parking

All welcome!

Belmont Abbey Cardiff Cathedral - Cadeirlan Caerdydd CAFOD in South Wales Cadw National Churches Trust

25/08/2026

Home thoughts from Abroad!

As we prepare to return home and a cooler climate - it's 36 degrees outside as I type this at Cefalonia airport - I'm reminded once again of how much similarity there is between Greek culture and the culture of the middle East where Jesus lived. Not just the heat but the food, smells and colours bring to mind a way of life that feels very different from ours in northern Europe. We've seen vines, olive, pomegranate and fig trees laden with fruit, and enjoyed the sound, older than time, of bells hanging from the necks of goats.

Bishop Mary mentioned in Llandaff Matters earlier today meeting an extraordinary Israeli woman on the boat trip to Ithaka.

'She told us about the sadness and fear that marks her daily life as a mother to children doing national service in the military during a war she believes is wrong.'
Her son has just finished his national service which left his poor mother in a state of permanent anxiety and fear.

Her name is Vered and she lives in the village of Bat Hefer near the border of Samaria. The Greek holiday was a chance for her to breathe freely again after months of insecurity and worry. I pray this prayer by Christian Aid often and I will bring her to mind the next time I do.

Pray not for Arab or Jew,
for Palestinian or Israeli,
but pray rather for ourselves,
that we might not
divide them in our prayers
but keep them both together
in our hearts. Amen

23/08/2026

Bourgonvillea grows exceptionally well in Greece. It is a defining symbol of the Greek summer, famous for cascading in vibrant shades of pink, fuchsia, purple, and red over whitewashed walls and blue-domed buildings across the country. I love it but my attempts to grow it in Cardiff have met with limited success! Apparently Bourgonvillea requires full sun exposure—at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. I'm obsessed!

22/08/2026

One of the joys of Greece is the vibrant colours of their flowers. It feels like spring still with jasmine, geraniums, wisteria and many other familiar flowers like sunflowers and begonia still in bloom at the end of August. To say nothing of the varieties of Bourgonvillea...Even the bindweed is an attractive deep purple!

19/08/2026

Today we walked to a secluded bay, Agios Jerusalem, which gets its name from an old ruined chapel on the shore. There's one taverna run by none other than Odysseus himself, but my friends call me Ody, he said! I particularly liked his obvious laid-back sense of humour, especially regarding WiFi!

17/08/2026

Trip to Ithaka

Couldn't resist a trip over the water from Fiskardo here in Cefalonia to visit Ithaka, the legendary home of Odysseus.

14/08/2026

07/08/2026

A pleasure to welcome MP Alex Barros-Curtis to the community garden in Fairwater this morning. Steve Glavin from Family Action is wearing a green t-shirt. The charity have just opened their doors to members on a Friday afternoon at 3pm at the hall.

05/08/2026

A oes heddwch? 🕊️

Ddoe cymeron ni eiliad yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru i weddïo ac i alw ar ein harweinwyr i weithredu i ddod â’r trais a’r anghyfiawnder enbyd ledled Palestina ac Israel i ben fel rhan o ymgyrch Cymorth Cristnogol. Diolch i bawb a ymunodd â ni am 12.30yh, wrth i ni sefyll gyda’n gilydd ac, ag un llais, ddatgan mai dyma’r .

Yesterday we took a moment at the to pray and call on our leaders to take action to end the devastating violence and injustice across Palestine and Israel as part of a Cymorth Cristnogol // Christian Aid in Wales . Thank you to everyone who joined us at 12.30pm, as we stood together and with one voice declared it’s

Cytun: Eglwysi Ynghyd yng Nghymru / Churches Together in Wales