St. Gabriel's Church, Brynmill, Swansea

13/06/2026

TRINITY 2

14 JUNE 2026

1st reading. Genesis 18.1-15; 21.1-7

Psalm. Psalm 116.1-2,12-19

2nd reading. Romans 5.1-8

Gospel. Matthew 9.35-10.23

The Mass in Slow Motion: the Gloria and Music in the Mass

“O sing unto the Lord a new song!” So begin both psalms 96 and 98. What is this new song? It is the song of the redeemed: a song of gladness and freedom. We ended last week’s homily with the Confession and Absolution, in which we receive an effective remission of our sins. God has unshackled us from the bounds of sin and set us free to be His beloved sons and daughters. He has unsealed our lips that we might sing His praises. So it is that after confession we sing the Gloria, a hymn to God’s goodness. The one follows on from the other. If we have not sung “Lord have Mercy” we cannot sing “Glory be to God on High”. So we see how the whole liturgy of the Mass mirrors and gives shape to the Christian life. We must first repent if we are to be saved. We must first be freed if we are to be capable of freeing others.
Fr Sam

CHURCH DIARY

Sunday 14 June. St Barnabas/Trinity 2
9.30 am. Patronal Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn Mass
6.00 pm. Festal Evensong (St Barnabas)

Monday 15 June. Feria
6.30 pm. Mass

Tuesday 16 June. St Richard of Chichester
10.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)

Wednesday 17 June. Feria
10.00 am. Mass

Saturday 20 June. St Alban the Martyr
9.00 am. Mass

Sunday 21 June. Trinity 3
9.30 am. Patronal Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn High Mass

Parish Roll refresh.
If you are new to St Gabriel’s and would like to be on the parish roll then please fill in one of the forms at the back of church. This will enable us to contact you with news from the parish.

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”.
In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and Sacrament.

SAVE THE DATES:

· Saturday 27 June: 2pm Ordinations at Brecon Cathedral. All welcome. Share cars where possible.

· Wednesday 1 July: 6pm Evensong and Talk on “Catholic Mission” for visiting ordinands from St Padarn’s Theological College.

· Wednesday 29 July: 7pm Brynmill Voices Concert.

· Saturday 5 September: Annual Pilgrimage to Glastonbury. Details to follow.

· Sunday 6 September: 2pm Confirmations at Swansea Minster.

· Thursday 10 September: 6.30pm. Award winning journalist and author Quentin Letts will talk on his new novel “Nunc!” at St Gabriel’s following Evensong.

06/06/2026

CORPUS CHRISTI

7 JUNE 2026

Hymns: 280, 305, 268, 269

The Mass in Slow Motion: Procession to Confession

Corpus Christi is a fortuitous day on which to begin our preaching series. We start by considering the opening rites, from procession to confession. The entrance into church is not just a means of getting from “A” to “B”. It is a pilgrimage. The altar party are those called out from the congregation to play a particular role in the liturgy, but their movement is representative of the journey undertaken spiritually by the whole congregation. We come from without the church: from our homes, our work, our daily struggles and banalities. We enter the church, using the holy water stoops to recall that we are by adoption children of God. We spend time in silence to ‘reacclimatise’ and prepare for the sacred work ahead. We then begin our pilgrimage to the Altar of God, the most sacred site in caacathe building; both an image of Christ, and the place where His sacrifice for us is remembered. As the Church processes, it sings a hymn – for God has put a new song in our mouths! The first spoken words of the service are an invocation of the Most Holy Trinity, as we clothe ourselves anew in God’s love. The confession is then a chance to publicly reconcile ourselves with God. Truly none of us is without sin, but God is always more eager to forgive than we are to ask for His forgiveness. And so, freed from sin, and with our hearts “set on the things that are above” we continue our pilgrimage of faith.
Fr Sam

CHURCH DIARY

Sunday 7th June. Corpus Christi
9.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas) 11.00am Solemn High Mass & Benediction 6.00pm Evensong & Benediction

Monday 8th June. Feria
10.00am Holy Rosary
6.30pm Mass

Tuesday 9th June. Feria
10.30am Eucharist (St. Barnabas)

Wednesday 10th June. Feria
10.00am Mass

Saturday 13th June. Immaculate Heart of Mary
9.00am Mass

Sunday 14th June. St Barnabas / Trinity II
9.30am Patronal Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00am Solemn Mass 6.00pm Festal Evensong (St Barnabas)

Parish Roll refresh.
If you are new to St Gabriel’s and would like to be on the parish roll then please fill in one of the forms that will be handed out with your service books. This will enable us to contact you with news of what is going on in the parish.

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”.
In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and Sacrament.

St Alban’s Treboeth Patronal Festival.
Fr Jimmy Page invites us all to join for St Alban’s patronal on Saturday 20th June. Mass it at 11am, with the excellent Canon Mark Clavier preaching. A picnic lunch follows (BYO food and drink). The day concludes with a Eucharistic procession and Benediction at 2.30pm. St Alban’s are always very supportive of our services, so it would be nice to return the favour.

Save the dates:
• Saturday 27th June: 2pm Ordinations at Brecon Cathedral. All welcome. Share cars where possible.
• Wednesday 1st July: 6pm Evensong and Talk on “Catholic Mission” for visiting ordinands from St Padarn’s Theological College.
• Saturday 5th September: Annual Pilgrimage to Glastonbury. Details to follow.
• Sunday 6th September: 2pm Confirmations at Swansea Minster.
• Thursday 10th September: 6.30pm. Award winning journalist and author Quentin Letts will talk on his new novel “Nunc!” at St Gabriel’s, following Evensong.

01/06/2026

As she finishes her degree, we bid farewell to Kenna Andrews, who was baptised at St. Gabriel's this Easter. Raised an atheist, Kenna is one of a number of younger people rejecting cultural nihilism and finding their way to Church. She goes with our prayers and every blessing!

01/06/2026

For this year's patronal festival concert we are delighted to welcome back Old Strafford (Phil Andrew, Davey Jones, and Robert Strafford)

30/05/2026

THE HOLY and UNDIVIDED TRINITY

31 MAY 2026

1st reading. Isaiah 40.12-17,27-31

Psalm. Psalm 8

2nd reading. 2 Corinthians 13.11-13

Gospel. Matthew 28.16-20

HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!

Trinity Sunday marks the culmination of the first half of the Christian year, which began on Advent Sunday some six months ago. Today we contemplate the full revelation of God in three persons. The Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved or a formula to be applied – it is a mystery to be entered into. Today we sing one of the great hymns to the Trinity: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”. When we sing of God’s threefold holiness we are sharing the song of the angels in Heaven, who sing this hymn continually around God’s throne of power. Here’s what the preacher and pastor Brian Zhand says. The creatures who sing this hymn “are not automatons on infinite repeat, but angels granted an infinite series of glimpses into the ever-unfolding glory of God.” May we be likewise granted continual glimpses into God’s infinite glory, and so sing His praises anew every day. Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Fr Sam

CHURCH DIARY

Sunday 31 May. The Holy & Undivided Trinity
9.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn High Mass

Monday 1 June. St Justin Martyr
6.30 pm. Mass

Tuesday 2 June. Feria
10.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)

Wednesday 3 June. St Charles Lwanga
10.00 am. Mass

Saturday 6 June. St Norbert
9.00 am. Mass

Sunday 7 June. Corpus Christi
9.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn High Mass
6.00 pm. Evensong and Benediction

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”.
In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and Sacrament.

Confirmation sessions.
Bishop John will administer the sacrament of Confirmation in Swansea Minster on Sunday 6 September. I will be holding preparation sessions on Monday evenings after the 6.30pm Mass for any who wish to be confirmed from our two churches. The first session will be held on Monday 1 June as we ask the Big Question: “Who is Jesus Christ?”
Fr Sam

Thank you so much.
Sue, Philip and Amanda do not have the words to express their gratitude to St Gabriel's congregation for prayers, concern and kindness to Chris over the last 19 months. The first 7 months were very hard but your constant praying gave him 12 months of decent health and he was able to come back to church doing the work he enjoyed and being amongst you. We are so grateful for that extra time with Chris; we didn't think he would have been taken away from us so suddenly. He was so grateful to Fr Sam for giving him his last meal for the next part of his journey and he slipped away so peacefully. The requiem mass was very special and many thanks to you all for making it so, Chris would have been looking down and enjoying every minute. We will never forget the love and support you have given us at this difficult time. God bless you all.

Lent appeal.
Peter Lloyd has received the following from Luz Marina Figueroa to acknowledge our gift of £1100 to the House of the People of the Sun:

Dear Peter:

We hope this lines will find you and family well, we want to let you know that the money has just arrived in our account and also please tell thanks to all the members of your church for continuing keeping the children at risk in Peru in your hearts. Your generous help allows us to continue our efforts to support these children. As we mentioned in our previous email, the political situation in our country is still difficult for the work of NGOs, but thanks to the efforts of our Inti team and the support of generous hearts, we continue our work.

Thanks again to all of you, and God Lord blessed all of you

Warm regards

Luz Marina Figueroa

23/05/2026

PENTECOST

24 MAY 2026

1st reading. Numbers 11.24-30
Psalm. Psalm 104.25-36
2nd reading. Acts 2.1-21
Gospel. John 7.37-39

Come Down, O Love Divine

Christ has gone up, and the Spirit descends. But this is not a simple exchange of the one for the other. Here’s what the liturgical scholars Roger Greenacre and Jeremy Haselock say: “Easter and Pentecost belong to each other inseparably and indivisibly. So, paradoxically, we discover that Easter is a feast of the Spirit and Pentecost is a feast of Christ. The Resurrection is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit by the Father upon the Son: Christ is raised by the Spirit, transformed by the Spirit and in his resurrection has become “a life-giving spirit” (I Cor. 15:45). Conversely, at Pentecost we celebrate the new means of Christ’s presence with and to and for his people, and we celebrate the Church as the Body of Christ, but only and precisely because it is filled and vivified by his Spirit.” Let us pray for the revival of the Church in our own age, with and through the life-giving Spirit.
Fr Sam

CHURCH DIARY
Sunday 24 May. Pentecost
9.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn High Mass
Monday 25 May. Mary, Mother of the Church
6.30 pm. Mass

Tuesday 26 May. St Philip Neri
10.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)

Wednesday 27 May. St Augustine of Canterbury
10.00 am. Mass

Saturday 30 May Feria
9.00 am. Mass

Sunday 31 May. The Holy & Undivided Trinity
9.30 am. Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00 am. Solemn High Mass

Fr Sam away.
I will be away with the family from Pentecost until 29 May. For any pastoral emergencies please contact the Archdeacon.

Thank you.
A hearty thanks for all who made last Sunday such a success. After a delicious parish lunch, we had worshippers joining from across three different dioceses for our May Devotions. I have received many enthusiastic messages. I reproduce here a short section of one email from a gentleman who travelled all the way from Fishguard: “What a WONDERFUL parish you have. Kindest people. Warmest of welcomes. … The whole day felt like a glimpse of Walsingham. Thank you, thank you so very, very much”.

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”.
In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and Sacrament.

18/05/2026

Yesterday we said goodbye to Bashir, after two happy years on placement at St. Gabriel's and St. Barnabas. He goes with the assurance of our prayers and two stoles from Watts of London as gifts from the congregations. God speed, Bashir!

17/05/2026

17/05/2026