DIOCESAN NEWS ARTICLES

With the Holy Father's Funeral on Saturday morning at 9am the visitation of Sr Mary Vianney has been cancelled. (View message above) On Saturday, April 26th , Sr. Maria Vianney OLM will visit St. David’s Cathedral from the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow. The Sanctuary is the convent where St. Faustina resided and wrote the diary of her visions of the Merciful Jesus. Sr. Maria Vianney will spend the day talking about the message of Divine Mercy and helping to lead us in prayer on the run up to Divine Mercy Sunday the following day. A tentative schedule for the day is as follows: 10:00—Mass 10:45—Perpetual Adoration begins (includes input from Sr. Maria Vianney) 10:45-12:00—Sacrament of Reconciliation 12:00-12:45—Lunch Break 12:45—Presentation by Sr. Maria Vianney followed by Adoration 15:00—Hour of Mercy 16:30-17:15—Sacrament of Reconciliation 17:30—Vigil Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday

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Dear brothers, Happy Easter! Despite his illness of these past months, we were all saddened to hear the news yesterday of the death of Pope Francis. He was an extraordinary witness to the Risen Lord and we pray now that the Lord quickly receive him into the kingdom. I will be celebrating a “Mass of the Resurrection – Remembering Pope Francis” in St David’s Cathedral, Cardiff at 6.30pm tomorrow evening (Wednesday). Please come to concelebrate if you can and encourage our people to come too. There will also be a Vigil of Prayer on Thursday Evening at 6pm in St David’s Cathedral to which we have invited ecumenical, inter-faith and civic dignitaries. Do come to that, too, if you are able, and encourage people to attend, if they can. With my thanks and with my prayers and best wishes. Yours devotedly,

The Chrism Mass, at which the Oils for the Church's Sacraments throughout the year are blessed, and at which the priests of the Archdiocese renew their promises, is celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Greenhill, Swansea in Cardiff on Tuesday at 11.30am. The Chrism Mass is the central occasion of the Archdiocesan Year and is a great celebration of the life of the Archdiocese. Once people have been to the Chrism Mass, it tends to become a pivotal part of their practice of the faith. So, if you have not been before, why not go along and try it for yourself? The Chrism Mass will be the Parish Mass on Tuesday. There will be no Mass at St. Teilo’s. If you are unable to go to Swansea, you can access the live-stream of the Mass here: https://www.meneviacathedral.org/livestream-mass/

As the UK Parliament considers a crucial and controversial piece of legislation – the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – Archbishop Mark has issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics, and all people of goodwill, to speak up. The bill seeks to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, a move the Catholic Church opposes both on moral and practical grounds. In his letter, Archbishop Mark reminds us that “every human life is sacred, coming as a gift of God and bearing God-given dignity.” This foundational belief underpins the Church’s principled objection to assisted suicide, and he warns that the bill “elevates… the autonomy of the individual above every other consideration.” But the Archbishop’s message is not just one of moral principle. He expresses deep concern about the way in which the bill has been handled in Parliament. He points out that this complex and far-reaching piece of legislation has not been subject to the usual thorough scrutiny: “It is a private member’s bill… published just days before MPs voted on it, giving them inadequate time to consult or reflect upon it.” Furthermore, the committee that examined the bill heard evidence for only three days, and not all voices were included in the discussion. Archbishop Mark also highlights the potential consequences of this legislation, questioning whether adequate safeguards exist to protect the vulnerable, and whether the National Health Service is prepared for such a shift in medical practice. He asks pointedly: “What will protect the vulnerable from coercion or from feeling a burden on their families?… Would this mean, in effect, the establishment of a national death service?” Instead of pursuing assisted suicide, the Archbishop calls for a renewed commitment to palliative care: “What is needed is first-class compassionate palliative care at the end of our lives… a good society would prioritise the care for the elderly, the vulnerable and the weak.” The letter ends with a heartfelt plea to the faithful: even if you’ve written to your MP before, now is the time to do so again. “This is a deeply flawed bill with untold unintended consequences,” he warns. “Every MP and government has a solemn duty to prevent such legislation reaching the statute book.” Drawing inspiration from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the Archbishop concludes with encouragement: “We, too, have many struggles… So we too, press on with this struggle too, so important in our times.”  Now is the time to speak out – in defence of life, in solidarity with the vulnerable, and in faithfulness to the Gospel.

St. Mary of the Angels’ Parish is organising a trip to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper Cardigan on Wednesday, May 14th and have invited parishioners of St. Teilo’s with Our Lady of Lourdes along to join them.  A coach will depart on the day at 8.40am from St Teilo’s and depart Cardigan at approximately 5pm, arriving back in Cardiff about 7.30pm. There will be a Mass at noon and the afternoon will be free. If anybody is interested, please add your name to the list at the back of the Church. A deposit of £10 per person will be required and the overall cost is £20 per person.

The Safeguarding Department have released the 2024 Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia Safeguarding Report. In this year’s report, they highlight key actions taken, including: * The establishment of a dedicated victim-survivor support post * A major reduction in DBS backlogs * The development of policies to promote best practices Looking ahead, the report outlines plans for: * Enhanced safeguarding audits * Improved training for clergy, staff, and volunteers * Stronger collaboration with statutory agencies Click the link below to read the report:

The Cistercian Nuns at Holy Cross Abbey, Whitland, who produce the hosts we use for Mass are hosting two ‘Come and See’ weekends during this Jubilee Year. The weekends will focus on the theme: ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and the sisters are inviting single Catholic Women aged between 25 and 45 who are discerning a vocation, to experience our monastic life. The weekends take place from Friday, May 30th to Monday, June 2nd and from Friday, August 8 th to Monday, August 11th. Any enquiries and registration, please email the Sisters at comeandseehca@gmail.com

This year, Pope Francis proclaimed 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope, with the theme of “hope does not disappoint” and a call to Catholics worldwide to become “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Jubilee Year officially started on Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and will continue until the Feast of the Epiphany in 2026. On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis invited pilgrims to the Vatican to walk through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s and the other Holy Doors throughout Rome and the world. In the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia the Holy Doors are at St. David’s Cathedral, Cardiff, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea, the statue of Our Lady of Penrhys, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper, Cardigan, the Shrine of Divine Mercy at Sacred Heart, Morriston, the Churches of St. Francis Xavier, Hereford, St. Francis Xavier and St. David Lewis, Usk, Our Lady and St. Illtyd, Llantwit Major, the Welsh Martyrs, Aberystwyth, the chapel of St. Non’s Retreat Centre in St. David’s; and the Abbey Churches of St. Michael and All Angels, Belmont and Our Lady and St. Samson, Caldey Island.  On a visit to the Holy Door(s) you are invited to undertake a pious act including participating devoutly in Holy Mass or at a celebration of the Word of God; the Liturgy of the Hours (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer); the Stations of the Cross or the Rosary along with the other requirements for an Indulgence - https://rcadc.org/jubilee-home/the-jubilee-indulgence/ Preparations for the 2025 Year of Jubilee began in Advent 2023, which marked the start of a year of prayer. The Bishops’ Conference have produced resources for the preparatory year of prayer, focusing on the Our Father, as well as resources about Jubilee in the Catholic Church. View the resources from the Catholic Bishops Conference here View the resources from our own Archdiocese here Jubilee Year Calendar (Cardiff-Menevia)