Our tenth article of faith is a small stone plaque in the north-west corner of St Mary’s Church in memory of ‘Henry James Thatcher’, a plaque which unfolds the story of a man of enthusiastic faith, committed friendship and an eye for precision! A fallen grave stone We found it quite by accident, the graveContinue reading “Articles of Faith 10: Memorial Plaque”
Author Archives: Dean Atkins
Room for Prayer
Stay at Home! At his Ascension into Heaven, Jesus gives a simple instruction to his apostles: to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Power from on High which he had promised. And so they return to that Upper Room in which they have already experienced so much. It was the room in which theyContinue reading “Room for Prayer”
The Boxers of Tiger Bay
Like many industrialised towns of South Wales, boxing was a popular sport and pastime, and the 19th and 20th century allowed renowned figures such as ‘Peerless’ Jim Driscoll and Joe Erskine to emerge from the docks area of Cardiff just as they did from other parts of Cardiff and the South Wales valleys. One ofContinue reading “The Boxers of Tiger Bay”
When they sneeze, we cough
Sifting through various pieces of writing, I found this article which was intended to follow a previous blog post: Standing around at the Station. It was written last year as one of a series of articles exploring the place that religion has played in the growth and life of Cardiff, both yesterday and today. ThisContinue reading “When they sneeze, we cough”
Articles of Faith 9: a Pulpit pulled down
‘The Lesson thou has taught’ The ninth article of faith is a plain wooden pulpit, although only a third of the original remains. So, let’s climb into it and look down over two very different people from the past: the successive nineteenth century vicars of St Mary’s Church for whom this pulpit proved so importantContinue reading “Articles of Faith 9: a Pulpit pulled down”
Articles of Faith 8: A ‘Poor’ Reredos
Certain poor shepherds “The first Nowell the angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay” so the well-known Christmas Carol goes. It’s these ‘poor shepherds’ who feature in our eighth article of faith: a reredos above the High Altar. Within its brush strokes we explore the friendships and fortunesContinue reading “Articles of Faith 8: A ‘Poor’ Reredos”
Articles of Faith 7: A Rood Screen
Straying saints and fast cities This screen seems solid, unmoveable, part of the fabric of the building. Yet it came from another church building now long gone, the former church of St Dyfrig. The church stood on Wood Street in an area of Cardiff once known as Temperance Town near Central Railway Station before theContinue reading “Articles of Faith 7: A Rood Screen”
Articles of Faith 6: Letter from 1904
The next article of faith is another letter from our archives and written to the successor of Fr Jones who retired as Vicar in 1903. The letter was sent just a year later from the rather ominously sounding “Royal Commission of Ecclesiastical Discipline” to the Reverend Gilbert Heaton. The Mystery Worshipper Pinned to the cornerContinue reading “Articles of Faith 6: Letter from 1904”
Articles of Faith 5: Mural of St Margaret
The Fabric of the Church The murals of St Margaret and St Winifred, two female saints, are part of the fabric of St Mary’s Church, a constant mark in the masonry, and a continued reminder of the work of certain women in the parish: the Sisters of the Society of St Margaret who came toContinue reading “Articles of Faith 5: Mural of St Margaret”
Articles of Faith 4: A Letter of 1882
Between the Lines The fourth item is a simple letter, written in scribbled handwriting, sent to the Vicar at the time, Fr Griffith Arthur Jones, from the Revd J.W. Doran. Together, they were working on a Gregorian Psalter in Welsh, indicated from the outset by the way the letter is dated: “Feast of the dearContinue reading “Articles of Faith 4: A Letter of 1882”
St Mary the Virgin, Cardiff 