St Mary’s Church has, for many years, supported those who work with the homeless. With the rapid rise in rough sleeping and their more visible presence in our community it’s time for us to take a more cohesive approach. Last week, our Parochial Church Council adopted a Homeless Charter to strengthen and enrich our responseContinue reading “A heart for the community”
Author Archives: Dean Atkins
Standing Around at the Station
No city stands still. But if you stand still long enough in Cardiff you will see how religions have shaped and been shaped by the landscape. Here we explore a small yet significant corner of Cardiff. Buses flow down Westgate Street, dock nose to back at stops along the way. People come, go, dodge traffic,Continue reading “Standing Around at the Station”
A tenner to you, mate
Friday. 8.20am. The rhythmic shunting of the earth to explore the grounds for a new school building next door has been vibrating for half an hour now. Bute Street is waking up – been woken up. There is a trickle of two way traffic as workers walk to and fro, taking the half mile routeContinue reading “A tenner to you, mate”
Rejoice
On Friday December 14th, we celebrated the 175th Anniversary of the opening of the Church of St Mary the Virgin with a Solemn Mass, followed by fireworks, mulled wine and mince pies and which begins for us a whole year of celebrations. Here is the homily preached by Fr Dean Atkins during the Mass. LastContinue reading “Rejoice”
We’ll help you be there
It’s the cover version of “It Must be Love” by Madness that forms the soundtrack of one of BT’s most recent advertising campaigns. “I never thought I’d feel this way, the way I feel about you,” goes the singing of Suggs. “As soon as I wake up every night, every day, I know that it’sContinue reading “We’ll help you be there”
Dumbfounded Afresh
She was fascinated by the ladybird which she held in her hand. At the time, ladybirds were in plentiful supply having set up home in one of the bushes in the gardens at St Mary’s Church. Having been mesmerised by it herself, she was intent on showing others, sharing this tiny bug, plucked from theContinue reading “Dumbfounded Afresh”
Not such a Nice Deal
“Don’t go down there, love. It’s not very nice.” I had chatted to him for a little while, a cheerful, engaging police officer stationed at one of the road blocks near St Mary’s as the city of Cardiff welcomed the Championship League final in 2017. The city was colourful, vibrant, bursting at the seams withContinue reading “Not such a Nice Deal”
Under the Same Sun
When Butetown was being built up, as it hoisted itself up on steel, flexed its muscles on the back of coal, and dipped its toes into the sea, it took pride in a population formed from over fifty foreign nations. This was certainly the case by the time Archduke Ferdinand took the bullet, blasting usContinue reading “Under the Same Sun”
The Bells of St Mary’s
Some years ago, my late morning sleep was somewhat spent as I woke to a constant, distant, thud, thud, thud. It happened every few seconds, and it echoed round the place where I live, puncturing the day, every day, and I had no idea where the sound came from or what it was. I blamedContinue reading “The Bells of St Mary’s”
St Mary the Virgin, Cardiff 